Is paying people in pennies mean?

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Safeway

Lifer
Jun 22, 2004
12,075
11
81
Originally posted by: TheAdvocate
Sounds like I'm gonna catch hell for this, but about 4 years ago I got a property tax bill for a car I no longer owned, for 3 years prior to that date. I had originally overpaid because I was a couple weeks late, and unbeknownst to me, they had applied a $20 late payment charge. Nothing was said, mailed, or blocked the next two years as I paid my property taxes on that same car. Then they did some kind of in house audit that went back 3 years, and sent me a bill for about $17.13. A three year old bill.

I called them in a very friendly tone and tried to get it waived. No dice. Not only were they firm about it, but they blocked my registration and DL renewal until it got taken care of.

So I went to the bank, handed the teller $17 cash, and had her hand me over 1700 pennies. I broke open the rolls, put them in a huge crappy 64oz plastic cup along with $0.13 from my pocket, went down to the local govt tax office, and when it was my turn, I handed them the bill and dumped all 1,713 pennies on the counter. 2 people behind me in line were mad. About 5 cheered/laughed. The supervisor came, and it turns out he's the douche I talked to on the phone. "excellent"

They took the money though. Took the supervisor about 45 minutes to count it all out. I sat there the whole time with a shit-eating grin on my face. Definitely not the most mature thing I've ever done, and I'm not proud of it, but sometimes people need an object lesson.

Okay, torch me.

Doing that to the exact person that you talked to is acceptable. Doing it to some random state employee earning a shitty hourly wage is fucking lame.
 

thomsbrain

Lifer
Dec 4, 2001
18,148
1
0
Originally posted by: Anubis
if i sold something to you and you payed me in pennies i would take the rolls and pelt you with them in the face and then take my item back while you laied there is a bloody penny mess

yup. especially since this sounds like a person to person deal. WTF is he supposed to do with all those pennies? At least at a store they are already making trips to the bank and stuff, so it's not a special hardship.
 

D1gger

Diamond Member
Oct 3, 2004
5,411
2
76
Originally posted by: MotionMan
Originally posted by: potato28
Originally posted by: Zenmervolt
There is no law saying that a private company or individual must accept currency or coins as a payment for goods and services. The coins are legal tender, but there's no law requiring their acceptance. Neither an individual nor a store would be obligated to accept the money in all pennies.

ZV

In Canada there is a law about it being illegal to pay for something over 25 cents with 25 pennies. I've been told by the cops a few times because I was being stupid.

I would not be surprised if that is an urban legend, though it could be possible.

See my previous post re: US law.

MotionMan

Nope, not an urban legend.

In Canada there is legislation regarding payment of debts with coins:

RCMP Link


Can I pay for something with coins only? For example, can I pay for a $1 chocolate bar with 100 pennies?

* This is actually covered by legislation. The Currency Act sets out limits on a tender of payment in coin:

o forty dollars if the denomination is two dollars or greater but does not exceed ten dollars;
o twenty-five dollars if the denomination is one dollar;
o ten dollars if the denomination is ten cents or greater but less than one dollar;
o five dollars if the denomination is five cents; and
o twenty-five cents if the denomination is one cent.

But, as always, agreement between the parties will determine what is acceptable. For instance, stores and banks are often glad to accept coinage beyond these amounts, particularly when it is wrapped and labelled.
 

waggy

No Lifer
Dec 14, 2000
68,143
10
81
Originally posted by: TheAdvocate
Sounds like I'm gonna catch hell for this, but about 4 years ago I got a property tax bill for a car I no longer owned, for 3 years prior to that date. I had originally overpaid because I was a couple weeks late, and unbeknownst to me, they had applied a $20 late payment charge. Nothing was said, mailed, or blocked the next two years as I paid my property taxes on that same car. Then they did some kind of in house audit that went back 3 years, and sent me a bill for about $17.13. A three year old bill.

I called them in a very friendly tone and tried to get it waived. No dice. Not only were they firm about it, but they blocked my registration and DL renewal until it got taken care of.

So I went to the bank, handed the teller $17 cash, and had her hand me over 1700 pennies. I broke open the rolls, put them in a huge crappy 64oz plastic cup along with $0.13 from my pocket, went down to the local govt tax office, and when it was my turn, I handed them the bill and dumped all 1,713 pennies on the counter. 2 people behind me in line were mad. About 5 cheered/laughed. The supervisor came, and it turns out he's the douche I talked to on the phone. "excellent"

They took the money though. Took the supervisor about 45 minutes to count it all out. I sat there the whole time with a shit-eating grin on my face. Definitely not the most mature thing I've ever done, and I'm not proud of it, but sometimes people need an object lesson.

Okay, torch me.

that is very diffrent then what the op is wanting to do.
 

OdiN

Banned
Mar 1, 2000
16,430
3
0
If you tried to pay me in pennies, I would not accept them and you wouldn't get whatever it is you were trying to buy.
 

beat mania

Platinum Member
Jan 23, 2000
2,451
0
76
Originally posted by: TheAdvocate
Sounds like I'm gonna catch hell for this, but about 4 years ago I got a property tax bill for a car I no longer owned, for 3 years prior to that date. I had originally overpaid because I was a couple weeks late, and unbeknownst to me, they had applied a $20 late payment charge. Nothing was said, mailed, or blocked the next two years as I paid my property taxes on that same car. Then they did some kind of in house audit that went back 3 years, and sent me a bill for about $17.13. A three year old bill.

