Hefty BPL Library Fines - COVID - how to get them forgiven

amother

Fri, Nov 13 2020, 9:21 am

I just got an email that I have hefty brooklyn public library fines, I live in the red zone just turned orange zone, so many restrictions for so long, any ideas how to "fight" these fines? Normally if I had fines I would just pay, but these are really high and I don't think it is completely fair between all of the quarantining that we have been doing...

amother

Burlywood

Fri, Nov 13 2020, 9:23 am

If there is a legitimate reason that no adult could return the books or renew them then I would call the library and explain. If you just didn't get around to it with everything going on then I'm not sure what there is to fight.

mom24.7

Fri, Nov 13 2020, 9:26 am

How did you get the fine? The library was closed and all books automatically renewed.

amother

Crimson

Fri, Nov 13 2020, 9:28 am

amother [ OP ] wrote:

Did you borrow from a library that was previously in an orange zone?

amother

Fri, Nov 13 2020, 9:35 am

I just checked, I don't have that many books from the library, half of them have a due date of 1/19/21 which must be automatic because of COVID and half of them I am being charged with replacement cost because they were due on 10/16/20. I did reserve books and go to the library once in September before this whole zoning/shutdown business and those are the books that accrued the fines, I didn't get notification/email about it until today. The library is closed now I guess because of the zoning issues.

cnc

Fri, Nov 13 2020, 10:04 am

Interesting. I have 60 books in my house since March...All automatically being renewed ...

I wonder why some books got a fine and other didn’t

imasinger

Fri, Nov 13 2020, 10:04 am

Can you look on the website for a "contact us" address, and ask how to go about this?

amother

Aquamarine

Fri, Nov 13 2020, 10:12 am

I have the same problem! I reserved and picked up books in orange zone that turned back to red. Now my fines are sky high I emailed them they kept avoiding answering me directly. I have proof of emails etc eventually once they open up again I’ll come in with my emails and show them it’s not my fault I cldnt get around to finding a open lobby service 25 min drive from me if I have no car and we’re supp to be “quarantining”. They’ll have no choice but to remove my fines. Hopefully

amother

Teal

Fri, Nov 13 2020, 10:16 am

cnc wrote:

Interesting. I have 60 books in my house since March...All automatically being renewed ...

I wonder why some books got a fine and other didn’t

Books that others reserved aren't eligible to be renewed. I've been driving to Bay Ridge Public Library to pick up and return books.

cnc

Fri, Nov 13 2020, 10:17 am

amother [ Teal ] wrote:

Books that others reserved aren't eligible to be renewed.

How am I supposed to return them if the library never opened? And how are people supposed to pick them up ?

(ETA- I didn’t renew them , it was done by the library ...)

amother

Jetblack

Fri, Nov 13 2020, 10:21 am

Try returning them and see what happens. I don't live in NY but I had this with 2 books a few weeks ago that I couldn't renew because other people had holds on them. The late fines kept adding up until I finally had a chance to return them (the libraries here aren't open but they have pick up/drop off at a library about 20 min from me). Once I returned the books the fees were cleared from my account

amother

Fri, Nov 13 2020, 10:25 am

I could try returning them now (although the library is closed so idk) but right now I am paying replacement cost for these books so the idea is that I am paying full cost for the books, if they are not going to end up waiving the fees then it is almost like I may as well just keep them rather than returning them. Anyone know how it works once there are "replacement fees" on a book at BPL?

SixOfWands

Fri, Nov 13 2020, 10:26 am

Return the books and tell them that they weren't returned due to covid restrictions. If they won't waive the charges, offer to settle them for $10; chances are they'll accept.

amother

Silver

Fri, Nov 13 2020, 10:28 am

Call them
We once had books locked up In school during the summer. As soon as I returned them they dropped the fines to only late fees
Then I asked for a 1 time amnesty

amother

Bronze

Fri, Nov 13 2020, 10:31 am

Was told no fines during covid.

Can show up as overdue or unreturned on your account etc

But there are supposed to be no fines.

amother

Bronze

Fri, Nov 13 2020, 10:46 am

I actually went into my account and see it was charged as well

So I called now and they said fines are indeed not being accrued and they remove the charges once books are returned.

In my particular case, I had returned my books ages ago but they were not processed (we have been dumping them in a huge bin and who knows what happens to half of them from there).

I explained that I had retuned them a while back. She cleared my account.

Good luck.

718-230-2100

blueberry6

Fri, Nov 13 2020, 11:01 am

The library once charged me a replacement fee for a couple of books, I don't remember what the exact situation was - but when I brought the books in and showed them that I did not in fact lose them they couldn't very well charge me for keeping them. They ended up waiving the fee.
Try talking to them. I think they're usually pretty reasonable

youngishbear

Fri, Nov 13 2020, 11:54 am

From what I've seen, books checked out before the libraries shut down are automatically renewed and don't accrue fines, even if other people request them. Books I've put on hold and checked out since they reopened pickup/dropoff service have to be manually renewed, can't be renewed if someone puts them on hold, and do accrue fines.

sub

Fri, Nov 13 2020, 12:08 pm

I have been renewing books constantly since some branches opened. I had books that were late. No fines whatsoever.

cnc

Fri, Nov 13 2020, 12:17 pm

youngishbear wrote:

That makes sense.