Call Kurtis: How Did A Fix-It Ticket Turn Into A $1,475 Fine And Possible Arrest?

ROSEVILLE (CBS13) — A Roseville woman says she handled her fix-it ticket.

But she later was fined $1,475.

After digging into this, we discovered this was one big case of miscommunication.

And unfortunately that adds up.  Can we help get this fine knocked down?

"It's a $1,400 mistake," said Mackenzie Spence, Roseville resident.

Never been in trouble with the law, 20-year old Mackenzie could be issued a warrant for her arrest, if she doesn't pay this $1,475 fine.

"I was shocked to say the least. I couldn't believe it," said Scott Spence, Mackenzie's father.

While driving her parents' car in Elk Grove, Mackenzie was pulled over and got a fix it ticket for expired tags and lack of insurance.

"I couldn't find the proof of insurance in the car," said Mackenzie.

When her dad, Scott, called Elk Grove Police, he says they told him to get the ticket signed by an officer and mail it in.   They got that signature.

"The big mistake was we mailed the certificate of insurance to Elk Grove Police Department," said Scott.

... Instead of traffic court in Sacramento.

The family sent the court a letter, explaining their mistake, along with a $25 check for the fine.

But it was returned with a notice, saying it was too late. They've been sent to collections for missing their court date and must now pay more than $1,400 right away.  And if she doesn't pay, she could face arrest.

"I think it's a little bit frightening and ridiculous," said Mackenzie.

"This is the first case we've seen that it got to this level," said Officer Adrian Quintero, CHP spokesperson.

Quintero says Mackenzie's proof of insurance wasn't something she could fix by mail.

"You have to actually show it to the court that you actually had insurance at the time of the enforcement stop," said Quintero.

We reached out to the court. In an email, they tell us:

"All of the fees applied were proper as she did not meet any of the deadlines nor appear in court."

-- Ginger Sylvester, spokesperson, Sacramento County Superior Court

After we got involved, the court gave Mackenzie another chance before a judge who dropped all the charges, except a $50 court transaction fee.

"I couldn't have hoped for a better outcome. This is awesome," said Mackenzie.

"Thank you! Big time," said Scott.

If you get a ticket, it's important you read the fine print on the back.

That's where you'll find out where to get your citation fixed.