A Knoxville TV station confirms Rep. Andy Holt’s argument that camera-based traffic enforcement is legally unenforceable.
“Do you really have to pay those red light camera tickets? Well, the answer we found was, NO!”
— Amanda Hara, WVLT Knoxville
By Rep. Andy Holt
Folks, the truth about these societal leeches is slipping out, thanks to WVLT in Knoxville
Please take the time to watch this video & SHARE it! http://www.local8now.com/content/news/Do-you-have-to-pay-red-light-camera-tickets-439974703.html
The ONLY reason why most people continue to pay these illegitimate wastes of paper is because they are unaware (ignorant) that there are NO actual consequences of refusing to pay any photo-enforcement ticket.
Refusing to pay CANNOT adversely impact your credit report/credit score, your drivers license points, and/or your automobile insurance rates…so, why does anyone EVER pay one? 
Tennessee Public Chapter 998 amended TCA 55-8-198 on April 27, 2016, by adding: “Non-payment of this [“notice” or “citation”] cannot adversely affect your credit score or report, driver’s license, and/or automobile insurance rates.”
Now that the Tennessee State Law is clearly established, here’s just a few answers to the frequently asked questions that people need to know.
Toothless claims
1. They are sending me a collections letter, so I better pay, right?
No. Sending you a collections letter doesn’t have any impact on your credit score & we addressed that in the 2016 change in state law.
2. How do I get these people to quit calling me?
When they call you, tell them that you are asking the to “cease & desist.” Tell them that if they call again, you will have an attorney call them.
3. An officer signed my ticket, so I have to pay it, right?
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No. That’s a printed signature & even if it was actually signed, IT STILL DOESN’T MATTER! Don’t be fooled by these lies.
4. What about “manned” photo-enforcement cameras in places like Henry, Bradford & Puryear, TN? Do I have to pay those?
No. Technically there is a difference in the law, but from a practical standpoint, they are enforced the same. I have advised people for years not to pay these, and have refused to pay them myself.
5. Is there a difference between redlight & speed cameras?
No. Both are illegitimate forms of privatizing police power for profit, and are equally UNENFORCEABLE.
6. I’m receiving letters from an attorney now, so I have to pay this ticket?
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No. Just google the name of that “law firm” sometime! They are nothing but a laughing-stock joke!
7. The notice says that they are going to take me to court, if I don’t pay. So should I pay it?
No. You cannot be summoned to court with a piece of 1st Class US Mail. If fact, that is why I advise people to just throw away any & all photo-enforcement citations, because you have not even been given legal notice of any “violation.” Therefore, you are not liable & there is NO RECORD of your receipt of the “citation.”
If you have other questions, please post them on this thread, and I will make every effort to reply (please be patient).
I do want to make clear that these statements apply to Tennessee photo-enforcement camera violations. I am a Tennessee state lawmaker; I don’t know about other state’s laws.
The bottom line is, NEVER PAY ANY TENNESSEE PHOTO-ENFORCEMENT CITATION — ever — under any circumstances! I hope that is clear enough.
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I received a photo-enforced ticket in Selmer, Tenn., but am from Missouri. Will this have an effect on me if I don’t pay? Thanks.
I have received at least 4 aggressive notices regarding camera speeding tickets.
I was not the driver but but a co-owner of the vehicle. The ticket has now increased to $80 with threats of being reported to credit bureau.
The notice was sent by TRANSWORLD SYSTEMS INC, 5626 FRANTZ ROAD, DUBLIN, OHIO 43017.
I advised to throw the notices away which I did which only resulted in a larger fine. Can someone please help me stop this madness?
Diane, such dunning letters are extortionate, and this company’s use of the U.S. mails may be part of a pattern of criminality that violate federal law.
At 18 U.S. Code § 1341 – Frauds and swindles, there’s this description of such activity subject to federal prosecution. Whoever, having devised or intending to devise any scheme or artifice to defraud, or for obtaining money or property by means of false or fraudulent pretenses, representations, or promises, or to sell, dispose of, loan, exchange, alter, give away, distribute, supply, or furnish or procure for unlawful use any counterfeit or spurious coin, obligation, security, or other article, or anything represented to be or intimated or held out to be such counterfeit or spurious article, for the purpose of executing such scheme or artifice or attempting so to do, places in any post office or authorized depository for mail matter, any matter or thing whatever to be sent or delivered by the Postal Service, or deposits or causes to be deposited any matter or thing whatever to be sent or delivered by any private or commercial interstate carrier, or takes or receives therefrom, any such matter or thing, or knowingly causes to be delivered by mail or such carrier according to the direction thereon, or at the place at which it is directed to be delivered by the person to whom it is addressed, any such matter or thing, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than 20 years, or both. If the violation occurs in relation to, or involving any benefit authorized, transported, transmitted, transferred, disbursed, or paid in connection with, a presidentially declared major disaster or emergency (as those terms are defined in section 102 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5122)), or affects a financial institution, such person shall be fined not more than $1,000,000 or imprisoned not more than 30 years, or both.
