Title
County Counsel recommending the Board authorize the discharge from accountability in the amount of $241,575.32 for uncollectible court ordered fees from Public Guardian cases.
FUNDING: General Fund.
Body
DISCUSSION / BACKGROUND
County Counsel performs legal services on behalf of the Public Guardian Division of the Health and Human Services Agency and their conservatees. County Counsel is reimbursed for the value of the legal services rendered for the conservatees by order of the court. In the instance that a conservatee is unable to pay, usually due to death or the lack of funds, the Public Guardian informs County Counsel of the inability to pay and recommends that County Counsel write off the court ordered debt.
This item is before the Board of Supervisors pursuant to Government Code sections 25257-25259, which allows a County officer charged with the responsibility to collect money due to the County to apply to the Board of Supervisors for a discharge of accountability for the collection of the debt if "the likelihood of collection does not warrant the expense involved." The debts being considered with this item for all relate to conservatees who are deceased and there are no funds in the estate or any other assets from which to recover these debts. Ordinarily, the County Counsel's Office requests a discharge of accountability on an annual basis. However, the last request to discharge accountability occurred in 2019, so the total amount of debt being discharged in this item is greater than what is typically requested.
Name of the debtors are being withheld due to confidentiality restrictions.
ALTERNATIVES
The Board could decline to authorize the discharge, in which case the debt will remain due and payable to the County with little likelihood that it will be collected.
OTHER DEPARTMENT / AGENCY INVOLVEMENT
Public Guardian
CAO RECOMMENDATION / COMMENTS
Approve as recommended.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
No current budget financial impact.
CLERK OF THE BO...
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