Section 27-19-138 - Assessment of fines and penalties; alternatives to seizure and impoundment; terms for payment of fines and penalties; refunds of fines and penalties(1) In addition to any other remedy provided in this article, the Transportation Commission or its designated officers or agents, may assess fines and/or penalties authorized to be imposed by this article, notice of which assessment shall be delivered to the owner or operator or his agent at the time of assessment, by certified mail or personal delivery, to be collected as provided in this section.(2) In lieu of seizure and impoundment of vehicles as provided by Section 27-19-135, the commission, in its discretion, may authorize any owner or operator of a motor vehicle found to be operated in violation of the provisions of this article to execute and file with the commission a good and valid bond written by a surety company authorized to do business in this state in an amount equal to the fines and/or penalties assessed because of such violation conditioned upon the prompt payment when due of all such fines and/or penalties. If the commission is satisfied that such owner or operator has property located in this state of value in excess of the amount of the fines and/or penalties, it may waive the bond requirement.(3) If the commission elects to assess fines and/or penalties authorized to be imposed by this article, it may authorize such terms for payment as shall be deemed appropriate over a period of time not to exceed six (6) months. Notice of such terms shall be given to the owner or operator.(4) The Mississippi Transportation Commission may refund to any individual, firm or corporation any permit fee or fine or penalty which has been paid or collected through error or otherwise when such person, individual, firm or corporation has paid any such permit fee or fine or penalty in excess of the sum properly due, whether or not such payments were made under protest or compulsion.(5) All claims for refunds under this section shall be made within twelve (12) months from the date of the erroneous payment of such fees or fines or penalties, and such refunds, when approved by the Transportation Commission shall be made out of any monies collected by the commission from the same source of revenue. If a claim for refund is disapproved, the claimant shall be notified of such disapproval and the reasons therefor. Any claimant aggrieved by the commission's disapproval, within thirty (30) days from the date thereof, may appeal in writing to the Appeals Board of the Mississippi Transportation Commission. The Transportation Commission also may refund any amount of a fine and/or penalty that has been assessed by the commission and reduced by order of the appeals board.Laws, 1995, ch. 491, § 4, eff. 10/1/1995.