(1) There is hereby created a Collections Unit in the Department of Revenue.
(2) The Department of Revenue may render assistance in the collection of any delinquent account owing to any state officer, board, commission, corporation, institution, department or other state organization, or to a county pursuant to a judgment obtained under ORS 169.151, assigned by the agency or county to which the delinquent account is owed to the Department of Revenue for collection.
(3)(a) Subject to rules prescribed by the Oregon Department of Administrative Services for collection of delinquent accounts owing to the respective officers, departments, boards and commissions of state government, and to counties, the Department of Revenue shall render assistance in such collection and shall charge such officers, agencies and counties separately for the cost of such assistance, provided that charges shall not exceed the proceeds of collection credited to such officer, agency or county for the same biennium. The Department of Revenue may designate a single percentage to retain from the proceeds of collection as a charge for the cost of assistance. If the Department of Revenue finds that accounts assigned to the Department of Revenue for collection by certain officers, agencies or counties lack sufficient information to properly and efficiently identify the debtor or that the account information must be put into a form usable by the Department of Revenue in order to efficiently provide collection services, the Department of Revenue may establish a separate percentage charge to be retained from collections for the officer, agency or county. The charge must reflect the average of the actual cost to provide collection services for all accounts assigned by that officer, agency or county. In providing assistance, the Department of Revenue shall utilize all means available to collect the delinquent accounts including the setoff of any refunds or sums due to the debtor from the Department of Revenue or any other state agency. The Department of Revenue may offset any refunds or sums due to the debtor from the department or any other state agency against delinquent accounts assigned by a county to the department for collection under this section. The Department of Revenue may prescribe criteria for the kinds of accounts that may be assigned under this section, including a minimum dollar amount owed.
(b) No setoff will be made by the Department of Revenue unless the debt is in a liquidated amount.
(c) When the Department of Revenue has notified the assigning agency or county that a refund or other sum due to the debtor is available for setoff, the debtor may arrange with the Department of Revenue for payment of the debt in full before the setoff is made. However, the assigning agency or county shall not enter into any agreement with the debtor for payment of the debt before the setoff is made.
(d) At the time any setoff is made the debtor shall be notified by the Department of Revenue of its intention to apply sums due from a state agency against the debtor’s delinquent account. The notice shall provide that the debtor within 30 days may request a hearing before the claimant agency or county. No issues at the hearing may be considered that have been litigated previously, or if the debtor after being given due notice of rights of appeal has failed to exercise them timely.
(e) All moneys received by the Department of Revenue in payment of charges made under paragraph (a) of this subsection shall be paid into the State Treasury and deposited in a miscellaneous receipts account for the Department of Revenue.
(f) Net proceeds of collections of delinquent accounts shall be credited to the account or fund of the officer, agency or county to which the debt was originally owing.
(4)(a) In providing assistance in the collection of any delinquent account under this section, the Department of Revenue may issue a warrant for the collection of the delinquent account. The warrant may be recorded in the County Clerk Lien Record maintained under ORS 205.130.
(b) A warrant shall not be issued under this subsection unless the debt is in a liquidated amount.
(c) The amount of any warrant issued under this subsection shall include the principal amount of the debt, any added penalties or interest attributable to the delinquent account and any costs associated with recording, indexing or service of the warrant and any satisfaction or release thereof.
(d) A warrant shall not be issued under this subsection before the debtor has been notified that the department intends to issue the warrant and of the collection action that may be taken under the warrant.
(5) Nothing in this section shall prohibit the collection of:
(a) A child or spousal support obligation as provided in ORS 25.610; or
(b) Criminal judgments that impose monetary obligations, including judgments requiring the payment of fines, costs, assessments, compensatory fines, attorney fees, forfeitures or restitution. [1971 c.604 §2; 1977 c.603 §1; 1979 c.442 §1; 1987 c.758 §14; 1989 c.519 §7; 1995 c.512 §1; 2001 c.641 §2]
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