county hires firm to chase down court fines
Hoping to bring in millions in outstanding court fines and fees, Bandera County Commissioners Court on June 26 approved a threeyear contract with Houston-based law firm Perdue Brandon Fielder Collins & Mott LLP (PBFCM) to assist with delinquent court collections.
The unanimous vote approved three agenda items related to the agreement: an order allowing the County to charge additional collection fees in line with Article 103.0031 of the Texas Code of Criminal Procedure; a formal review process involving feedback from individual department heads; and the contract itself.
PBFCM, which specializes in collecting delinquent government receivables, pitched its services during the regular meeting, emphasizing that the program would come at no direct cost to the County.
“We’re a third-party collection vendor, and this is at zero cost to the county,” a PBFCM representative told the Court. “That means for every traffic violation—for instance, if it’s a hundred dollars—our 30% fee is added to the traffic violation. This is by Texas legislative movement. We return to you 100% of the funds and fees. We get paid our fee that is over and above that.”
The firm uses a system of “technologically driven reminders,” including letters, texts and phone calls, to reach delinquent payers.
According to the representative, different levels of effort could bring in significant revenue: a conservative approach could generate $1.8 million, moderate effort $2.7 million, and an aggressive approach up to $3.6 million.
“I assure you that we will exceed the 40% mark,” the representative said.
County Judge Richard Evans, known for his dry humor, quipped after the presentation: “Are you a used car salesman?” The joke came after the PBFCM rep theatrically pulled out a Payday candy bar and declared, “When you hire Perdue Brandon Fielder, every day is a payday. That means we are working for you every day. Every day we’re collecting money for the county. This isn’t a ploy. This isn’t a gimmick. This is fact.”
Commissioner Jack Moseley asked whether County clerks or Justices of the Peace had concerns about implementation, as they would be the most directly impacted.
One County employee raised a concern about indigent defendants in district court.
“Especially on the district court side of it, they owe quite a bit of money. What if they don’t want to pay the 30% on top of that? What does it do to those who are indigent?” the employee asked.
A PBFCM representative clarified that in cases of indigency or alternative resolution— such as community service—no collection fee would be applied.
“If ultimately, the matter is going to be resolved by and through a separate standard that doesn’t have our fee on there, then it’s just the cost of doing business,” the rep said.
Precinct 2 Justice of the Peace Gina Grothues spoke in support of the partnership, calling it a welcome tool to assist in revenue generation and court accountability.
“It’s another tool in our toolshed and I’m hoping that it can solve the problem of people not being responsible,” she said.
Precinct 1 Justice of the Peace Mike Towers echoed that sentiment, noting the potential windfall in outstanding warrants and the limited downside.
“The upside potential is millions of dollars worth of outstanding warrants. The Sheriffs and constables throw out those resources to collect those warrants,” he said. “What we got is a potential with Perdue to collect a fraction of that—we won’t collect it all—but at least the low-hanging fruit. It has no downside risk. If they don’t do anything, it costs us nothing. I don’t see any reason not to go with them.”
The Court’s approval authorizes Judge Evans to sign both the enabling order and the final contract, contingent on ongoing feedback from department heads about the firm’s performance.
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