Penny offense: Man fined for paying fee in pennies

[NoStateofMind]

Penny offense: Man fined for paying fee in pennies

No lucky pennies here: Police have charged Jason West, an aggrieved medical patient in Vernal, Utah, with disorderly conduct. His alleged crime? Attempting to pay a disputed medical bill of $25 entirely in pennies.

Since when can you not pay in U.S. currency? Larry Flynt would be proud.

 

[rudder]

There is also a fine for reposting... which can be paid with pennies btw.

 

[Thump553]

All kinds of governmental agencies have rules against it. There is (and always has been) a irate minority that insists on trying to pay things like their property taxes in pennies. This drives up the expense and aggravation for the towns enormously-not to mention increasing line times for everyone else-for absolutely no good reason.

The article was pretty sparse on facts but it appears the guy was charged with disorderly conduct. If all he did (after confirming this private medical office accepts cash) was attempt to pay the bills in pennies, that charge should not stand up in court. Odds are the officer knew that too, but figured the guy was being such a dick he should get a taste of his own medicine.

Personally if I ever got a $25 medical bill I'd jump for joy.

 

[Blackjack200]

Just get rid of the penny. Jesus Christ. While you're at it, get rid of nickels too.

 

[wuliheron]

Trolling for pennies.

Its also illegal to pay for your new car with pennies and illegal to pay your taxes with a check written on a live pig. Why? Because people have done it.

 

[Linflas]

Trolling for pennies.

Its also illegal to pay for your new car with pennies and illegal to pay your taxes with a check written on a live pig. Why? Because people have done it.

Quote me a law that says any of those things are illegal please. It may be against the policy of the business but once again show me a law that states that it is illegal to pay for a new car with pennies.

 

[Capt Caveman]

His crime and fine were for 'disorderly conduct'. Throwing pennies on the table and floor and telling them to count it is 'disorderly conduct'.

/thread

 

[cubby1223]

You be the minimum-wage earning cashier who had absolutely nothing to do with the dispute, counting all the pennies, then see how "orderly" you feel these people are behaving

 

[JohnOfSheffield]

I suppose fighting the company made him feel kinda helpless, as most people do, but there are better ways, like doing it unseen.

There are laws to help you fight them, if you are a millionaire, otherwise, you're shit out of luck with todays laws.

 

[cubby1223]

Since when can you not pay in U.S. currency? Larry Flynt would be proud.

Oh, and private businesses are entirely able to choose which forms payments they accept. It's how many businesses can legally refuse to accept $50 & $100 bills, just the same as they can legally refuse to accept a bucket of pennies. Learn your facts. The law says the Federal Reserve System must always accept all forms of legal tender. Everyone else has the freedom to pick & choose, just that after an agreement is reached the form of payment cannot be refused.

 

[KingstonU]

Just get rid of the penny. Jesus Christ. While you're at it, get rid of nickels too.

Sorry for derailing, but huge +1!!! In Canada we are on the verge of getting rid of the penny, as it currently costs 1.5 cents to make 1.0 cent, of which no-one uses anymore for anything.

The problem is that we would have to have everything round to the nearest 5 cents, and people are still trying to figure out how to do that.

Many other countries have had inflation making their many of their coins useless for far longer than it has been a problem for us in north america, have any of those countries done this?

/derail

 

[saratoga172]

I work retail and we had a lady but some stuff for her motorcycle. She spent somewhere around $600 and paid in all ones. That took forever to count.

Oh yeah she is a stripper at one of the local clubs. She's done that a couple times but it's usually for only about $200 or so and only about 50-100 in ones.

 

[saratoga172]

Sorry for derailing, but huge +1!!! In Canada we are on the verge of getting rid of the penny, as it currently costs 1.5 cents to make 1.0 cent, of which no-one uses anymore for anything.

The problem is that we would have to have everything round to the nearest 5 cents, and people are still trying to figure out how to do that.

Many other countries have had inflation making their many of their coins useless for far longer than it has been a problem for us in north america, have any of those countries done this?

/derail

It's not as hard as everyone makes it out to be. Make the tax rate a multiple of 5 so we have no bills that don't end in 0 or 5. Of course this would require the cooperation of businesses making everything 1.95 instead of 1.99. It's always annoying seeing that.

 

[Blackjack200]

It's not as hard as everyone makes it out to be. Make the tax rate a multiple of 5 so we have no bills that don't end in 0 or 5. Of course this would require the cooperation of businesses making everything 1.95 instead of 1.99. It's always annoying seeing that.

You don't even need to do that.

What if you buy something at 47 cents with a 6% tax? The tax is 2.82 cents, so they just round it. And they still use 1/8 cent increments on the stock market, you just don't need an actual coin for it.

You don't need to change a single thing, just take the pennies out of circulation. I worked in a bar 10 years ago that refused to deal with pennies, the manager just told me 'round the bill up or down to the nearest five cents'.

 

[wuliheron]

Quote me a law that says any of those things are illegal please. It may be against the policy of the business but once again show me a law that states that it is illegal to pay for a new car with pennies.

Pennies are legal tender, but that doesn't mean people have to accept them as payment! You can offer your mother-in-law as payment, but businesses have the right to refuse just as they have the right to refuse personal checks or whatever. That's not state law, its federal law and the treasury department's interpretation of what legal tender means. If you attempt to pay a company with something like a personal check or all in pennies and they have made it clear that is unacceptable they can sue you for failure to pay.

