A stay-at-home mother and widow, whose sole source of income is monthly Social Security payments of $386, agreed to pay $25 a month towards a $2,800 civil restitution lien after Marion County commissioners decided to reduce the lien from $20,000 because the woman worked 199 of the 255 days that she was incarcerated.
Susan Baccili made her request to the Marion County Board of County Commissioners during its regular meeting on Tuesday, August 6.
Baccili, who was widowed during a fatal accident in 2018, says that she is now engaged to be remarried. She says that in the course of trying to purchase a home, she was told she would have to pay back a civil restitution lien associated with her previous jail stay “in full.”
According to a judgment payoff statement issued by the Marion County Clerk of Courts in July of this year, Baccili owed $20,180.21 as of August 6. Court records show that the lien had accumulated $5,180.21 in interest over the past five years.
“I am at the point that I have changed my life around. I’m trying to purchase a home, and with the lien, I can’t. I want a stable place for my children. I found out when I went to purchase the home, that I can’t with the lien, because I have to pay it in full,” said Baccili during Tuesday’s meeting.
Baccili said that although she didn’t have the money to pay back the lien in full, she would make payments if it were possible.
Commissioner Kathy Bryant said the county could do what it’s done with similar cases in the past and credit her with time served in order to reduce the lien amount.
“She was an inmate worker for 199 days out of her 255 days served. I’d be willing to go ahead and reduce that civil restitution lien to just those 56 days that she was not an inmate worker, which brings it to a total of $2,800,” said Bryant.
In response to whether or not she could afford to pay that amount, Baccili shared her income, saying she was a “stay-at-home-mom” that earned “$386 a month” from Social Security.
“That’s what I live on. If I could get [a payment] under $50, or $50, I could work with that,” said Baccili.
When asked by Commissioner Bryant to clarify whether or not she had any additional income, Baccili provided further details.
“My income is social security. I’m a widow. But I am engaged, I have a fiancé. And he has been wonderful,” said Baccili. She later said that her “family” had supported her until this point in her life.
“So there is more income than that coming into the home, and you two are working together to try to purchase your home,” said Bryant regarding Baccili’s engagement before confirming with the board whether $25 a month was agreeable.
“I mean that’s fine with me, she’s just not going to be able to buy a house for a long time,” said Commissioner Carl Zalak III.
“She’s got it figured out. And $25 is agreeable to her,” said Chair Michelle Stone.
“If you can pay it off sooner, of course, you can do that. There will be no interest. Let’s just try to help you get that taken care of as soon as possible,” said Bryant.
The reduction of the lien from $15,000 to $2,800 and a payment plan of $25 a month was approved unanimously.
The approval comes over six years from when Baccili was issued a notice to appear for being in possession of less than 20 grams of cannabis.
On October 3, 2018, Baccili was adjudicated guilty in that case and was sentenced to 12 months of probation and 40 hours of community service. She was also ordered to complete a substance abuse course, her license was revoked for one year, and she agreed to be subjected to random drug screenings at her own expense.
On October 15, 2018, while Baccili was driving a vehicle along Interstate 75 in Columbia County, her husband fell out of the vehicle and sustained fatal injuries.
One week after her husband’s death, on October 22, 2018, Baccili missed a drug screening.
Baccili missed a second drug screening on October 25, 2018. On both occasions, Baccili stated that she had no way of getting to the screening.
Despite her circumstances, the Salvation Army Corrections Department probation agent assigned to her case accused Baccili of violating her probation according to news reports that suggested she was behind the wheel during the fatal accident involving her husband.
Baccili was adamant that she did not understand the terms of her probation and believed she had time before her license became suspended.
“The defendant admitted to driving and insists that the court told her that she had thirty (30) days before her license would be suspended,” reads a violation of probation report filed with the Salvation Army Corrections Department in Ocala on October 29, 2018.
According to a violation of probation affidavit filed by the SACD, Baccili admitted to “driving her vehicle on” the day of her husband’s death.
The Salvation Army Corrections Department discontinued its probation services last year.
On November 14, 2018, Baccili was arrested for violating probation for her conviction of possession of less than 20 grams of cannabis.
On December 19, 2018, Baccili was sentenced to the maximum confinement possible of 300 days. She was credited for 37 days served at the time.
After Baccili served 255 days of her 300-day sentence, the court issued a civil restitution lien order on June 26, 2019, that called for the recovery of $15,000 for the cost of incarceration, with “interest accruing at the legal rate of 6.09%.”
With Tuesday’s proceedings, the interest, along with $12,200 of the principal, has been erased from the lien.
The Marion County Board of County Commissioners regularly meets on the first and third Tuesday of every month.