Woman Found Dead In W-b Motel Room

Alice M. (boone) Kiesinger

By DAVID WEISS dweiss@leader.net
 Wednesday, January 08, 2003 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Page: 3A 





WILKES-BARRE - Luzerne County's Clerk of Courts office collected more than
$1 million in court costs and fines last year, spreading hundreds of thousands
of dollars to the county and several municipalities, said Clerk of Courts Bob
Reilly. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The total marks the first time the office has collected more than $1
million, Reilly said. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The increase came on the heels of using several new tactics to urge people
to pay fines, including using a collection agency to help recover overdue
fines and costs. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 In September, Reilly announced the hiring of Scranton-based Northeast
Credit and Collections to help collect millions in overdue costs. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The agency collected an extra $175,000 for the office since its inception
in September, Reilly said. Based on that amount, he expects the agency to
collect an additional $30,000 to $40,000 per month for the office. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 ``As far as I'm concerned, that's newfound money,'' Reilly said. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The agency does not cost anything to the county because it is paid through
a 25 percent surcharge the company imposes on defendants who owe overdue
fines. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Of the $1 million collected, the county received $593,332 and the state
received $321,470. The remaining funds were distributed accordingly to
municipalities in the county. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 ``That was a pretty good year,'' he said. ``I think people are more aware
now.'' &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Reilly said the office also has started suspending operating privileges and
putting liens on people who are indebted to the office. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 But the collection agency has played a good role in garnering money. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 ``We're going to keep plugging away at,'' said Reilly, acknowledging some
``glitches'' had to be worked out of the system. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 David Weiss, a Times Leader staff writer, can be reached at 831-7397. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
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County Office Receipts Soar Past $1 Million Use Of A Collection Agency Helps The County Clerk Of Courts Reel In Overdue Court Costs And Fines.