Collection of fines, costs and litigation taxes – Installment payment plan – Suspended license – Restricted license – Conversion to civil judgment – Settlement

(a) Unless discharged by payment or service of imprisonment in default of a fine, a fine may be collected in the same manner as a judgment in a civil action. The trial court may also enforce all orders assessing any fine remaining in default by contempt upon a finding by the court that the defendant has the present ability to pay the fine and willfully refuses to pay. Costs and litigation taxes due may be collected in the same manner as a judgment in a civil action, but shall not be deemed part of the penalty, and no person shall be imprisoned under this section in default of payment of costs or litigation taxes. The following shall be the allocation formula for moneys paid into court in matters adjudicated on or after January 1, 2022: the first moneys paid in a case shall first be credited toward the payment of restitution owed to the victim, if any, and once restitution has been paid in full, the next moneys shall be credited toward payment of litigation taxes, and once litigation taxes have been paid, the next moneys shall be credited toward payment of costs; then additional moneys shall be credited toward payment of the fine. Ask a legal question, get an answer ASAP!(1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.Litigation: A case, controversy, or lawsuit. Participants (plaintiffs and defendants) in lawsuits are called litigants.Person: includes a corporation, firm, company or association. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105Remainder: An interest in property that takes effect in the future at a specified time or after the occurrence of some event, such as the death of a life tenant.Restitution: The court-ordered payment of money by the defendant to the victim for damages caused by the criminal action.Settlement: Parties to a lawsuit resolve their difference without having a trial. Settlements often involve the payment of compensation by one party in satisfaction of the other party's claims.signed: includes a mark, the name being written near the mark and witnessed, or any other symbol or methodology executed or adopted by a party with intention to authenticate a writing or record, regardless of being witnessed. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105State: when applied to the different parts of the United States, includes the District of Columbia and the several territories of the United States. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105Trial: A hearing that takes place when the defendant pleads "not guilty" and witnesses are required to come to court to give evidence.written: includes printing, typewriting, engraving, lithography, and any other mode of representing words and letters. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105Year: means a calendar year, unless otherwise expressed. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105(b) (1) Any person who is issued a license under title 55 and who has not paid all litigation taxes, court costs, and fines assessed as a result of disposition of any offense under the criminal laws of this state within one (1) year of the date of the completion of the sentence shall enter into an installment payment plan with the clerk of the court ordering disposition of the offense to make payments on the taxes, costs, and fines owed. (2) The clerk of the court ordering disposition of an offense shall offer a payment plan, which must be reasonable and based on a person’s income and ability to pay, to any person convicted of an offense under the criminal laws of this state who requests to make payments pursuant to an installment payment plan or who is required to enter into an installment payment plan in accordance with subdivision (b)(1). A person may request, and the court clerk shall grant, modifications to the payment plan upon a change in the person’s financial circumstances or upon good cause shown. If the request for modification is denied by a deputy clerk, then the person may appeal the denial to the chief clerk. If a request for modification is denied by the chief clerk, then the person may petition the court for modifications to the payment plan based upon a change in the person’s financial circumstances or upon good cause shown. (3) (A) The court clerk shall inform a person who enters into a payment plan pursuant to this subsection (b) that: (i) Failure to timely make the payments as ordered by the court results in the suspension of the person’s license and the issuance of a restricted license; and (ii) Any default on the payment plan while the person is issued a restricted license results in the revocation of the restricted license and the person’s driving privileges as described in subdivision (b)(5). (B) The court clerk shall notify the department of a person’s failure to comply with a payment plan established pursuant to this subsection (b). (C) (i) Upon notice of the person’s failure to comply with the payment plan established pursuant to this subse