A Gretna man says his wages were garnisheed and he was hounded by a collection agency over a speeding ticket he actually tried to pay on three separate occasions.

Bill Turner’s troubles started with a $354 speeding ticket on Nov. 8, 2011. Turner said when he called in to pay right after getting the ticket, he was told the offence wasn’t recorded. He said he heard the same response twice more over the next six weeks.

But in October 2012, Turner received a letter from Manitoba Public Insurance telling him he now owed $494 for the ticket.

“It is not just, it is not right and it is not good,” said Turner. “This is ridiculous. It was a slap in the face to a guy who called in three times trying to pay the bill.”

A collection agency began hassling him that month, calling up to three times a day to claim a now $1,340 tab, once insurance and registration costs factored in.

A judge also refused to overturn the ticket.

Turner said the collection tab now prevents him from paying insurance in more frequent installments.

“I have to pay extra fees and my name is now in the credit bureau. They just don’t want to own up to it,” said Turner.

Turner said he missed notices on the fees for months because MPI sent them to the wrong address, even though he insists he had an updated licence with the correct address before the ticket was issued.

Turner ultimately paid up on Nov. 18 to keep his driver licence active. But he wants his credit history cleared and all costs, except for the original ticket, paid back.

Emerson MLA Cliff Graydon said he contacted Manitoba Justice to help Turner but didn’t get much of a response.

“They’ve added a garnishment to his wages, they’ve ruined his credit rating, they’ve added late charges. All of this adds up to a lot of extra money for an individual who’s an ordinary working Manitoban,” said the Tory MLA.

But Justice Minister Andrew Swan said the only thing Turner is being sought for is the fine itself, with the other fees simply regular annual charges.

“Manitoba Justice will refer fines to collection because we think if Manitobans break the law, they should pay their fines,” he said. “We’ll go after fines, as Manitobans want us to do.”

Swan noted there are some circumstances where a person’s ticket may not be registered immediately, so it’s important to read the fine print on a ticket as to when payment will be accepted.