COURT FINES AND TRAFFIC TICKETS REPRESENT A SEPARATE CLASS OF DEBTS
Court Fines and Traffic Tickets may come about for many different reasons, some as small as a parking violation for $20.00, while others are very large with sums exceeding thousands of dollars, such as DUI fines or other fines related to criminal activity or fraud. Court Fines and Traffic Tickets fall into a separate class of debts which, pursuant to bankruptcy legislation, are not dis-chargeable or forgiven in a bankruptcy.
COURT FINES MUST BE PAID EVEN IF YOU GO BANKRUPT/FILE FOR BANKRUPTCY
Court Fines and Traffic Tickets survive a bankruptcy and must be paid, and you usually have little time to pay these types of debts. They often serve only to compound one’s financial difficulties and make your situation worse. DUI fines are almost always accompanied by a charge which restricts or eliminates one’s driving privileges, and that can affect one’s ability to get around and to earn income.
COURT FINES MAY LEAD TO A LOSS OF INCOME
The loss of income and the requirement to pay significant fines can lead to financial difficulties because you have less money to pay your other debts. In some cases, this may be “the straw that broke the camel’s back”, increasing the prospect of a bankruptcy.
In cases such as this, a bankruptcy will eliminate the requirement to pay many other debts, and allow someone to survive on a reduced income and/or make it easier to pay the fines.
If you find yourself in a situation where you believe that formal debt relief is your only option, please do not hesitate to contact an Alberta Bankruptcy Trustee for a free, no obligation assessment and consultation.
