Maine Municipal Tax Collectors' & Treasurers' Association
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Posted by Michelle Fournier, Gardiner, April 12, 2006:Here is what we do in Lincoln:  We do not tax vehicles because the Assessor and I do not agree on that philosophy.  I can fax you a copy of our tax card that shows what it looks like and how it is filled out by our Assessor.

Responses: Are the NSF for vehicle registrations? If so BMV will collect it for you, they send out letters stating they will pull their registrations, if the customer does not make good on the check.(Darlene Beaulieau, Manchester)

I send a certified letter, and I don't usually have any problems with them paying us back. We charge $25 returned check fee. If it's for a car registration and they don't pay, just send the information to MV and they will revote their car registration. If it's a hunting or fishing license, IF&W will revoke their license (I'm assuming if it's a ATV, Boat or Snowmobile, they will also revoke). If they paid property taxes and they don't pay us back immediately, we will reverse the payment. (Laurie Boucher, Richmond)

Another option is to call the bank that the check is from and if available cash is dropped into their account, the bank will cut you a banker's check for the amount. The best time to check is near the end of the week after payday. The downfall is that you can't recoup any fees that you may have been charged by your own bank for passing through a nsf check. The upside...obviously, you receive payment. (Tammy Getchell, Mapleton, Castle Hill, Chapman)

A call to the maker's bank to see if the check is currently good also helps speed up the process. But the check should physically be taken to that bank while the funds are still there and rewritten by the bank on a treasurer's check. Since the City has investments with all local banks, there is no charge to the City for the treasurer's check.(Spike Savage, Presque Isle)

We send a "5 Day Notice of Insufficient Funds" by certified mail.  This works for us about 99% of the time.  On the rare occasion that this doesn't convince the customer to pay (and it is not a Motor Vehicle Registration etc., where the state will step in) we send a Police Officer to collect the debt. Attached is a copy of the 5 Day Notice of Insufficient Funds that was provided to us by our Police Department.  (Kate Barnes, Fort Fairfield) (Go to Kate's 5-day notice)

The Maine Crime Prevention Association has a nice flyer.
Title 17-A Section 708 outlines the five day notice. The five day notice is sent certified mail and then becomes evidence that fraud was intended when the check was written. As we all know, not every check writer intends this but bookkeeping issues are in the "carelessness" category. (Eva Leavitt, Turner)

Lamoine is pretty much like the others who responded. If it's a local bank and our bank has not charged us anything (a rarity) I will see if the local bank the check is drawn upon will make good the check with a cashier's check. If not, we send them a letter, charge them $25.00 for the privilege of bouncing a check, and try to make it good. As others mentioned, if part of the check is for a vehicle registration, BMV will suspend their registration. (Stu Marckoon, Lamoine)