Serving Local, State and Federal Government Clients

Linebarger Goggan Blair & Sampson, LLP (Linebarger Goggan) is keenly aware of the challenges that governments face today in meeting growing responsibilities without placing an undue financial burden on their citizens in the form of higher taxes or fees. We developed our firm to address those concerns. In doing so, we have partnered with governments across the nation, generating hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue for them every year.

We offer our government clients comprehensive collection services, from skip tracing to demand notices and call campaigns, to litigation and bankruptcy representation and general advice and counsel on matters affecting the collection process.

Linebarger Goggan collects a variety of delinquent accounts, including taxes, fees, fines, tolls, service charges and various other types of local, state and federal receivables. Our efforts help ensure that everyone pays their fair share to support critical government services and reinforce the idea that voluntary compliance is the preferred method of funding government.

Linebarger Goggan works diligently to implement and maintain successful public-private partnerships with its government clients. This allows our clients to remain focused on their core responsibilities to the public, whether it is health and safety, transportation systems, or public education.

We attribute our success to a proven collections program, leading-edge technology and a highly skilled team of legal and collection professionals.

Services

Delinquent Property Taxes

Court Fees and Fines

Hospital/Emergency Medical Services-Ambulance Collections

State Collections

Tolls

Federal Debts

Miscellaneous Government Receivables

Legal Services

Bankruptcy

ACT: TX Property Tax Collection Software

TX School District Property Value Appeals

Delinquent Property Taxes

Our collection program is multi-faceted and tailored to meet the individual needs of each client. The service is comprehensive and includes all aspects of delinquent real and personal property tax collections, from taxpayer notification to phone contacts and taxpayer assistance and payment plans (in accordance with clients' requirements) to foreclosure litigation and tax sale or seizure, if necessary. We also provide nationwide bankruptcy representation to protect our clients' interests and to prevent taxpayers from dodging their tax liabilities by using potential loopholes in the bankruptcy code.

We know how to manage our clients’ collection programs. Our proprietary software and extensive frame relay network complement the efforts of our experienced staff and are invaluable to our operations. We maintain a full-service Information Technology division capable of handling our clients’ collection needs, from generating customized collection letters and collection reports to sending and receiving data updates electronically from clients in data formats convenient to them.

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Court Fees and Fines

Linebarger Goggan is well-versed in both the legal and operational aspects of collecting outstanding court fees and fines. As is the case with all of our collection programs, we use our legal resources in combination with our technology to offer a turn-key collection program that effectively collects these accounts. Our collection systems integrate local, state and national skip-tracing, customized mailings, call campaigns plus litigation and bankruptcy services when applicable.

Our collection staff manages the collection process and continuously monitors both contract compliance and performance to ensure the best possible results for our clients. This allows our court clients and law enforcement personnel to perform their jobs while we do ours – finding their debtors/defendants and collecting their delinquent fees and fines.

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Hospital/Emergency Medical Services-Ambulance Collections

An effective healthcare-related collection program requires a carefully designed strategy that is tailored to meet each individual client’s needs. Linebarger Goggan works closely with its clients to develop a unified approach designed to collect their outstanding receivables, whether they are hospital or EMS-related.
 
All collection activities are monitored by our attorneys to ensure full compliance with all local, state and federal laws, rules and regulations, such as the federal Fair Debt Collections Practices Act and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act.

As part of our collection operation, we offer several insurance-related collection services, such as re-billing insurance recovery accounts when they are identified during the collection process. Our collectors and billing managers at our medical call center obtain and verify insurance information and re-bill or appeal as necessary to resolve the unpaid balances.

And, as a law firm, we offer domestication of judgments on out-of-state defendants as well as both judicial and administrative wage garnishment to collect our clients’ delinquent fees. When appropriate and approved by our clients, we file liens on claims identified as MVA (Motor Vehicle Accidents) when no Medical Insurance information has been identified or obtained. The liens are filed against liability insurance companies and/or attorneys representing the debtor involved in the MVA to pursue collections through post-judgment remedies.

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State Collections

The firm collects a wide variety of receivables for our state clients, including income, sales, use and other miscellaneous taxes, unemployment overpayments, workers' compensation, environmental fines, and lottery receipts. We offer first, second and third placement collection services. Linebarger Goggan also functions as an outside counsel on collection-related matters and provides post-judgment legal services to our state clients when authorized by them.

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Tolls

Linebarger Goggan offers toll authorities a full gamut of services ranging from standard collection programs to legal representation in the administrative hearing process, litigation and bankruptcy matters, and when appropriate, post-judgment remedies, which are typically pursued via the courts. Our collection techniques have generated more revenue for toll authorities while providing our clients and their toll tag customers with great customer care and professionalism.

