FARMINGTON — A Chesterville selectwoman was arrested Thursday on a warrant charging failure to appear in court on a bad check charge.

According to the complaint filed in court, Tiffany Estabrook, 40, was supposed to appear in a Farmington court on April 24 on a misdemeanor charge of negotiating a worthless instrument. The amount of the check she is accused of writing to C.N. Brown was $260, according to the complaint.

Estabrook posted $260 cash bail to be released from the Franklin County Detention Center the same day.

Sheriff Scott Nichols Sr. said Friday that Estabrook told the arresting deputy that she had paid the company the money owed and thought she had taken care of the matter. 

The normal process to collect payment on bad checks is for a business to send a certified letter telling the person who issued a check that it did not clear and that they have five days to pay the money owed, according to Bonnie Pomeroy, secretary for the Farmington Police Department.

If the business does not receive the money in that time, the business can contact police about pursuing a charge of negotiating a worthless instrument. Once police get the complaint they also try to contact the person either by phone or by letter. If there is no response, a summons is issued, Pomeroy said.

Farmington Police Department issued the summons.

Once a summons is issued, only the District’s Attorney’s Office can decide on whether the case should be dismissed, she said.

Estabrook’s attorney was not available for comment Friday or Monday.

A conviction on the charge carries a penalty of up to six months in jail and a $1,000 fine.

Estabrook has served on the Board of Selectmen since November 2016.

dperry@sunmediagroup.net

Tiffany Estabrook (Franklin County Detention Center)