Municipal Collection Agency

Improve municipal revenue recovery.

We are Municipal Collection Agency experts and comprehensive collections services deliver a higher rate of revenue recovery for your Municipality.

Municipal Collections Services LLC (MCS) is a DACRA Tech company and a licensed collection agency for court fines that specializes exclusively in the recovery of municipal and government debt. The MCS staff is highly trained on best collection practices as well as the ticketing and adjudication process. They are also knowledgeable of various federal and state regulations regarding the collection of outstanding debts and fines.

Because of this municipal-centric approach and skillset, MCS delivers a maximum rate of revenue recovery.

MCS’s staff of trained experts focus on locating debtors and assisting them in resolving the problem while increasing returns and revenue for the municipality. Working with a collection agency like MCS, one that focuses exclusively on the collection of municipal and government debt, removes this time-consuming task from your municipal staff’s workload.

MCS manages a variety of municipal debt types, including but not limited to:

Traffic and Parking Fines, including Red Light Camera Tickets
Building Code Fines
Alarm Bills
Utility and Garbage Collection Bills
Municipal Fees
Court Fees

A Proven Municipal Collections Process that Delivers Results

MCS works with debtors to explain the nature of the obligation and, when necessary, provides debt validation. This is a time and resource-intensive task best handled by people trained and focused exclusively on that mission.

We employ a professional customer service approach and help people manage and resolve their debt. We balance empathy and enforcement and believe that if you treat people fairly, they will be more likely to pay what they owe.

By using MCS, you will enhance the reputation of your community by providing superior customer service while recovering debt.

A Methodological Approach to Municipal Collections Management

MCS follows a disciplined methodological approach to setting up and executing debt collection for your municipality.

Discovery – understand debt type and debt path from issuance to collections

Onboarding – customize your process and technical set-up

Execution – follow professional and comprehensive campaigns to maximize revenue recovery

We make the end-to-end process simple so that you can focus on your core mission.

DISCOVERY PHASE

We work with municipal staff from the relevant departments to gain an understanding of the nature of the various debt types to be submitted, e.g., fines, past due utility bills, etc.

We gain an understanding of the story of the debt. In the example of a parking ticket, understanding the path from issuance of the citation through to collection, including the number of hearings allotted, the fine escalations, the appeal period etc.

ONBOARDING PHASE

MCS staff works with the municipality on the technical aspects of transferring the debt from the municipality to MCS. The process includes reviewing the debt file provided by the municipality, and when possible, making suggestions for additional data to include. The more informed the MCS agents are, the more likely our ability to receive a payment and close the outstanding obligation. Details of payment arrangements, if any, that are to be offered to debtors are also detailed at this time.

EXECUTION PHASE

Our debt recovery process starts with importing your records into the MCS debt management platform. If your municipality uses DACRA Tech software, this step is seamless — with a click of the button, a file of the eligible debtor records is generated and imported to the MCS’s collections platform. The MCS team uploads the data into their collection software to manage and make collection efforts.

Regardless of debt type, we start the recovery effort by mailing an initial demand letter for each debt submitted for collection. The letter adheres to the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) standards.

After allowing sufficient time for delivery of the letters, MCSI begins a call campaign to reach the debtors by phone. If phone numbers are not provided with the initial account placement, accounts are run through a waterfall skip trace process to find the most accurate contact information available. The routine cordial phone calling is to explain and follow-up to remind the debtor that the obligation is outstanding.

Depending on the debt type and the municipality’s intentions, other options can be incorporated into the plan. If any of the debts are to be submitted to the State’s offset program, MCS can work with the municipality to generate and manage the files necessary to communicate with the program. When a state offset program is included in the service, the State will attempt to collect while MCS also attempts to collect. It is a two-pronged approach. The debt is worked both by the collection agency and through the state program to ensure collection. This 2-pronged approach optimizes revenue recovery for the municipality.

MCS tracks payments with daily electronic updates between your municipal enforcement system, MCS, and State’s offset program. This process is seamless if your municipality uses DACRA Tech.