Smokecreek1
Smokecreek1
Something just happened to me that could really mess up some future "WTWing", so I thought I'd pass along this story to the WTW gang.
On Monday, I got a letter here to my PO Box here in California from some law firm/collection outfit in Texas saying that they had been contracted to collect some overdue traffic fines (speeding in a construction zone and no valid registration) from some town in Florida in the amount of $900.00 or so bucks and if I did not pay "forthwith" a traffic warrant could be issued for my arrest and I could possibly lose my drivers license! What, well # 1, I've never been in that town in Florida before in my life and #2, I have been to Florida (on the other coast)once in my life and that was in 1969. Okay, is this some type of scam or something or should I be worried. I'm no lawyer, but I know that if some traffic warrant is issued and I am stopped out WTWing somewhere for a bad tail light or something, I could have a bad real bad day! I checked the internet and both the town and law firm were listed, so I called up some law enforcement friends here in town and they said I had better contact the local LE and check to see if there are any scams out and about-but what ever I do, do not ignore this! Stopped by the local PD and no such scam was know to be around, but, "yes" call the traffic court or law firm and clear this up!
Okay, so I called the Florida traffic court and explained my situation and mentioned that I was 67, retired and was still driving. They asked my birth date and did I have a California Drivers Lin. and I said "yes". They then said "we will straighten this out "what is your phone number and we will call you right back", and they did. Yep you guessed it, the guy that been issued the tickets had the same first, last and Mi that I did, but he was born in 1982 and the his drivers license was from Georgia.
They then said they were sorry and would fix the problem and contact the Law Firm , clear up their own records and did I want some type of letter from them and I said no (a mistake??) just fix things up and they said they would. So I think I'll just wait and see if the law firm sends me an apology or something and no matter what I think I will carry the letter and any thing else they send me in my truck---just in case -ya never know ---I might get stopped for a tail light out in Eastern Oregon or someplace and that could sure mess up my day. Any comments, advise on what I should have done or not??
Smoke
On Monday, I got a letter here to my PO Box here in California from some law firm/collection outfit in Texas saying that they had been contracted to collect some overdue traffic fines (speeding in a construction zone and no valid registration) from some town in Florida in the amount of $900.00 or so bucks and if I did not pay "forthwith" a traffic warrant could be issued for my arrest and I could possibly lose my drivers license! What, well # 1, I've never been in that town in Florida before in my life and #2, I have been to Florida (on the other coast)once in my life and that was in 1969. Okay, is this some type of scam or something or should I be worried. I'm no lawyer, but I know that if some traffic warrant is issued and I am stopped out WTWing somewhere for a bad tail light or something, I could have a bad real bad day! I checked the internet and both the town and law firm were listed, so I called up some law enforcement friends here in town and they said I had better contact the local LE and check to see if there are any scams out and about-but what ever I do, do not ignore this! Stopped by the local PD and no such scam was know to be around, but, "yes" call the traffic court or law firm and clear this up!
Okay, so I called the Florida traffic court and explained my situation and mentioned that I was 67, retired and was still driving. They asked my birth date and did I have a California Drivers Lin. and I said "yes". They then said "we will straighten this out "what is your phone number and we will call you right back", and they did. Yep you guessed it, the guy that been issued the tickets had the same first, last and Mi that I did, but he was born in 1982 and the his drivers license was from Georgia.
They then said they were sorry and would fix the problem and contact the Law Firm , clear up their own records and did I want some type of letter from them and I said no (a mistake??) just fix things up and they said they would. So I think I'll just wait and see if the law firm sends me an apology or something and no matter what I think I will carry the letter and any thing else they send me in my truck---just in case -ya never know ---I might get stopped for a tail light out in Eastern Oregon or someplace and that could sure mess up my day. Any comments, advise on what I should have done or not??
Smoke