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Debt collector gets debt collection calls

TORONTO, Sept. 20 (UPI) -- A legal squabble has resulted in a Canadian debt collection agency making demands on a competitor to pay its lawyers' fees.

The unusual situation -- in which a collection agency pursued another -- began in 2010 when one of Canada's largest debt-chasers, iQor Canada, contracted with a Toronto legal firm to help with wrongful dismissal issues, the Canadian Broadcasting Corp, reported.

The law firm billed iQor almost $55,000 for its services, but it wasn't paid, the report said.

The lawyers then enlisted rival Credit Control Central, which began making phone calls and sending letters to its competitor to collect.

In May 2011, iQor paid $50,677 of its legal bill, short by $4,374, the report said.

In turn, the legal firm went to small claims court to get the difference and won.

Credit Control Central President Don Vence told the CBC the situation was peculiar for the debt-chasing business.

"It's a dichotomy to have a company calling other companies for money, or individuals asking them to live up to their financial commitments when they themselves don't," he said.

Hot sauce tantrum ends in arrest

TROY, Mich., Sept. 20 (UPI) -- Police in Michigan said a woman squirted a convenience store clerk with ketchup because she was angry about a lack of hot sauce.

Troy police said the Pontiac woman became angry and squirted the clerk with ketchup around 1:22 a.m. Tuesday because there was no hot sauce for her nachos, the Detroit Free Press reported Thursday.

"When a Troy Officer pulled into the 7-Eleven parking lot the store clerk immediately came outside with a customer," the police report said. "The clerk did not wish to press charges but did want the woman to leave the store."

The woman, whose name was not released, was arrested on a pair of outstanding traffic warrants.

Pirate Day proclamation irks ex-official

LAKE WORTH, Fla., Sept. 20 (UPI) -- A former official in a Florida city blasted the mayor's recognition of International Talk Like a Pirate Day, noting pirates have killed civilians.

Lake Worth Mayor Pam Triolo read a proclamation at the start of Tuesday night's city commission meeting encouraging residents to celebrate Wednesday's holiday, founded in 1995 by Oregon friends John Baur and Mark Summers, in "a hearty, fun-loving way," the Palm Beach (Fla.) Post reported Thursday.

"The City of Lake Worth is known to possess a spirit of independence, high spirits and swashbuckling, all traits of a good pirate," the proclamation states. "It's fun to talk like a pirate by using words like Arrrrr, ye and bilge rat."

The proclamation was intended as a lighthearted recognition of the holiday as well as City Manager Michael Bornstein's well-known love of pirate lore.

However, former City Commissioner Jo-Ann Golden was not amused by the proclamation, calling it "an insult to the people of the city of Lake Worth" in an e-mail sent to Bornstein.

"In these times when there is so much turmoil, ignorance and killing, this effort to further dumb down our government should be rejected," Golden wrote.

The former official said modern pirates have been known to murder, steal and hold victims for ransom.

"I'm so sorry you find this fun, silly proclamation anything more than that," Bornstein wrote in response to Golden. "I could easily become consumed with a sense of over correctness in almost everything involved in government. However, I refuse to become devoid of all the wonderful human emotions including, most importantly, humor."

Beagle survives jump from bridge

BURLINGTON, N.J., Sept. 20 (UPI) -- A New Jersey couple said their pet beagle was not seriously injured when she got loose and jumped off a bridge, falling about 70 feet to the water below.

Alexis and Robert Lorenz said Robert was walking the 7-year-old dog, Brandi, on the Burlington Riverfront Promenade along with their other beagle around 8 p.m. Friday night when Brandi got loose, The (Cherry Hill, N.J.) Courier-Post reported Thursday.

Robert returned home about an hour after he left and brought Alexis back to the scene with him to help search for Brandi.

The couple said they had been searching for a few hours when they discovered a Burlington County Bridge police officer had seen the dog jump from the Burlington-Bristol Bridge when other motorists attempted to grab her.

"She went in," Officer Rob Bittner said. "We immediately started looking over into the water. She was swimming and made it to the shoreline."

Lorenz said she went home to change around midnight and discovered the dog as soon as she returned to the area where Brandi was last spotted.

"I clipped the leash and that was it," she said. "I couldn't believe it. It was a miracle."

Lorenz took Brandi to be checked out by a veterinarian the next day. The vet said Brandi suffered some bruising, but was lucky to have not broken any bones.