During the recession, many of us in Venice fell behind on our bills – even ignoring parking tickets.
But the City of Los Angeles is also cash strapped. To ramp up its collection efforts, it has established an innovative debt settlement program to encourage citizens to pay their fines.
If you owe the city money and have not been able to pay, the Office of Finance’s amnesty program may be for you.
To qualify, your bill has to be in collections and it can’t be a tax debt. To settle, simply pay 60 percent of your bill. Fully 40 percent will be forgiven, up to $50,000.
Bills can include building and safety fines, public works permits, false alarm fees, fines for illegal signs, ambulance billing fees and more. If you’re not sure that your debt is covered by the plan, contact the city at www.lacity.org/finance/amnesty/ or by calling (213) 978-7900 weekdays from 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.
This program expires on April 30.
So, if you have the money, settle now. If you don’t pay by the end of the month, you will be subject to having the debt referred to credit reporting agency along with legal action. The full amount will be due and payable.
Payments must be postmarked by April 30, so act soon, to take advantage of L.A.’s 40 percent off city debt sale.
