FIGHT THE POWER! Man pays Medical Bill in Pennies.

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**Slarg232**

http://money.msn.com/business-news/article.aspx?feed=ap&date=20110606&id=13732854

Due to the Copyright thing at the bottom (Is this even possible?) couldn't quote it. Just go read it, I find it funny, even if short and to the point.

**purplefood**

That's BS...
A guy paid his parking charge of $88 dollars in pennies after looking it up and finding it was in fact legal to do so. The police wre called after they refused to take his payment and they forced them to take the money.
This probably wasn't because he paid in pennies but because he was an ass about it.

**Wyrmalla**

A charge of disordaly conduct, $140...or 14,000 penies. Heh, I don't know the circumstances, but at least he has a sence of humor (you have to pay for healthcare still in the US?). I recall a situation like this when doing some charity work a few monthes back. I and some other payed for a few hundred pounds worth of equiptment in change to make a point against the poor way the shop's staff had been treating us (though honestly we really only had change on us due to the guy with the bank card bogging off to buy some ice cream). The bloody woman at the till made us recount it four times, and every time added on a bit, despite having the exact amount needed. ¬¬

**Avatar 720**

Wyrmalla wrote:The bloody woman at the till made us recount it four times, and every time added on a bit, despite having the exact amount needed. ¬¬

Kick her. Kick her in the head.

**htj**

It's not hugely surprising that she did that. If they were already giving you crap service, they're probably not going to see the error of her ways by you doing something that they find extremely annoying. Sounds like annoyance begat annoyance to me.

**SilverMK2**

I'm pretty sure there is a maximum amount that you can pay for things in small denominations such as pennies.

However, a C&P of the article would be nice, even if there is some "Copyright thing"

**htj**

A man in Utah having paid a $25 bill in pennies, has been cited with disorderly conduct.

On May 27th, Jason West intended to dispute a $25 bill, at Basin Clinic in Vernal.

Assistant Vernal Police Chief Keith Campbell made a statement, saying that, having checked with staff to see whether they accepted cash or not, West produced 2,500 pennies insisted that they be counted.

Allegedly, the action caused upset amongst staff because the coins were dispersed about the counter and floor. West's action was said to have served "no legitimate purpose."

Police subsequently issued the West (38) a citation for disorderly conduct. The fine carried by such a charge is $140 dollars. That's 14,000 in pennies.

Re-worded, and skirting all copyright infringement. Yay journalism!

**Avatar 720**

Disorderly conduct? Male cow faeces.

**Thanatos_elNyx**

If he hadn't dumped the coins he wouldn't have been charged.

**Avatar 720**

We don't know if he did. Allegedly, he did, but there's always two sides to every coin.

**htj**

Avatar 720 wrote:We don't know if he did. Allegedly, he did, but there's always two sides to every coin.

Being an honest type journalist in my new found career, I must point out that I added the word allegedly in my re-write. Because I was quoting another news source and not the original source, see? Isn't journalism dangerous?

Should the pennies have gone all over the shop, then I still don't think that warrents the coppers getting involved. There was no need for the staff to flip, and they've just lost face in doing so. If they'd used their heads, then they wouldn't have told... tails. OK, I'm done.

**SilverMK2**

If he put them on the counter and they spilled over the place that should not be a problem.

**Lord-Loss**

Next headline "Man pays fine for paying medical bills with pennies, with pennies"

**SilverMK2**

Or brings in a $1000 note and asks for change in pennies

**reds8n**

SilverMK2 wrote:I'm pretty sure there is a maximum amount that you can pay for things in small denominations such as pennies.

However, a C&P of the article would be nice, even if there is some "Copyright thing"

What are the legal tender amounts acceptable for the United Kingdom coins?
Legal tender has a very narrow and technical meaning in the settlement of debts. It means that a debtor cannot successfully be sued for non-payment if he pays into court in legal tender. It does not mean that any ordinary transaction has to take place in legal tender or only within the amount denominated by the legislation.

Both parties to a transaction are free to agree to accept any form of payment whether legal tender or otherwise according to their wishes. In order to comply with the very strict rules governing an actual legal tender transaction it is necessary, for example, to offer the exact amount due because no change can be demanded.

Coins are legal tender throughout the United Kingdom for the following amounts:

£5 (Crown) - for any amount
£2 - for any amount
£1 - for any amount
50p - for any amount not exceeding £10
25p (Crown) - for any amount not exceeding £10
20p - for any amount not exceeding £10
10p - for any amount not exceeding £5
5p - for any amount not exceeding £5
2p - for any amount not exceeding 20p
1p - for any amount not exceeding 20p

http://www.royalmint.com/home/frequentlyaskedquestions.aspx

I'm sure I've heard talk of there being similar legislation in the USA as well... *shrugs* I guess that even vary from state to state... that said one would imagine the mint falls under federal jurisdiction ?

**Toastedandy**

Avatar 720 wrote:We don't know if he did. Allegedly, he did, but there's always two sides to every coin.

Haha nice.

**GazzyG**

Avatar 720 wrote:We don't know if he did. Allegedly, he did, but there's always two sides to every coin.