 

[rudder]

Oh, and private businesses are entirely able to choose which forms payments they accept. It's how many businesses can legally refuse to accept $50 & $100 bills, just the same as they can legally refuse to accept a bucket of pennies. Learn your facts. The law says the Federal Reserve System must always accept all forms of legal tender. Everyone else has the freedom to pick & choose, just that after an agreement is reached the form of payment cannot be refused.

Treasury Code:
§ 3-603(b)
“If tender of payment of an obligation to pay an instrument is made to a person entitled to enforce the instrument and the tender is refused, there is discharge, to the extent of the amount of the tender, of the obligation of an indorser or accommodation party having a right of recourse with respect to the obligation to which the tender relates.”

but I think this refers more to checks and loan payments not goods and services.

 

[Thump553]

A quick examination of my pocket change shows no coin that is marked as legal tender, that marking is only on greenbacks.

rudder: what you cited above is part of the Uniform Commercial Code, which is incorporated into all (or nearly all) state's laws, but that section isn't relevant here. It has more to do with notes and checks. The merchant here didn't hold an "instrument" (legal term, think Note or IOU) from the debtor.

 

[piasabird]

I think everyone should have an identity card and they can just scan it and pull all the money out of your account. Why do we need stinking filthy diseased money? We could also get rid of bank tellers, and bank vaults.

 

[Macamus Prime]

Eh, the US Government has the capitalist's hand so far up its ass, you can see the diamond studded rings shining on the back of Uncle Sam's throat.

They are following US business practices. The government is no longer serving the people. Sure, there are "laws", but they don't mean anything when they are circumvented, repealed and abused by those that have money.

This is just another example of how we are no longer ruled by an entity that is out to protect the common man. This entity is out to protect its own ass and the interests of the rich in this country.

Think about this, a man is being punished, because he is using the lowest monetary denomination in this country - a monetary denomination associated with the poor; the penny.

It's class warfare.

And most of you dumb fucks are deaf from all this socialism screaming. Enjoy your future assholes. Enjoy a future where you will end up working for "points" that will go into receiving basic services like clean water, electricity and medical attention. IF you are smart enough, you MAY be allowed to start collecting some sort of money. And, a few generations later, IF the rich are OK with your offspring, then your family MAY begin collecting more money. In a few centuries, you'll be allowed to actually own some of the fancy things we own today; like forks or plates.

That's it, let capitalism get all up in AH-MERI-KA, you worthless mindless stupid sacks of donkey diarrhea for brains asshats.

 

[Thump553]

Note to P&N posters-make sure you have taken all your meds before approaching the keyboard.

 

[randomrogue]

Is this really true? I've paid lots of things in change. Change just builds up and it's easier to go pay for things in change than roll them and bring them to the bank. Every bank I've ever had in the USA has been rather ass backwards considering when I lived overseas I could walk into a bank dump my change in a machine, enter my account number, and walk away. If we had it that simple here people wouldn't want to pay in change.

 

[Throckmorton]

I suppose fighting the company made him feel kinda helpless, as most people do, but there are better ways, like doing it unseen.

There are laws to help you fight them, if you are a millionaire, otherwise, you're shit out of luck with todays laws.

In some states in America we actually have laws to prevent you from fighting the medical industry.

For example Texas limits medical damages aside from potential earnings to $250,000. The lawyer's fee comes out of that. So even if a doctor kills your baby, that's the most you can get, since the baby doesn't earn a salary.

 

[JohnOfSheffield]

In some states in America we actually have laws to prevent you from fighting the medical industry.

For example Texas limits medical damages aside from potential earnings to $250,000. The lawyer's fee comes out of that. So even if a doctor kills your baby, that's the most you can get, since the baby doesn't earn a salary.

In todays modern world, we have ways to help everyone in need of medical assitance and treatment, in Europe.

I really don't get some things about the US, right to healthcare is non-existant but right to weapons IS...

Kinda got your priorities fucked up there, eh?

Oh don't bother responding, i know all about it, you gots your amendments that you interpret like satan interprets the bible and make into what you want it to stand for...

You are ALL retards, it was based upon the Magna Carta yet for interpretation you look AWAY from that...

Yeah, it has nothing to do with politics..

Yeah, the UK is even worse, but in a few years it will get better, we got proper government now and as soon as i get home...

 

[Doppel]

He was not fined for paying with pennies. He was fined for disorderly conduct, as already mentioned, but people keep debating.

His crime and fine were for 'disorderly conduct'. Throwing pennies on the table and floor and telling them to count it is 'disorderly conduct'.

 

[KingstonU]

It's not as hard as everyone makes it out to be. Make the tax rate a multiple of 5 so we have no bills that don't end in 0 or 5. Of course this would require the cooperation of businesses making everything 1.95 instead of 1.99. It's always annoying seeing that.

They would round 1.99 to 2.00. But 1.97 would get rounded to 1.95. In theory it should even out as there is an equal number of numbers where it gets rounded up than down (1,2,6,7 = down, 3,4,8,9 = up).

However when we try to go to try and get rid of the nickel, the rule of 5 and up gets rounded up, means that there is more times that it gets rounded up (1,2,3,4 vs, 5,6,7,8,9).