Sister Wrecked Truck While Test Driving

[rmccomber]

Colorado:

My sister wrecked a truck while she was test driving. (Private sale) No one was hurt thank goodness.

The truck owner's mother sued my sister for the tune of $3,000 dollars, and was awarded the full amount in civil court. My sister was ordered to pay $300 a month until the total is paid off. My sister is jobless, making no effort to get a job, and is taking a 'ignore the problem and it will go away' stance.

I understand that she will be taken back to court once the payments don't come in, but what are the worst case scenarios here? No restitution since she has no job, no tax garnishment since she has no job.

Can she end up in jail over this?

[Dogmatique]

No, because it's a civil matter.

However, that judgment is going to last a long, long time....

Is she planning on never working again?

[HavingQuestions]

Well if a judge ordered her to pay 300 a month and she doesn't, they could put her in contempt of court and yes she could go to jail if the judge wanted to. Is that likely to happen? I don't know, probably not, but $3000 is still not enough to avoid since this is not going away for at least 7 years anyways.

[rmccomber]

If she had her way, she would never work again. She is living with parents, who enable her to be lazy and act like a 13 yr old. (She's 19.)

[cyjeff]

Does she own anything of value? Anything at all?

[Dogmatique]

Well if a judge ordered her to pay 300 a month and she doesn't, they could put her in contempt of court and yes she could go to jail if the judge wanted to. Is that likely to happen? I don't know, probably not, but $3000 is still not enough to avoid since this is not going away for at least 7 years anyways.

There is a big difference between civil and criminal contempt....


This isn't a criminal matter.

[rmccomber]

Does she own anything of value? Anything at all?

She has some clothing, that is it. She was working and had an apartment with her husband, then they broke up, he left, she pissed away the apartment, stole from her job and was fired. She's been living like a vagabond ever since. She had a dresser and her clothes. Her dresser is now in my daughter's room in my house. The accident with the truck happened after she broke up with her husband, and before she lost her job/apartment.