I caught it mate, don't worry.

**Avatar 720**

Toastedandy wrote:
Avatar 720 wrote:We don't know if he did. Allegedly, he did, but there's always two sides to every coin.

Haha nice.

GazzyG wrote:
Avatar 720 wrote:We don't know if he did. Allegedly, he did, but there's always two sides to every coin.

I caught it mate, don't worry.

Glad some people did

**Waaagh_Gonads**

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. Foreign gold or silver coins are not legal tender for debts.

So...

**htj**

I was hoping my pun barrage was by way of being a nod to your considerably more restrained one.

**Avatar 720**

htj wrote:I was hoping my pun barrage was by way of being a nod to your considerably more restrained one.

I can imagine that you feel quite spent now.

**biccat**

reds8n wrote: I'm sure I've heard talk of there being similar legislation in the USA as well... *shrugs* I guess that even vary from state to state... that said one would imagine the mint falls under federal jurisdiction?

I'm pretty sure there isn't a rule like that. In fact, that rule seems pretty absurd since it devalues certain types of currency.

In the US the law only requires tender of legal currency in order to settle a debt. If the other party won't accept it, your legal obligations are satisfied.

**htj**

Avatar 720 wrote:
htj wrote:I was hoping my pun barrage was by way of being a nod to your considerably more restrained one.

I can imagine that you feel quite spent now.

I'll save my puns from now on. After all, a change is as good as a rest.

**Slarg232**

htj wrote:
Avatar 720 wrote:
htj wrote:I was hoping my pun barrage was by way of being a nod to your considerably more restrained one.

I can imagine that you feel quite spent now.

I'll save my puns from now on. After all, a change is as good as a rest.

You guys don't make any cents....

**BearersOfSalvation**

Despite what some people think, 'legal tender' doesn't really mean much, it's a specific legal term that applies when you're trying to settle debts between a borrower and lender. The fact that coins are 'legal tender' doesn't mean that someone has to accept them as payment for services, or even that someone has to accept them as payment for a debt, so the 'it's legal tender, you have to accept my sack of pennies' argument doesn't have any legal basis.

http://www.treasury.gov/resource-center/faqs/Currency/Pages/legal-tender.aspx

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.

biccat wrote:In the US the law only requires tender of legal currency in order to settle a debt. If the other party won't accept it, your legal obligations are satisfied.

Well, that can be a little misleading - if you offered to pay in legal tender for the full amount of the debt, then you've made a legal offer to settle the debt. They can't say that you didn't try to pay and generally can't charge any more interest, but you still owe the debt and it can still show up on your credit report even if they don't accept your offer of payment for some reason.

**Frazzled**

I don't know. If I am the teller/cashier receiving this giant amount of pennies, I'd be tempted to take said bag and beat the deliverer with it, all the while shouting "whats the frequency Kenneth? Whats the frequency?"

**purplefood**

Frazzled wrote:I don't know. If I am the teller/cashier receiving this giant amount of pennies, I'd be tempted to take said bag and beat the deliverer with it, all the while shouting "whats the frequency Kenneth? Whats the frequency?"

R.E.M...
I always did like that song...

**biccat**

BearersOfSalvation wrote:
biccat wrote:In the US the law only requires tender of legal currency in order to settle a debt. If the other party won't accept it, your legal obligations are satisfied.

Well, that can be a little misleading - if you offered to pay in legal tender for the full amount of the debt, then you've made a legal offer to settle the debt. They can't say that you didn't try to pay and generally can't charge any more interest, but you still owe the debt and it can still show up on your credit report even if they don't accept your offer of payment for some reason.

No, they can't put it on your credit report. The timeliness of payment is as of the date that tender was made. Placing a mark on a credit report requires a statement that payment was made late or not made at all. A creditor cannot delay acceptance of payment and use that as a basis to punish a debtor.

The debtor still has to be willing to pay the amount in controversy, but so long as the creditor refuses to accept the payment there is no outstanding debt.

**htj**

Frazzled wrote:I don't know. If I am the teller/cashier receiving this giant amount of pennies, I'd be tempted to take said bag and beat the deliverer with it, all the while shouting "whats the frequency Kenneth? Whats the frequency?"

Making a pop culture reference whilst performing the act that was referenced in pop culture... woah...

It's an infinite loop!

**BearersOfSalvation**

biccat wrote:No, they can't put it on your credit report. The timeliness of payment is as of the date that tender was made. Placing a mark on a credit report requires a statement that payment was made late or not made at all. A creditor cannot delay acceptance of payment and use that as a basis to punish a debtor.

Placing information on a credit report only requires that there is a debt, I don't know where you get the idea that credit reports only show late or missing payments. If you have a car loan, house loan, and a couple of credit cards and never make a single late payment, someone pulling your credit report will see each one of those loans on the report. Yes, a creditor can't legally refuse a payment then report a late payment because of that, but they can still show the debt on a credit report, and can report that the tender offer was late if it was made after the deadline, and that can leave any late payment information on the report that was already there from previous payments.