INDEPENDENCE, Mo. — Jackson County residents expressed frustration Monday morning at the Truman Courthouse as the county prepared to resume walk-in services following weeks of closure due to a ransomware attack.
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"The last time I was here was at 4:30 last week in the morning. So then a lady came out and said, 'If you don't have an appointment, you have to leave.' So I had to leave," said resident Jamesetta Collins.
Collins said Monday marks her sixth trip to the courthouse. She said she is hopeful she will finally be able to register her car.
“It's been a real headache, you know," she said. "After I leave here, I still have to go to DMV to get the stickers, so it's going to be an all-day affair, and I just feel like they should talk to each other.”
The cyberattack, which targeted the county's information systems, forced officials to shut down various services, including online payments and records access. Collins said it's been weeks of living in the unknown.
“They should have had better communication the way they've done it. They should have announced more than what they did because people don't understand," Collins said. "And then, like I said, you come up here, it'd be a different story every time, so you don't know."
Starting April 22, the county said walk-in services will be offered upon availability. From 8-11:00 a.m. daily, services will be reserved for senior citizens, physically disabled individuals and previously scheduled appointments.
The courthouse will also offer extended weekend office hours from 8 a.m. until noon every Saturday (except the 25th) in May.
As the county looks forward to settling into normal operations, officials encourage residents to use the online portal to make payments.
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