Man Can't Pay Parking Fine With Pennies
- Thread starter MI2AZ
- Start date
9andaWiggle
Addicted Member
Fucking government... always pushing around the "little guy". 
bbfreeburn
Active Member
Not according to the article.
"Chambersburg officials told Justin Greene his passive-aggressive payment of 2,500 pennies wasn't allowed under a federal rule designating the copper coins as small change — not tender for debts greater than 25 cents."
9andaWiggle
Addicted Member
Ooh, that is an interesting solution! Go in and pay 25 pennies per day until the ticket is paid...
Greg T.
The Jizz Slinger
I find that interesting, and wonder when that ruling was made. I suppose I could find out.......if I wasn't too fucking lazy to look it up. I do remember an attorney telling me, many years ago, that a city MUST accept payment in any denomination of currency presented, as long as it is legal tender. He shared this with me as I was discussing a speeding ticket. A..... BIG speeding ticket.
bbfreeburn
Active Member
Greg, I know that it used to be true that pennies were legal tender. I'm just as surprised as you.
Reading the replies, I also wondered why it was not legal tender. Just did a quick search and found that they also got feedback from their decision and reversed it.
And, from the Treasury Dept:
Coinage Act of 1965, specifically Section 31 U.S.C. 5103, entitled "Legal tender," which states: "United States coins and currency (including Federal reserve notes and circulating notes of Federal reserve banks and national banks) are legal tender for all debts, public charges, taxes, and dues."
This statute means that all United States money as identified above are a valid and legal offer of payment for debts when tendered to a creditor. There is, however, no Federal statute mandating that a private business, a person or an organization must accept currency or coins as for payment for goods and/or services. Private businesses are free to develop their own policies on whether or not to accept cash unless there is a State law which says otherwise. For example, a bus line may prohibit payment of fares in pennies or dollar bills. In addition, movie theaters, convenience stores and gas stations may refuse to accept large denomination currency (usually notes above $20) as a matter of policy.
Coinage Act of 1965, specifically Section 31 U.S.C. 5103, entitled "Legal tender," which states: "United States coins and currency (including Federal reserve notes and circulating notes of Federal reserve banks and national banks) are legal tender for all debts, public charges, taxes, and dues."
This statute means that all United States money as identified above are a valid and legal offer of payment for debts when tendered to a creditor. There is, however, no Federal statute mandating that a private business, a person or an organization must accept currency or coins as for payment for goods and/or services. Private businesses are free to develop their own policies on whether or not to accept cash unless there is a State law which says otherwise. For example, a bus line may prohibit payment of fares in pennies or dollar bills. In addition, movie theaters, convenience stores and gas stations may refuse to accept large denomination currency (usually notes above $20) as a matter of policy.
9andaWiggle
Addicted Member
Awesome. To appease the outrage over paying bills with pennies, the city will be spending hundreds (if not thousands) of taxpayer dollars to obtain a coin counter. That will only be used once.
Greg T.
The Jizz Slinger
There should be nothing left to the imagination, right there. No need for any clarification as to who can create policy. Looks to me like someone tried to pay a bill, it wasn't accepted and the debt should be forgiven.