KSaiyu
(Banned)
- 2,822
The story begins in spring 2013. Travelling back on the A40 at around midnight I'm caught speeding (at around the hanger lane tunnel for anyone familiar with west London) and pulled over after exiting a roundabout. The cops are nice enough and very understanding and give me a fine for the speeding (reduced if payed early) and instructions to bring my licence to a police station for points to be endorsed.
Fine paid a few days later, I turn up to my local station with my licence and am told to call a number since they are unable to add points as this must be done through the number given. I'm warned this number never works, and am also given an alternative number to call. Sure enough the original number never goes through in the days following, so I use the alternative number - except that doesn't go through either. For a week I try this, calling both numbers, then eventually give up thinking they'll add the points to my licence on the database and ask for the hard copy later.
Months go by until I receive a bailiff letter for unpaid court fines out of the blue. Investigating the cause, while also trying to appease the bailiffs I discover that I was due in court in September 2013, and a trial was heard in my absence. Confused I dig deeper, to discover they had sent my summons to the wrong address. Still confused over the reason for the summons (I'm repeatedly told it's a "speeding case") I finally talk to someone who actually listens to my point that I paid the speeding fine and am told it was because I failed to hand my licence in. Now we're getting somewhere..
I'm told I can either pay the bailiffs, who were called for my non-attendance to court + the court fine (rather stupid option), or go to court to give a Statutory Declaration swearing that I had no knowledge I had been summoned to court. I pick the latter, swear to the Magistrates that HMCTS sent my summons to the wrong address and am given a new court date to argue my case for not handing my licence in. Oh, and during all this the bailiffs actually turn up at my house leaving a letter saying they are entitled to take posessions to the value of what I owe (finally dropped after I prove it was an error of the courts).
March 2014. Just before my trial I'm asked by the clerk whether I'd like to plead guilty to the offence I'm charged with. "What offence", I ask. "Speeding". "That's not why I'm here.." I tell her. I try to explain that I paid the fine for speeding but am met with bemusement and asked, point blankedly, do I admit to speeding. Naturally I say yes and wait to speak to someone with more authority, and hopefully more sense. The lead magistrate (there are three, one speaks) has none of it. I explain over and over that I'm not here to answer for the speeding, but that I didn't hand my licence in. She becomes confused and asks the legal advisor (I didn't know this but magistrates don't have to be legally qualified). She proceeds to wax on about the speed limit and my knowledge of it and gives me a sentence of around £250, saying that if I could prove I paid the fine the year before this could be reimbursed. Peeved I pay the fine (the legal advisor managed to get me 28 days to pay it off rather than the standard week, probably sensing the magistrate's incompetence) on the day and work to getting proof of payment of the original fine for speeding.
Several weeks of dealing with clueless phone operators and different department emails I'm told I will be given back the money for the original, lower fine. This confirmation is the last email I receive and I am told to wait up to a month for payment. Money not received 2 months later I send emails, but don't get a reply (well I do, but it's to "check the bank account you paid the original fine with", as if I hadn't thought of that). Phoning the court I am told my best course is to appeal the sentence in writing. Which leads us neatly to my latest letter:
Just to troll me even more I'm not even given the "additional form" as stated, just 3 copies of the appeal notice.
I don't even care if I'm given a similar fine for not handing in my licence, I just want to argue the case for which I was brought to court. But really, is it worth the hassle?
Fine paid a few days later, I turn up to my local station with my licence and am told to call a number since they are unable to add points as this must be done through the number given. I'm warned this number never works, and am also given an alternative number to call. Sure enough the original number never goes through in the days following, so I use the alternative number - except that doesn't go through either. For a week I try this, calling both numbers, then eventually give up thinking they'll add the points to my licence on the database and ask for the hard copy later.
Months go by until I receive a bailiff letter for unpaid court fines out of the blue. Investigating the cause, while also trying to appease the bailiffs I discover that I was due in court in September 2013, and a trial was heard in my absence. Confused I dig deeper, to discover they had sent my summons to the wrong address. Still confused over the reason for the summons (I'm repeatedly told it's a "speeding case") I finally talk to someone who actually listens to my point that I paid the speeding fine and am told it was because I failed to hand my licence in. Now we're getting somewhere..
I'm told I can either pay the bailiffs, who were called for my non-attendance to court + the court fine (rather stupid option), or go to court to give a Statutory Declaration swearing that I had no knowledge I had been summoned to court. I pick the latter, swear to the Magistrates that HMCTS sent my summons to the wrong address and am given a new court date to argue my case for not handing my licence in. Oh, and during all this the bailiffs actually turn up at my house leaving a letter saying they are entitled to take posessions to the value of what I owe (finally dropped after I prove it was an error of the courts).
March 2014. Just before my trial I'm asked by the clerk whether I'd like to plead guilty to the offence I'm charged with. "What offence", I ask. "Speeding". "That's not why I'm here.." I tell her. I try to explain that I paid the fine for speeding but am met with bemusement and asked, point blankedly, do I admit to speeding. Naturally I say yes and wait to speak to someone with more authority, and hopefully more sense. The lead magistrate (there are three, one speaks) has none of it. I explain over and over that I'm not here to answer for the speeding, but that I didn't hand my licence in. She becomes confused and asks the legal advisor (I didn't know this but magistrates don't have to be legally qualified). She proceeds to wax on about the speed limit and my knowledge of it and gives me a sentence of around £250, saying that if I could prove I paid the fine the year before this could be reimbursed. Peeved I pay the fine (the legal advisor managed to get me 28 days to pay it off rather than the standard week, probably sensing the magistrate's incompetence) on the day and work to getting proof of payment of the original fine for speeding.
Several weeks of dealing with clueless phone operators and different department emails I'm told I will be given back the money for the original, lower fine. This confirmation is the last email I receive and I am told to wait up to a month for payment. Money not received 2 months later I send emails, but don't get a reply (well I do, but it's to "check the bank account you paid the original fine with", as if I hadn't thought of that). Phoning the court I am told my best course is to appeal the sentence in writing. Which leads us neatly to my latest letter:
Just to troll me even more I'm not even given the "additional form" as stated, just 3 copies of the appeal notice.
I don't even care if I'm given a similar fine for not handing in my licence, I just want to argue the case for which I was brought to court. But really, is it worth the hassle?