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 Christina Johnson-Conley bounced a check last year to pay for the
equivalent of about 10 lunches at North Thurston High School in
Lacey, south of Seattle, said district spokeswoman Courtney
Schrieve.
The school sent two letters, one last November and another in May,
asking for the money, and then a final letter advising
Johnson-Conley it was turning the debt over to a collection agency,
Schrieve said.
"We often have people in these situations and all they have to do is
call us and say 'Can I make a payment plan?' That did not happen,"
Schrieve said, adding that the school was accountable to taxpayers
and state auditors.
The collection firm, Grimm Collections of Tumwater, declined to
discuss the specifics of the case but agency owner David Grimm said
that in general consumers get multiple debt-collection phone calls
and notices.
Grimm filed a lawsuit and a Thurston County court issued a judgment
in July for $535 that preceded a wage garnishment order on Sept. 15.
Taken together, the agency's fee, court costs, monthly interest, and
attorney and processing fees added up to roughly $695, Grimm said.
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Johnson-Conley, who has worked as a nursing consultant, did not
immediately respond to interview requests.
Local broadcaster KOMO reported she was outraged over the amount and
was never served with court papers. If that were true, Grimm said
she would have the opportunity to appear in court to contest the
service.
The school said as of Wednesday it had still not received any money.
(Reporting by Eric M. Johnson; Editing by Lisa Shumaker)
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