Teen Pays Tow Fee With 8,800 Pennies 18-Year-Old Tallahassee Student Puts Incident On YouTube TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- Three police officers were called to a Tallahassee towing company when a college student attempted to pay his $88 fee in pennies.Jordan Renken, an 18-year-old college student, recorded the incident and posted it on YouTube.Renken's car was towed last month and he had to pay $88 to retrieve his vehicle. He decided to pay the fine with 8,800 pennies, but the towing company refused to accept the payment.The clerk initially said she would count the pennies, but then said they had to be rolled. Renken said the company had to accept his "legal tender" and called police when they continued to refuse.Three officers are seen on the video trying to rectify the situation.Police said the company had to take the money, and the teen was given the keys to his vehicle. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=URWkNslcxPM to watch the 10-minute YouTube video. This is awesome :hammer:
I thought I read something once that said that a merchant didn't have to accept more than 25 pennies for a transaction...any truth to that? Just curious.
My gut reaction was “The cops goofed”, on the theory that the number of one cent coins usable as legal tender in a single transaction was limited, based on my recollection of research done many years ago. Had I posted that response, I would have to eat my words! §5103 of Title 31, United States Code, as currently in force reads simply: Nowhere else in federal law is there any restriction on the words “coins . . .are legal tender”. Looks like nowadays any amount of coin may be used in payment of debts, or obligations to the government. Quibble over whether a particular obligation to pay money is a “debt” is irrelevant here, as there was unquestionably a “debt” involved.
I think it's ridiculous. I mean, They are just trying to make someone have a difficult time. Why not run to the bank and have it changed over. The kids are just being immature about the whole situation. Think about all the things the police could have been doing instead of wasting their time with these kids.
I kind-of disagree but think the company should have made the kid wait until all of the money was counted then verified. I count slow and usually have to count a couple times just to make sure I got it right.
Obviously the kid was busting chops and, obviously, there are no "cent" collectors at the towing company.....
I think most of us on CT would have gladly taken them and spent the next few weeks searching them. LOL!
Even though there is law deeming it "legal tender," to my knowledge there are no federal or state statutes mandating the acceptance of currency or coins. I know that some courts here in SoCal will definitely refuse payment in large amounts of coins. Not really a big deal, lots of businesses have restrictions on currency/coins they choose to accept. Many places won't take bills over $20 either, it's up to them. Seems funny to pay a fine in pennies, but I really see no reason to punish the court clerks by wasting their time.
It is a rather juvenile and silly stunt and he was probably illegally parked and rightfully towed at his own expense. I just hope these dopes searched their cents for wheats, keys and errors or else they might have overpaid the towing company.:whistle:
hahahahaha! The law actually mandates that businesses can accept or deny any form of payment. Basically, she could have refused the pennies if she wanted to...
I have to say if we had a person do that where I work I would accept the money. But I will waste their time. One cent, twwwo cents, threeeee ccceeentts, fooouuurr cents. But I do have a problem if their is any noise or they fidget, I might loss count. I would make a point to the customers behind him that he decide to fight a large corporation by annoying a low wage worker. If they want to be a smart alec, so will I.
yeah, the half cents are gone and were left with a bunch of half sense You're right...nickels probably would have been sufficient..
I forgot to add does any one know why they where towed? The way these kids are acting how much do you want to bet they parked illegal and deserved to be towed.