Find out about the reparation process, from when the judge orders it to when you get payments. You can learn what may be causing small payments and what you can do if you are unhappy with your reparation.
If a judge orders someone to pay reparation to you, you will be sent a Reparation Notice that tells you:
The court collects payments and we send them on to you. If you receive any payments directly from the offender, contact us
Find out more about receiving your reparation
If you have insurance that covers the damage the reparation is for, you should talk to your insurance company about the reparation.
Collecting reparation is a priority for the court. If the offender does not pay, the court can enforce reparation in the same way as a fine. This can include:
Find out more about enforcement
There a few things that may be affecting your payments:
If you have changed address or bank account please contact us.
The oldest reparation is usually paid first. If more than one person is included in a reparation order, the payments are shared between the parties.
If the offender is on a low income you may receive small payments over time. The court cannot make an order that would make their deductions more than 40% of their income.
If the offender is in prison we will still try to collect the reparation. If we cannot get payment while the offender is in prison, more enforcement action will be taken when they are released.
If you know where the offender is, please contact us
This is because the court does not receive funding for advance reparation payments, and New Zealand law does not allow them.
Sometimes changes are made to reparation after the order has been made, for example if:
Changes to reparation can only be made by a judge. We’ll send you a letter if there are any changes to your reparation.
You can take the offender to court for any extra amount you think is owed. A lawyer or your local Community Law Centre can help you.
Go to the Community Law website(external link)
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