Sabina Maziarz knew she would pay a penalty when a $400 check she wrote in November to the Sharon School Department bounced, but did not realize her name and address would be posted on the Internet for all to see.
"It's so embarrassing," Maziarz said of the "roster of bad checks" on the town's website. "What is the purpose of this? To let people know that this person is a big, fat loser?"
Not exactly, said Robert J. Uyttebroek, the town treasurer, who started listing bounced checks online last year. Sharon's website, www.townofsharon.net, has a link to public notices. From there, the list is just a click away.
The bad check list in Sharon holds all up to scrutiny -- from the three people who bounced $2 checks to the resident who did not have funds to cover one for $1,620. The goal, Uyttebroek said, is to "shame them into paying" for fees and services, plus penalties.
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"It's so embarrassing," Maziarz said of the "roster of bad checks" on the town's website. "What is the purpose of this? To let people know that this person is a big, fat loser?"
Not exactly, said Robert J. Uyttebroek, the town treasurer, who started listing bounced checks online last year. Sharon's website, www.townofsharon.net, has a link to public notices. From there, the list is just a click away.
The bad check list in Sharon holds all up to scrutiny -- from the three people who bounced $2 checks to the resident who did not have funds to cover one for $1,620. The goal, Uyttebroek said, is to "shame them into paying" for fees and services, plus penalties.
Story from Boston.com
