How long are you liable for an unpaid court fine
Discussion
As above, I only ask as years ago I got accused of not paying a speeding fine (which I did). Its a long and convoluted story and I even ended up in the court cells for a morning. It ended with the magistrate apologising profusely and saying he had no idea what could have gone wrong. That wasn't the end of it and the last I remember was getting a letter saying final chance, you've got 7 days to pay bla bla bla.
This was about 12 years ago and I was sorting out my old paperwork and came across all the letters and evidence I've kept about it over the years. I've thrown most old paperwork out but thought maybe I should hang onto this just in case.
Is it like council tax payments where you are liable forever more or do supposed court fines become unenforceable after 6 years or whatever?
Just to pre-empt the usual people that seem to follow my posts, no its not a fantasy.
This was about 12 years ago and I was sorting out my old paperwork and came across all the letters and evidence I've kept about it over the years. I've thrown most old paperwork out but thought maybe I should hang onto this just in case.
Is it like council tax payments where you are liable forever more or do supposed court fines become unenforceable after 6 years or whatever?
Just to pre-empt the usual people that seem to follow my posts, no its not a fantasy.
Countdown said:
As you’ve already PAID it what’s the issue?
Do you think somebody is going to chase you for a fine that you’ve already paid and also been apologised to for being mistakenly pursued arrested?
Er well yes, because thats exactly what happened last time.Do you think somebody is going to chase you for a fine that you’ve already paid and also been apologised to for being mistakenly pursued arrested?
I got a speeding ticket and paid it. A few weeks later I got a letter saying pay it or else, I contacted the court and they said no record of payment so you need to pay it, I said no chance. After several more threatening letters and me both saying I have paid it and trips to the court with bank statements the court bailiffs eventually turned up at my house (they were four pensioners in two vans) said I was under arrest and took me to the court where I spent the morning in the cells, handcuffed to an officer when I wanted a piss.
I said to the magistrate look, I've paid it and he bailed me to get further proof. I went back to court a couple of weeks later with a copy of the cheque from the bank which showed the payee was correct and that it had been presented and cleared, the magistrates said oh I'm very sorry cock I've no idea how this could have happened, you're free to go and please accept our sincerest apologies.
Then a month or so later I got a letter saying pay this fine or you will be arrested, I took it to the courts and said look you are taking the piss now, the case is closed and she said it didn't matter what any magistrate had said I would have to get proof it was paid. And that was that, I'd clearly done as much as I could so just ignored it. I didn't get any further letters or visits so I'm not really sure what happened in the end. No written apology or anything like that.
So what I don't want to do is throw all the paperwork out and then out of the blue years later have some smart arse turn up on the doorstep demanding payment, you hear of horror stories happening like this occasionally and it sounds too far fetched to be true. I've got copies of council tax payments on my PC going back to 2011 just to be sure I'm not on the wrong end of an incompetent council.
Simple, keep the paperwork, forget about it.
Chances are it has been resolved or they would have hunted you down like a rabid dog as you aren't some scrubber scum class with no money - you have an ability to pay in thier eyes.
The fact they haven't bothered means there is a reasonable chance the paperwork was all sorted eventually.
But keep the proof just in case.
Chances are it has been resolved or they would have hunted you down like a rabid dog as you aren't some scrubber scum class with no money - you have an ability to pay in thier eyes.
The fact they haven't bothered means there is a reasonable chance the paperwork was all sorted eventually.
But keep the proof just in case.
p
s off, I told you before I don't lie about stuff. Just because more than their fair share of odd stuff happens to a certain person doesn't mean they are a fantasist.
so as you can see, I went to court, proved I'd paid it and they set the dogs on me again, according to the last letter there is an outstanding warrant, so as I said, how long do they last for?
Anything else you require, copy of the cheque perhaps?
s off, I told you before I don't lie about stuff. Just because more than their fair share of odd stuff happens to a certain person doesn't mean they are a fantasist.so as you can see, I went to court, proved I'd paid it and they set the dogs on me again, according to the last letter there is an outstanding warrant, so as I said, how long do they last for?
Anything else you require, copy of the cheque perhaps?
tinnitusjosh said:
Hold on, you were 'arrested' by the bailiffs who then handcuffed you to a court officer??
I was just on the way out to work when I heard banging on the front door, opened it and four old duffers were stood outside waving a sheet of paper around saying to each other we've got him. funnily enough I've just remembered, I'd only just had a new front door fitted the day before and my mate hadn't had time to fit the letter box so I'll bet the duffers though oh hello we've got a right smart arse on this one.They said I'd have to attend court immediately and needed to go to court with them, to be fair I could have probably put all four of them on their arse and got on with the day but I can only imagine what would have happened next so I went with them, in the back of a biddy mobile.
At court I was handed over to the court staff where it was all group4 security, handcuffs and cells. Had to stand in a perspex dock as well.
anonymous said:
[redacted]
How did it not cost me any money, I spent the day in the cells when I should have been at work, had to walk home as well. Not to mention the many hours spent at the fines window in the court telling them how idiotic they were being about it.I should have sued the arse of them but my local solicitors wanted £1500 up front to make a case against them and I didn't have the time or inclination to do anything about it.
scottyp123 said:
said I was under arrest and took me to the court where I spent the morning in the cells, handcuffed to an officer when I wanted a piss.
Notice you didn't respond to the earlier post about being arrested by four court bailiffs.
They don't have the power of arrest do they unless it was different in those days.
That's why I called you a fantasist.
Monkeylegend said:
scottyp123 said:
said I was under arrest and took me to the court where I spent the morning in the cells, handcuffed to an officer when I wanted a piss.
Notice you didn't respond to the earlier post about being arrested by four court bailiffs.
They don't have the power of arrest do they unless it was different in those days.
That's why I called you a fantasist.
Their vehicle wasn't a Nissan Micra, if I remember correctly it might have been a dispatch van with some sort of bench seat in the back and a screen between the front and back, certainly equipped to take prisoners to court as opposed to a picnic by the seaside.
scottyp123 said:
Monkeylegend said:
scottyp123 said:
said I was under arrest and took me to the court where I spent the morning in the cells, handcuffed to an officer when I wanted a piss.
Notice you didn't respond to the earlier post about being arrested by four court bailiffs.
They don't have the power of arrest do they unless it was different in those days.
That's why I called you a fantasist.
Their vehicle wasn't a Nissan Micra, if I remember correctly it might have been a dispatch van with some sort of bench seat in the back and a screen between the front and back, certainly equipped to take prisoners to court as opposed to a picnic by the seaside.
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