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Can you set up a payment plan to pay off tickets & do community service?
I'm trying to help a family member pay off tickets. Can they do community service & set up a payment plan? I'll be paying. We live in Texas if that helps.
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The question you asked is something for the court to decide. Generally the clerk of the court will set up a payment plan for any fine assessed.
As to community service. I'm not sure why you are asking this question. If the person has been fined and given jail time this is the decision of the judge based on whatever relevant facts the judge has to base courts sentence on. One overriding fact would be the person's driving record.
If the judge felt that a fine was not sufficient to correct the driving behavior of this person. Then the allows the court to both fine and imprison a person. If the court wanted community service they would have assessed that at sentencing.
If you're asking for community service for this person because you are pay the fine and you want some punishment served. I'm not sure this is something the court will go along with. You would have to discuss this with the judge. In doing so you run the risk of the court barring you from making any payment toward the fine. This would fall under the judges judicial discretion.
Unless this person is your parent, spouse or child you are not doing them any real favor by paying their fine. Parent or spouse I can understand though for a child if able to work and earn the money for he fine then no you're not teaching him or her anything. Plus you are also going to be punished with higher insurance costs which your child should have to pay back to you. This is where the lesson is to be learned.
Let me put it another way. IF this person were to be sent to jail as punishment; would you serve their time for them? I don't think so. I paying their fine for them you are doing the same thing. No lesson is learned and they have not been punished for whatever wrong they did and they will continue doing so. Next time this wrong may kill someone.
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The person who got the tickets can make a request for a payment plan. Just contact whomever the money is supposed to go to and remember that the request has to be approved. It should be rather easy, actually. Just start calling.
Alongside of this, I do want to point out that I do believe that what you're doing for this person is wrong. If this person was sentenced to 30 days in jail, you wouldn't be serving their time for them would you? By paying their fines, you're essentially doing the same thing. The fines are their punishment. What if this person continues getting tickets? I mean, why wouldn't they? Everything worked out so there's no reason to make a major change. They should be the one figuring this out, not you. Since you're the one asking about payment plans, it doesn't seem as if you can afford to pay for this person's mistakes either, so why are you planning to?
I got a speeding ticket a few years ago and really couldn't afford it. I scraped the money up somehow, but that experience really changed my life. I used to speed. Not all the time and I didn't always go all that fast, but I was normally going about 10 mph over the speed limit. It was stupid, juvenile, and dangerous, but it was fun. I had a fast little car and it became a habit. After having to pay this ticket, I no longer speed. I stopped cold turkey. I'd gotten tickets before, but none that cost me this much money and I think my parents paid for a few.
Not having the money to pay for something that you consciously did is a GOOD thing. This type of pain has the chance to bring about a change in your behavior. You may feel like you're being nice or that this person really has no other options, but really they do and you're hurting them more than helping them. You wouldn't buy drugs for someone who was addicted, but would you? By paying for someone's tickets, you're aiding a criminal in getting away with their crimes. If you really want to help, don't do it for free. Write a contract with this person where they promise to pay you back within 3 years or something. Make a payment plan with them even if it's only like, $5 a week. If they don't pay you, go after them! If you're having to find all this money for something they did, they should be able to pay you back in several years. Make this person work for you in order to cut down on the price. What can they give you? Can they work on your house? Clean for you once a week? Think of something.
You gave very little information about yourself, but if this person is a boyfriend, what are you doing? Don't bring your relationship to this place. You'll never get out of it and you'll be paying for his mistakes over and over again because you did it this time.
I know you probably weren't expecting such a long answer containing a bunch of rather unsolicited advice, but I do want you to understand what you're planning on doing, what it means, and what it could create in the future. Good luck.
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