What should I do?

Post Reply New Topic

A couple months ago, I went to a bar with my friend. We left the bar to go get something to eat, and as we were walking down the street (a major street), my friend kept straggling out into the middle of the street on purpose because he thought it was funny. Two or three times he did this and I pulled him back and told him to stop. Well, about a block later we walk straight into a couple cop cars that were sitting there waiting. They took us off to detox. I should mention at this point that on the scale of drunkenness I was at maybe about a 5/10 (he was more like 8/10). Well, when I was in detox everyone including the guy who signed me in told me that I was going to be billed $275 dollars for being there but to "not worry too much" about paying it. They kept me for about 6 hours and let me go. I got the bill a few weeks later and ignored it. Well, now I got another letter saying that I have thirty days to pay it or else they send it to collections.

The problem is that I don't have a job; I'm a full time student and I have no way to pay this money, even if I wanted to, which I don't because 275 bucks is way too much to charge someone to sit on a f*****g cot for 6 hours. But the part that really pisses me off is that the guy who got me stuck in there had a California ID with an old address, and gave them a fake address so they couldn't track him down to send him the bill. Ergo, he has to worry about nothing. When I called him up a while ago and told him they were billing me, he goes "Aw, man, that really sucks." He couldn't give less of a s**t. I know $275 dollars isn't the biggest deal in the world, but this totally adds insult to injury. I've always kind of felt like we've had a pinky and the brain type relationship with him doing dumb s**t like this and me always ending up having to take care of it. So, basically what I'm considering is writing a letter to the detox center explaining the whole situation and giving them his real address. I know it sounds callous as hell but I'm sick to death of being exploited, this kind of thing happens to me all the time, and I feel like if I don't draw the line somewhere I'm sacrificing my self respect. I would be one thing if he had been a good friend, in which case I would be a good friend back, but he hasn't. Do you think this is a good idea?

Did you do something dumb that would give them proof you were drunk on that night? There's various ways to beat charges so long as you didn't get put on camera/give a breathilizer/give blood. I've never been in your exact situation, but I've been detained for refusing to give a breathilizer (better than a DUI). I sobered up, the guy had no proof, and he didn't even bother trying to put charges on me.

If you really don't want to pay the money, take it up into court. It's not like you're losing money by missing work, and I doubt the cop will even show up in the first place. You should have a plan just in case he does though. Worst case scenario is you have to bargain with them to get the bill cut down. Never, ever pay any fine/bill a cop gives you without seeing if you can bargain it down first.

It doesn't sound like the situation is your friend's fault as much as it is bad luck. Getting him in trouble like that would just be spiteful nonsense that won't lead to anything good. Be pissed at the roving tax collectors that are trying to jack you with a $275 bill.

No, I didn't do anything that would have given away the fact that I was drunk. The way that we were ambushed, it was obvious that either someone called the cops on him or they had seen him coming down the street. Bad luck had nothing to do with it; I've walked around drunk plenty of times in this city and no one messes with you unless you're an idiot jackass who decides to walk down the middle of a major street because it's a funny thing to do. The only reason I had to come with him is because they didn't know who it was that had been doing it, they even told me that in the car. And the bill is from the hospial, not from the city, so I can't appeal it or take it to court or whatever.

A lot of hospitals receive grants from people, hence why they have wings named after Joe So and So ( an example not a real name) If you call the billing department and explain you are unable to pay the bill then ask if they have special programs for people who have no money to pay hospital bills. Usually you fill out a financial information sheet etc. Ask them to delay the collection process till you are able to fill out the forms they can mail you (assuming they do have programs for low income people)

Worst thing is to ignore the bill, so call the billing department as soon as you can!

-Moe

Well, just the same, I don't think revenge is the way to go.

Love your avatar by the way.

They took you to a detox? WTF, I'm surprised they even bothered to pick you up and take you somewhere. Well, unless you were mouthing off to them. I have walked past cops s**t faced and they tend not to care.

I'm wondering why they didn't take yo to the police station for you to sober up. Probably depends what city you were in and what race you are.

Did you at any time give consent to any of this? Even an "ok" or an "alright" would be taken as consent. I would've never agreed to any of it, but I know a lot of people feel like they can't say no to authority.

I'd let them know that you have no job, no ability to pay anytime soon, never even agreed to be taken there, and that reporting this to a credit bureau may constitue a violation of the Fair Credit Reporting Act if it causes you harm, if they aren't willing to play nice. If you don't talk to them about it, though, they will assume you are a deadbeat that is just trying to not pay up and send it off to collections as part of a regular automated process.

unfortunately the law won't agree to that. If you require medical care ( authorities can decide for you) then are given said care you are required by law to pay for it...stupid I know, but still the law. His best bet is to call the billing department and explain he is in a financial hardship and they will work with him, even offer free care to him if he fills out the correct paperwork.

An attorney would cost more than the bill, but if it were an extravagant fee, they might find a way out of this one given the circumstances.

You walked straight INTO a couple of cop cars or you just walked BY them?



I'm a full time student, and 10 dollars was too much for me for a parking violation bill.

It's not a "charge," though, it's a deterrent. It's to make you not want to do again whatever you did.



What place is this that they force drunk college students to detox and then make them pay for it? Unless you're forgetting or failing to mention a specific charge or some additional circumstances, this action on the part of the authorities seems way unnecessary and also somewhat of an abridgment of your rights.



In this instance I can't tell that you are being exploited, though you very might well be in an exploitative friendship where you always seem to get the short end of the stick.

I suppose your friend could have concocted a story to get you out of the mess. He managed to fabricate one to help himself out. But maybe he was afraid he would get in trouble if you said something that contradicted his story, so he didn't do it.

If there's anything you could learn from this, it's don't be drunk where you were. Or you could forgo the moral of this story and just provide fake ID for yourself the next time. Whatever works for you.