Speeding Fine from Spain?
Discussion
Hello, I've just received a speeding fine letter from Spain. It looks official, one page of A4 headed by the Ministerio del Interior, and it shows a picture of the hire car I was using back in July. It shows I was doing 95kmh in a 80 zone. What is form with these? The whole thing is in Spanish. The fine looks like €100, or possibly €50 if paid within a certain time. Is it best to try and contact them and pay, or are they unenforceable? Thanks
Thanks for all the advice. As much as I'd love to treat the fine with a healthy dose of British contempt, I'm going to bottle it and pay up. Firstly, the hire car company have my card details, secondly, I'm still scarred from battling Kingston Council over a yellow box junction fine that my wife incurred, ending up costing me £450!
Anyway, hoping to buy a little place over there in the next year or two, so I'll keep in with the locals, besides, Spain needs the money, is basically a charitable donation.
Anyway, hoping to buy a little place over there in the next year or two, so I'll keep in with the locals, besides, Spain needs the money, is basically a charitable donation.
Had a speeding fine in a hire car in Holland a few years ago that I completely ignored. Had been back to Holland many times but then on one trip, about 18 months after the fine, got stopped at immigration at Schiphol and confronted with the fine, which by then had grown to €500.
Of course I protested my innocence and said I'd paid it. "OK good", said the immigration man, "just show me the receipt and you can go". I explained that the receipt was at home. "Oh OK," he told me, "you can get it faxed to us here and as soon as we get it you can go but in the meantime you wait here in the airport". I then tried the "but I don't have enough money on me" line and he then said I could serve 3 days in jail instead. Ended up paying it on my company credit card and missed my flight so had to stay in the airport for the night.
So my advice to the OP is to pay it. As the saying goes, if you can't do the time, don't do the crime
Of course I protested my innocence and said I'd paid it. "OK good", said the immigration man, "just show me the receipt and you can go". I explained that the receipt was at home. "Oh OK," he told me, "you can get it faxed to us here and as soon as we get it you can go but in the meantime you wait here in the airport". I then tried the "but I don't have enough money on me" line and he then said I could serve 3 days in jail instead. Ended up paying it on my company credit card and missed my flight so had to stay in the airport for the night.
So my advice to the OP is to pay it. As the saying goes, if you can't do the time, don't do the crime
I had a parking charge a last year in Rotterdam, I was unable to get anyone local to explain to me where to pay it.
Fast forward 2 months, I was contacted by the car hire company for the fine for the car parking.
So sent them a cheque, fine was 35 euros, about 30 pounds, to make sure there was enough, had a letter back from them to say it was not enough as it would cost them 25+ euros to cash the cheque.
Said to them the fine is as above, and it would cost me 25 pounds for a bank transfer, again they said they cannot accept the cheque, so I told them I have sent sufficient to cover the fine, anything else is down to them.
No comeback so far but I haven't hired from them since.
Fast forward 2 months, I was contacted by the car hire company for the fine for the car parking.
So sent them a cheque, fine was 35 euros, about 30 pounds, to make sure there was enough, had a letter back from them to say it was not enough as it would cost them 25+ euros to cash the cheque.
Said to them the fine is as above, and it would cost me 25 pounds for a bank transfer, again they said they cannot accept the cheque, so I told them I have sent sufficient to cover the fine, anything else is down to them.
No comeback so far but I haven't hired from them since.
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