Everyone’s got skeletons in their closets…annoying little buggers that remind us of our past mistakes, the good advice we ignored, and the consequences that we dodged. Specifically speaking, fines, tickets, and fees that we haven’t paid yet can keep cropping up in pretty awful ways. We’re talkin’ arrest warrants for unpaid fines, licenses being revoked because of unpaid tickets, and let’s not forget the mountain of debt that can accumulate because of failure to pay court fees. The good news is, if you have a structured settlement or annuity in place, you can redeem yourself and finally rid yourself of those skeletons once and for all.
You’d do this by selling your annuity income stream for a lump sum – this’ll not only likely get you in the green, but finally put you in good standing with legal authorities. Here, we offer some other ways a lump sum of cash can get you on better footing if your past isn’t stellar from a legal standpoint. Because, hey. No one’s perfect and it’s never too late to do better.
Selling Your Structured Settlement to Pay Off Traffic Tickets
It’s the lump in your stomach… the cold sweats… the fear that the cop who pulled you over is going to look you up and see that you’ve got lots of unpaid parking tickets. Ouch! And maybe a moving traffic violation to boot. The truth is, traffic violations are actually pretty common. The Washington Post reports that as of March 2018, a whopping 7 million people have had their drivers’ licenses revoked for unpaid traffic tickets and court debts. But you might be one of the lucky ones who can nip it in the bud before you get in some real trouble.
The structured settlement payments you receive periodically might be able to put a dent in your debt right now. But what’s even more fantastic is that you can sell your future structured settlement payments for a huge lump sum and pay off those tickets once and for all. Riding ‘dirty,’ aka, livin’ on the edge, shouldn’t be part of anyone’s bucket list…but clearing up a bad driving record, well, that’s something to strive for.
Here’s another tidbit – you can potentially get your traffic tickets expunged before your fees accumulate. According to DrivingLaws.com, non-moving traffic violations are eligible to be expunged if you apply. That’s it. Are you a first-time offender? If so, then this is definitely something you’ll want to investigate. Eligibility criteria varies from state to state, so it’s worth looking into.
Pay Off Your Jail and Court Fees with a Lump Sum
Court fees are a beast. Even if you’re cleared of a crime, your state might keep you on the hook for court fees that you didn’t anticipate. A state-by-state survey conducted by National Public Radio found that defendants are charged for many government services that were once free, including those that are constitutionally required. For example:
- In at least 43 states and the District of Columbia, defendants can be billed for a public defender (as of 2019).
- In at least 41 states, inmates can be charged room and board for jail and prison stays (as of 2019).
- In at least 44 states, offenders can get billed for their own probation and parole supervision (as of 2019).
- In all states except Hawaii, and the District of Columbia, there’s a fee for the electronic monitoring devices defendants and offenders are ordered to wear (as of 2019). (Sources: NPR.org, Huffpost.com, Propublica.org, Law360.org).
Jail is no joke. If you’ve recently been released, you might owe tens of thousands of dollars.
According to Appeal magazine, someone who simply wants some extra food has to pay for it out of their commissary account. When you get out of jail you’re expected to pay it back right away. But most people right out of jail don’t have a job – which can lead to more trouble if you can’t pay your debt.
Trying to get a job in jail is no picnic either. Typically, inmates earn about 40 cents an hour. Try paying off a $300 fine from your court judgement on those wages. It’s impossible! And it’s all bad news.
If you have a structured settlement, and even if the payments aren’t due for a few years, there’s hope. You can sell your future payments for a lump sum now and pay off the remnants of your past.
Looking Toward the Future
If you have tickets, fines or legal fees to pay, it’s important to explore your options. Consider selling your payments if you’ve got financial skeletons in your closet. Remember, your future isn’t your past. Connect with RSL Funding today to discuss how you can make it great with the sale of your structured settlement, lottery, or annuity payments. We’re lookin’ forward to it!
