Legal Question in Civil Litigation in Massachusetts
I received an arrest warrent notice from the local civil clerks office for an unpaid bill. This is the 1st notice I have received in regard to this issue. If I appear on the specified date, will I be arrested at that point or will I be able to make arrangements to rectify this?
2 Answers from Attorneys
You want to make arrangements to pay this debt if it something that you owe. If this is not a debt that you are lawfully responsible for, then you want to get a lawyer right away. If this is the first notice you have ever received concerning this debt, that means that there have been collection efforts, a lawsuit file, a default judgment obtained, and a payment review hearing in court, all without your knowledge. If that is truly the case, you should retain counsel.
I agree with Attorney Vaughn-Martell. The purpose of the arrest warrant in this case is to arrest you for the sole purpose of bringing you into court because you have failed to appear at these previous hearings. It is not to arrest you after you've finally appeared in court.