Jailed over credit card debt? You bet
August 23, 2010 by Shane BorerPosted in: Drama, Latest News
It’s not a crime to be in debt, but people in some states are getting thrown into the slammer for missing their credit card bills.
That’s what happened to Joy Uhlmeyer as she was making a late-night trip back to her home in Richfield, MN. Law enforcement officers pulled the woman over, arrested her and had her sit in a holding cell for 16 hours. After that, the 57-year-old Uhlmeyer finally learned the reason for her arrest: She’d missed a court hearing over an unpaid credit card debt.
Owing money, whether to a business or a credit card company, hasn’t been a crime since U.S. debtors’ prisons were dissolved in the 1800′s. But several states (including Minnesota, in this case) have very creditor-friendly laws that help debt collection companies get what they’re after. In Minnesota’s case, the use of arrest warrants against debtors has spiked 60% in the past four years — 845 credit card debt-related warrants were issued in 2009 alone.
Warrants for credit card debt don’t always result in the arrest of the debtor, but those who owe money can still spend up to 48 hours in a holding cell with criminals before they must be released, according to law.
The credit card warrants are a serious matter all over the country. States such as Arkansas, Arizona, Illinois and Washington all allow jailing of debtors — might want to make sure your latest credit card bill payment goes out on time.
Tags: Credit cards, Debt
August 26th, 2010 at 8:13 pm
A complete waste of tax payer money! While they are arresting someone that perhaps has lost their job and cannot make their payments on time….there is a REAL criminal on the loose! I undertand that you have to pay your bills but jail???!!!??!!! A bit ridiculous and fines could put a person in even worse financial situation.
August 26th, 2010 at 8:15 pm
Oh and…if an employed person is sitting in jail for 48 hours, they probably won’t have a job when they get out which means no one is getting paid!!!! What about people who have been reduced to a 1 income household? Do they throw them in the slammer when they are slow making payments?
August 26th, 2010 at 9:56 pm
Hey, don’t play if you can’t pay. I’m happy when I see things being done to people who don’t pay their bills. I’m tired of all of the expense for people who charge up their debt and don’t pay fall on me, and on everyone else who does pay their bills. It’s a struggle for us, too. I am a single income household, single mother of two, but I pay all of my bills every month and make do with what I have and what I can afford.
August 26th, 2010 at 10:30 pm
Stacy, I have to agree. Not that I condone not paying your debts, but seriously, jail when every jurisdiction in the country is complaining about lack of jail space? Things are seriously out of whack in this country…
August 26th, 2010 at 11:31 pm
The right to ignore civil matters, creates a judgement, not, an affront to the “Your Honor,” Titles of nobility, Organized Crime at Law, Mob; which alleged affront, creates for crooked judges [are there any other kind?], an unlawful excuse to practice law from the bench; electing to become a party to the action. When the Sheeple grow up, and start tarring and feathering these activist, judges, who think that they have the right to make the law, fit, their delusions of grandeur, just maybe, some humility will replace contempt of their own court. A Civil rights lawsuit, should be forthcoming, against these parasites, who are holding our rights hostage, by their criminality, at law… Edgrrr…Stalag Skew at Y-RICO… Ahnolds’ Gulag, Schizofornia…
August 27th, 2010 at 12:31 pm
She was jailed for failure to appear in court, not because of her debt. People need to realise there are consequences for your actions (incurring debt and not repaying the institutions that lend) and you cannot keep running away from your responsibilities. Some honest person is ultimately going to pay for her debt as no loans are given away for free. The loan companies need to make money somehow.
August 30th, 2010 at 2:11 pm
She missed her court date so she went to jail. That is what is supposed to happen. I am sick of people that blame everyone else for their own problems. Jail was the consequence of her own action. Take responsibility for your own actions and quit being such a loser.
Longenecker’s rambling sounds like the Unabomber.
August 30th, 2010 at 4:04 pm
cmoney and Art D are right – she isn’t being jailed for not paying her bills, she is being jailed for missing her court date.
Edgar Longenecker – what’s with all the commas? Your post is hard to understand because of them.