This is the law as cited at the Cornell University legal institute at https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/1341
Perhaps you could send a certified letter citing this statute to Transworld, demanding that its agents cease and desist any further contact, as you have no idea what the correspondence pertains do, and have no knowledge of the claims pretended against you in its letters.
(My comment should not be construed as legal advice, only good sense. For legal advice, contact a licensed attorney in your state.)
Supreme court has ruled and the Po Po hate this unless you are operating commercially to say you have to have a license because of state law does not trump the Constitution and your right to travel freely on highways and roads you paid for. no matter what any cop of any rank tells you.
Many are ignorant to this but hold your ground because in the upper courts there is no way you can legally lose There are numerous cases on this.
I never drive I only travel in my personal vehicle and am involved in no commerce of any kind. I have put a link down you should read all this material and you will see how this corporation many of you call government operate.
The United States of America has been incorporated sense 1863 this is how they get away with extorting money from folks. I have been a Tennessee state national standing on the land — soil for over 3 years and if more folks knew this and took the time to study it they too would become Nationals. If you really want to fix this I have given you the way to end it.
There is paperwork you must finish and record before becoming legal follow the short process and in a few weeks you will be free of these thieves. And if anyone tells you oh so your a sovereign laugh and tell them to look up it’s meaning. First clue they are mentally challenged in the law and court arena it is full of liars cut throats and tyrants and the idiots far out weigh them.
Easy law suits their ignorance will give you. Feel free to reach out if you have questions
I have gotten a ticket through a speed camera when I first moved to TN 3 years ago, and not knowing I didnt have to pay it, I went to court armed with the info I found online stating that it was an illegal practice due to a senate bill that had passed.
The prosecutor in Morristown, Tenn., told me that I couldn’t say anything about that because “it wasn’t right, and the judge hates when people try to tell him the law.” He tried to bully me into paying before court started as I was a younger female at court alone.
I have gotten two others here recently — both from using cruise control while going uphill when the engine is starting to gear back down since this particular camera sits atop a hill – and disregarded those.
Today, I received two letters in the mail stating I have until 3/25 to pay the $50 fee or it would double due to court costs and they could sue me in civil court for the unpaid money. The kicker is, the bottom of both letters have been “signed” by Morristown Police Department and say that payment is required by law.
However, it states in the following sentence that the claim cannot go against credit, insurance or my license. Last time, I did not receive a “2nd notice.” Can this be considered harassment to illegally obtain money — as they obviously know that it is against the law and have tried to bully me in the past?
Could you list the law decisions that make these illegal? It may be fine for you to say it, but, I would feel more comfortable to have something in legal wording that I can use if I need it. I need a concrete legal argument.
I got one of these from the Henry, Tenn., speed camera on U.S. 79.
I followed Andy Holt’s instructions and they stopped sending threats.
Look, people, these cameras are owned by commercial companies who PAY a bribe and a commission to some key officials to permit the use.
We were driving to Alabama from Missouri to my brother’s wedding. A week later we got a ticket for speeding. Of course there’s a picture of our car and then there’s a video online where we supposedly sped.
There’s no proof this however because there’s no way to know how fast we were going unless they provide that information in real time. Anyways, we will never be traveling through Selmer, TN, again.
They know we live in Missouri so we are the best kind of people to get money from since we most likely won’t travel back down to TN to dispute the ticket.
It makes me very angry that they are spying on us through cameras and they are wasting their time with law-abiding citizens like us instead of people who actually speed or do worse.
I am very disappointed in the law enforcement agency if this is the kind of thing they are focused on.
My son just received a letter from Homeland Security and says they are suspending his license if this ticket is not paid.
Can they do that?
This is exactly what i thought! i’ve never had one turned over to collections and i’m wondering how to dismiss it. it’s in my dads name but i was driving and he’s trying to make me pay the now $270, which i’m definitely not because you don’t have to. he’s just mad it’s in his name and worried somethings gonna happen. Who can i call to get rid of all this mess?
I don’t understand how legally, these notices can say that they will send you to collections or that they will summon you to court if by law, they are unable to back that up. Especially since it says very plainly that nonpayment has no effect whatsoever on the notice.
Can they actually send it to collections, or is it all scare tactics?
I got one in Huntingdon, TN 38344 , the day I moved here. It is now June 14, 2021, so do we pay or call in and ask for a court date?
is there a court decision to look up or state bill number ?
Thanks.
I recently got one of these BS speeding tickets from “City of Henry” police in Chattanooga, TN. Here’s the Kicker – I have been NOWHERE near Chattanooga.
The ticket location vaguely stated “Hwy 79”. which runs from Memphis up into KY on the other side of TN. So it was some cop way out of their jurisdiction just driving all over the state collecting money for their city outside Chattanooga.
Oh, they say on the ticket you can fight it in court for $70 in court costs. So how is this not extortion? I do not understand how this is even remotely legal!
Class Action Lawsuit? I will not be paying this extortion attempt.
If you drive through Puryear, expect a ticket in the mail, even if you are not speeding. I will be so glad when 4 lane is done. I will never go threw Puryear again. I refuse to pay those tickets.