I called them in a very friendly tone and tried to get it waived. No dice. Not only were they firm about it, but they blocked my registration and DL renewal until it got taken care of.

So I went to the bank, handed the teller $17 cash, and had her hand me over 1700 pennies. I broke open the rolls, put them in a huge crappy 64oz plastic cup along with $0.13 from my pocket, went down to the local govt tax office, and when it was my turn, I handed them the bill and dumped all 1,713 pennies on the counter. 2 people behind me in line were mad. About 5 cheered/laughed. The supervisor came, and it turns out he's the douche I talked to on the phone. "excellent"

They took the money though. Took the supervisor about 45 minutes to count it all out. I sat there the whole time with a shit-eating grin on my face. Definitely not the most mature thing I've ever done, and I'm not proud of it, but sometimes people need an object lesson.

Okay, torch me.

If you were more evil, you would've handed them 17.12, and when they said its not enough, you make them count it again.
 

mpitts

Lifer
Jun 9, 2000
14,732
1
81
I'd laugh in your face and ask you for the money.

If you insisted that you were paying me in pennies, I would take my item, leave, and find someone with a little respect for others to buy it.
 

MegaVovaN

Diamond Member
May 20, 2005
4,131
0
0
We need to contact OP's boss and make sure he gets his next paycheck in a bag of pennies with some white coins thrown in (so he can't count by weight).
 

Red Squirrel

No Lifer
May 24, 2003
71,166
14,017
126
www.anyf.ca
I've always wanted to show up in a town bus and pay the fare entirely of pennies. $1,50. But after accidentally jamming the machine with dimes, nickels, and some pennies, I realized just pennies would be a BAD idea. Good thing the driver had a sense of humor though, we found it was funny. Everyone had to put their money on the dash until they get a repair guy to fix it.

The next thing to buying something in pennies is buying with a super huge bill. Like that one time I bought a mcflurry at mcdonald's with a $100 bill. They had to go in the safe to go find enough bills for change lol.
 

cdmccool

Golden Member
Mar 21, 2006
1,041
0
0
I might laugh, but I wouldn't get mad. I would probably take them, as long as they're rolled.

If you showed up with a jar full of loose pennies, I wouldn't take them.
 

Jeff7

Lifer
Jan 4, 2001
41,596
20
81
Originally posted by: cdmccool
I might laugh, but I wouldn't get mad. I would probably take them, as long as they're rolled.

If you showed up with a jar full of loose pennies, I wouldn't take them.
Would you take them if they were Rick-rolled?
 

Epic Fail

Diamond Member
May 10, 2005
6,252
2
0

Alistar7

Lifer
May 13, 2002
11,978
0
0
Originally posted by: beat mania
Originally posted by: TheAdvocate
Sounds like I'm gonna catch hell for this, but about 4 years ago I got a property tax bill for a car I no longer owned, for 3 years prior to that date. I had originally overpaid because I was a couple weeks late, and unbeknownst to me, they had applied a $20 late payment charge. Nothing was said, mailed, or blocked the next two years as I paid my property taxes on that same car. Then they did some kind of in house audit that went back 3 years, and sent me a bill for about $17.13. A three year old bill.

I called them in a very friendly tone and tried to get it waived. No dice. Not only were they firm about it, but they blocked my registration and DL renewal until it got taken care of.

So I went to the bank, handed the teller $17 cash, and had her hand me over 1700 pennies. I broke open the rolls, put them in a huge crappy 64oz plastic cup along with $0.13 from my pocket, went down to the local govt tax office, and when it was my turn, I handed them the bill and dumped all 1,713 pennies on the counter. 2 people behind me in line were mad. About 5 cheered/laughed. The supervisor came, and it turns out he's the douche I talked to on the phone. "excellent"

They took the money though. Took the supervisor about 45 minutes to count it all out. I sat there the whole time with a shit-eating grin on my face. Definitely not the most mature thing I've ever done, and I'm not proud of it, but sometimes people need an object lesson.

Okay, torch me.

If you were more evil, you would've handed them 17.12, and when they said its not enough, you make them count it again.


:D


 

makken

Golden Member
Aug 28, 2004
1,476
0
76
Is the seller someone you know?

If it's a friend and you're doing it as a lighthearted joke, then go for it. But make sure it's not in rolls or a bag or anything easily containable for the full effect.

If it's a stranger, I wouldn't do it just to be an ass.

I've done it to a friend of mine before, owed him $9. went through all of the change jars in my house to come up a bunch of coins (wasn't all pennies, but a majority of it was). Put on some cargo pants and went over to his house. When I got there, I told him I had his money and just started handing him handful after handful of coins. The look on his face was priceless.

We had a good laugh, went out to lunch together, then had even more fun afterwards at the bank when he tried to deposit all that change.

ah. fun times =P
 

TreyRandom

Diamond Member
Jun 29, 2001
3,346
0
76
How would you like it if you got your item in 1,242 pieces and had to reassemble it?

Good luck with all that.
 

brxndxn

Diamond Member
Apr 3, 2001
8,475
0
76
I think it's already to the point where pennies fetch more than a penny each at the recycling center..