Jamaica, NY asked in Civil Rights and Criminal Law for New York

Q: Should I pay the civil demand letter of $500? when I already paid the full $250 worth of item I stole. Will I get sued

Should I pay the civil demand letter of $500? when I already paid the full $250 worth of item I stole. Will I get sued?

I got caught by lp shoplifting I just wanted to know If I dont pay the civil demand letter will I get sued now I got a paycheck from the store with the amount I paid for which was $250 it seems that they gave the money back i paid Im kind of concerned cause Im flying out the country want to sort this out or should I just pay the $500 so that I dont have to worry about anything cause the letter says that if I dont pay it they will take legal action and possibly sue us.

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1 Lawyer Answer
Michael Charles Cimasi
Michael Charles Cimasi
Answered
  • Criminal Law Lawyer
  • Amherst, NY
  • Licensed in New York

A: You should always consult with your criminal attorney on a matter such as this, but in general, no you shouldn't pay it prior to the adjudication of the criminal matter. If the Court orders restitution, that must be paid. In my experience, 3rd party debt firms send out these civil demand letters, but it is very unlikely that they will initiate actual litigation to seek such a small amount of funds. It would not be worth the time or the filing fee. However, it is worth the price of a stamp if you send them a check based simply on the demand.

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