Health District OKs collection agency hiring

Molly Ball

Friday, Aug. 27, 2004 | 9:47 a.m.

The Clark County Health District's board on Thursday voted to hire a collection agency to go after a half-million dollars in unpaid fines.

The board voted to approve a contract with NCO Financial Systems. It is the first time the district has contracted with a collection agency, Glenn Savage, the district's environmental health director, said.

Various violators owe the health district a total of about $500,000, Savage said. Most of them are illegal dumpers who have flouted the penalties the district imposes.

"We've begged and pleaded and done everything we can do to get them to pay and be good citizens," Savage said.

Under the contract approved Thursday, the collection agency will keep 18 percent of the money it collects, or 25 percent if it takes over the account from another collection agency.

The district's only means of collecting fines is to go to court and get an order. Among the violators who owe outstanding fines are David and Sandi DiMarco, owners of the Sky-Vue Mobile Home Park, which has caught fire four times in the past month.

The DiMarcos owe the Health District $39,000 for violations at Sky-Vue and another trailer park they own, College Inn.

They also owe $95,000 to Las Vegas. The city has the power to put a lien on debtors' property and has done so; the health district lacks that ability.

Another notorious non-payer, Savage said, is Las Vegas' Eco Industries, an excavation company that has repeatedly been fined for illegal dumping. The company "probably owes us $100,000," Savage said.

Eco Industries representatives could not be located for comment.

The health distirct is also communicating with local jurisdictions about possibly revoking violators' business licenses, Savage said.