Council members in Eclectic, Ala., unhappy with the collection agency that pursues debts owed to the towns Emergency Medical Services division, voted this week to hire Simmons Collection Agency instead.
Mayor Gary Davenport said the town was unaware that MultiMed, a New York-based agency, attempted to obtain payments for just three months before charging off the debt. The strategy was presumably under terms of the agencys contract. Davenport said that Simmons, based in Chambersburg, Pa., was referred to the council by MultiMed. The council agreed to a 30-day contract only, allowing the town to move on quickly if unhappy with the results. Simmons Collection will make attempts to collect debts and charge 35% of the collected funds. Accounts that become more seriously delinquent will be sent to a second more aggressive collection agency, according to the Tallassee (Ala.) Tribune. The towns EMS division had more than $18,000 in unpaid bills last year alone. Eclectic, population 1,001 as of the 2010 U.S. Census, is part of the Montgomery Metropolitan Statistical Area.
