LORAIN – Lorain Municipal Clerk of Courts Lori Maiorana is hoping public embarrassment will help with collections as her office this week starts posting outstanding warrants on the popular social media site Facebook.

“All they have to type (in the search bar) is Lorain Municipal Court and a link comes up to show all of our outstanding bench warrants,” Maiorana said.

About 2,000 judge-issued warrants extending back into the 1990s include everything from unpaid fines to failure to appear for a court hearing.

“We’re talking thousands of dollars that’s uncollected,” Maiorana said. “We have a collection agency that I work with … and I’ve also contracted with a second collection agency so I can play one against the other so we can collect as much money as we can. The city is hurting right now, and there’s nothing else I can do right now to help get this money that’s owed.”

Maiorana got the idea from Sheffield Mayor John Hunter, who implemented the tactic three months ago. Of 500 outstanding warrants dating 2000 to 2008, Hunter said about 100 to 125 have been paid to the tune of around $30,000.

“We put all the warrants on Facebook and on SheffieldVil lage.com with a link to the police station where everyone can see the warrants and a picture,” Hunter said. “We’re going to be adding it to Twitter soon, too.”

Maiorana said she hopes the tactic works.

“Maybe our clients, or their parents, or grandparents, will see it and embarrass them into showing up and paying their fines,” she said.

Contact Alicia Castelli at 329-7144 or acastelli@chroniclet.com.

---

Print this story
Report an inappropriate comment

---

In order to comment, you must agree to our user agreement and discussion guidelines.

Need help? Email Us.

---