Advice on German Speeding Fine

[TimS996]

The initial message was deleted from this topic on 12 December 2014 at 10:59

[Vaud]

Constructive:

• Is there a number on the letter? Or google the police dept there and call them? Many speak excellent English.
• Can you use google to translate the document? Clue: yes.
• Have you tried their web site viewed through google translator? (https://translate.google.co.uk/?hl=en&tab=wT)

Less constructive:

• Are you looking to get of the fine, or just establish if it is a scam?
• Would you on here complaining about the amount of translation costs that your taxes pay for when we have to translate documents for foreign offenders?

[iandc]

1) Learn German. Why should they translate everything you.
2) Respect speed limits. At least Germany has some roads with no speed limits so in return a little respect when they do is not a bad trade.
3) As suggested, translate the document using Google (it can be quite amusing!) and pay up.
OR
4) Don't pay up and don't visit Germany again!

[killsta]

TimS996 said:

I sent it back to the address on it with a letter saying I don't speak German and requesting they send it back in English as I'm entitled to.

Confused at this bit, why do you think you are entitled to a copy in English? You broke the law in their country..

[Vaud]

killsta said:

Confused at this bit, why do you think you are entitled to a copy in English? You broke the law in their country..

It is technically an entitlement under EU law, though I can't find it right now.

[iandc]

TimS996 said:

Because a quick search of the internet says that.

I've tried emailing twice and not received any reply. The phone number goes to an automated message in German.

That's awful! I assume if you call 101 in England they will have a message in fluent German! Stop complaining about Germans speaking German and translate it free for yourself then pay up.

[Vaud]

TimS996 said:

Constuctively - I doubt you've ever tried Google Translate on a legal document. Good look with that in court.

I wasn't suggesting it for court - but would give a gist of the appeals procedure that you have apparently been presented with.

[terenceb]

Although slighty different to your case, roadside interview after getting caught by a camera car, all of my documents looked a bit odd-poorly printed, were all in German despite the officers being fluent in English.
As I live here (yes and learning to native tongue-it is only right to do so!
Translated my paperwork using google, yes a lot of it is laughable, but still enough to sort the words you dont understand.) I paid mine €148 for 87 in a 50.Thought I had gotten away with but the fine arrived on the thirtieth day!
Be aware that failure to pay WILL see a regular increase in your fine-it has roll on effect! You have no chance of it evaporating away, so just pay up and forget it.I take it you got one point? Better than the three you would have got if in England.

[Vaud]

TimS996 said:

I have deleted my initial message from this topic.

Someone has taken umbrage.

[iandc]

Vaud said:

Someone has taken umbrage.

Oh dear. Perhaps off learning German!!

[terenceb]

They certainly are as there is a 'contract"(as they reffer to it over here) between the yUK and Germany where as the fine and any ban will follow you home.Get a ban and you'll serve it on home ground as the domestic police will enforce it.
Best bet is fly into Luxembourg and rent a car from there-no 'contract between them and Germany, get pulled over though and it could be an on the spot fine.Happy new year anyway

[PeanutGallery]

Vaud said:

It is technically an entitlement under EU law, though I can't find it right now.

It's not an amendment under EU Law, but rather part of the ECHR (two different beasties that are often rolled into one), namely the right to a fair trial (article 6). If he had been stopped and arrested in Germany he would have been entitled to a translator at the station and this is no different.

The OP doesn't need to learn German nor should they try translating the document themselves, if they make an error about the meaning of a term or a charge it could lead to them entering a mistaken plea. Chances are the German police already have a fully translated copy of the documents in question and sending it wouldn't incur any additional costs.

[Zod]

terenceb said:

They certainly are as there is a 'contract"(as they reffer to it over here) between the yUK and Germany where as the fine and any ban will follow you home.Get a ban and you'll serve it on home ground as the domestic police will enforce it.

Wrong. There is such an arrangement between Germany and Switzerland, but not between Germany and the UK.

You should, however, pay the fine, as the Germans store your details in a central registry and, if you are ever stopped by Police in Germany, they will be very grumpy with you if you have an unpaid fine.

[terenceb]

They certainly are as there is a 'contract"(as they reffer to it over here) between the yUK and Germany where as the fine and any ban will follow you home.Get a ban and you'll serve it on home ground as the domestic police will enforce it.
Best bet is fly into Luxembourg and rent a car from there-no 'contract between them and Germany, get pulled over though and it could be an on the spot fine.Happy new year anyway

[Cooperman]

No German court can ban you from driving in the UK by having a UK issued driving licence suspended.
How a German police service would proceed against you for failure to pay is difficult to see, as under English law a 'fine' can only be imposed in the United Kingdom by a court within the United Kingdom.
Just don't go back to Germany any time soon. if at all.

[Zod]

terenceb said:

They certainly are as there is a 'contract"(as they reffer to it over here) between the yUK and Germany where as the fine and any ban will follow you home.Get a ban and you'll serve it on home ground as the domestic police will enforce it.
Best bet is fly into Luxembourg and rent a car from there-no 'contract between them and Germany, get pulled over though and it could be an on the spot fine.Happy new year anyway

Total bks.

[Cooperman]

Zod said:

Total bks.

Well, that's one way to put it!

[Exige77]

Cooperman said:

Zod said:

Total bks.

Well, that's one way to put it!

He makes a good point

[terenceb]

In that case I'll show his post to the local copper who gave me the info.

[chalda]

Zod said:

You should, however, pay the fine, as the Germans store your details in a central registry and, if you are ever stopped by Police in Germany, they will be very grumpy with you if you have an unpaid fine.

Same applies to immigration at airports - I live in Dusseldorf and the newspapers regularly report that travellers have to pay a fine on the spot to be able to continue their travel. Whether this only applies to court convictions, I do not know - but you do not want to find out, do you?

My advice: Pay up like if you want to travel to Germany again in the next few years.