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Federal Debts
 
Linebarger Goggan is authorized to provide collections (520-4) and legal services (520-6) under the U.S. General Services Administration Contracting Schedule.

The firm provides a full range of collection services, including skip tracing, phone contact, demand letters, helping debtors resolve their liabilities through payment plans, administrative wage garnishment, and administrative resolution. Linebarger Goggan has had three consecutive contracts with the Federal Government since 1997.

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Miscellaneous Government Receivables

Linebarger Goggan also collects a wide array of other delinquent government receivables. Our programs include delinquent utility charges for municipalities such as water and other special taxing districts that provide water and sanitation, electricity, gas and other essential public services.

The firm employs a variety of approaches and merges legal and collections disciplines to mount a sophisticated revenue collection program for all of our government clients. Our mission is to generate the maximum amount of revenues from their delinquent portfolios of accounts and to do so at the least amount of costs and administrative burden to the client. We provide fair and courteous treatment to every debtor, recognizing that they are constituents of the government officials and employees we serve.

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Legal Services

Linebarger Goggan files tens of thousands of lawsuits each year as part of its overall collection effort. We have found that litigation complements our letter and call campaigns, as well as being an effective stand-alone collection tool.

A well-conceived litigation plan also lends vital credibility to the collection process and reinforces the system of voluntary compliance by demonstrating the potential negative consequences of failure to timely pay the amounts owed to our clients.

Consequently, we developed a highly effective litigation program that supports our collection efforts and that can be seamlessly incorporated into our program. Accounts that meet the appropriate criteria and have the approval of the client will be targeted for litigation in the appropriate court. When approved by the client we can:

• prosecute lawsuits in a timely manner
• seek final enforceable judgments
• prepare wage and bank garnishments or turnover orders
• file liens on property
• institute seizures and/or foreclosures
• domesticate out-of-state judgments

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Bankruptcy

Our bankruptcy department has gained a national reputation for its professional representation of our government clients. Linebarger Goggan has experience in tens of thousands of active and resolved bankruptcy cases, protecting millions of dollars in claims.

Our bankruptcy attorneys respond to objections that are filed by debtors and trustees to protect our clients’ interests. Depending on the type of bankruptcy plan filed, and the circumstances of the case, our firm often initiates actions such as motions to dismiss for failure to file plans of reorganization, motions for payment of post-petition taxes, and motions to lift the automatic stay.

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ACT: Texas Property Tax Collection Software

For many years, Appraisal & Collection Technologies (ACT) has demonstrated its expertise in developing, installing, and supporting user-friendly tax collection systems that meet processing system needs as well as the ability to adapt easily to future technology. We are widely known as the company that offers a tax collection system with fully integrated system components that serve the complete needs of the tax office. Our ACT 7.0 product spans the entire spectrum of tax office processing needs.

Our Tax Collection System component supplies complete property tax system functionality, including records maintenance, billing, collections, and reporting. The Appraisal District interface provides automated loading and balancing of appraisal district files, regardless of the appraisal software vendor. Our Mortgage Company/Lockbox processes provide the capability to bill and collect with highly automated and efficient techniques. Our TaxLedge component offers fully automated, integrated support for tax office disbursements, refund processing, and bank reconciliation. Our Special Inventory Tax (SIT) module supplies processing capability for collecting and disbursing special inventory accounts and hotel occupancy taxes. Our Internet component allows tax office information to be viewed over the Internet and includes the option of a fully integrated credit card payment module. Check and coupon images can also be stored and retrieved easily. Our Interactive Voice Response module can answer your telephone and provide information to tax payers.

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Texas School District Property Value Appeals

Our firm offers a full-time appeals staff with direct experience in appraising and evaluating all of the various categories included in a Property Value Study. Established in 1991, our Property Value Appeals staff has direct and extensive experience in all facets of ratio study methodology as well as the state Comptroller’s processes and procedures.

Full appeals service includes:

• comprehensive analysis of all data via an on-site review and research
• complete preparation of the client's appeal
• comprehensive analysis of unedited data prior to the release of the Property Value Study
• on-site reviews of sample properties
• public record research
• evidence collection for potential appeals
• full review of all Comptroller of Public Accounts data and local tax roll values to identify errors that affect study findings
• complete preparation of audits, other post-appeal remedies and judicial appeals
• full representation in all Comptroller staff meetings and administrative hearings
• professional opinions on the potential state aid impact of successful appeals
• advice on appraisal performance to improve future Property Value Studies
• comprehensive litigation on any unresolved study issues in district court

When necessary, we seek additional relief for our clients through the courts. Our litigation department plays an active role in the appeals process, providing advice on legal procedures and litigation strategy. Our attorneys have had considerable success in appealing value studies for our clients throughout the State of Texas.

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