Will my debts be sent to “collections”?

Maybe. The more delinquent your debt is, the more likely that it will be, or already has been, sent to collections.

Each court, county, and agency handles unpaid debts differently. The court may start by trying to collect the debt itself. Once the debt becomes overdue, courts often send unpaid debts to the county collection agency.[2173] If the debt remains unpaid, the court or county collection agency may then send your debt to a private collection agency or to the California Franchise Tax Board (FTB), which acts as a collections agency for the state and for CDCR.[2174]

    For more information on tracking down your debt, see PG. 673.
    For more information on what to do if your court-ordered debt HAS BEEN sent to collections, see PG. 673.
  1. 2173

    Telephone interview with Bonnie Sloan, Division Manager, Court Collections, Yuba County Superior Court (Feb. 23, 2015); Telephone interview with Genevieve Harrington, Supervisor, Central Collections, Butte County Superior Court (Feb. 23, 2015); Telephone interview with David (no last name given), Collector, Fresno County Revenue Collections Unit, (Feb. 23, 2015). See also Cal. Penal Code § 1463.007 (authorizing collection of delinquent court-ordered debt by county).

  2. 2174

    Cal. Rev. & Tax Code § 19280 (court can refer unpaid debts to the FTB starting 90 days after the date when the debt was due).