Largest threatened / received fine?
Discussion
Owing to me not having some my homework properly on driving my UK car here on holiday, I was questioned in a shop car park yesterday by customs, near my home in the Netherlands. They said that had I been caught driving in, as opposed to standing next to the car that I’d have had a circa €80,000 fine (full import duty on the new price, plus a 50% surcharge.)
As it was, we had a friendly chat, and they went in their way, but it got me wondering, has anyone else on here had or nearly had a similar or higher fine?
As it was, we had a friendly chat, and they went in their way, but it got me wondering, has anyone else on here had or nearly had a similar or higher fine?
Kent Border Kenny said:
Owing to me not having some my homework properly on driving my UK car here on holiday, I was questioned in a shop car park yesterday by customs, near my home in the Netherlands. They said that had I been caught driving in, as opposed to standing next to the car that I’d have had a circa €80,000 fine (full import duty on the new price, plus a 50% surcharge.)
As it was, we had a friendly chat, and they went in their way, but it got me wondering, has anyone else on here had or nearly had a similar or higher fine?
Thankfully the biggest fine I have ever had in my 31 year motoring career is a £60 FPN. I'm off the Netherlands next month on the ferry so would be interested to know how taking a car over there on holiday could make one liable to pay import duty on it! How did you drive it subsequently withiut getting intro troubkle?As it was, we had a friendly chat, and they went in their way, but it got me wondering, has anyone else on here had or nearly had a similar or higher fine?
Kent Border Kenny said:
Owing to me not having some my homework properly on driving my UK car here on holiday, I was questioned in a shop car park yesterday by customs, near my home in the Netherlands. They said that had I been caught driving in, as opposed to standing next to the car that I’d have had a circa €80,000 fine (full import duty on the new price, plus a 50% surcharge.)
As it was, we had a friendly chat, and they went in their way, but it got me wondering, has anyone else on here had or nearly had a similar or higher fine?
What? How do they work that one out As it was, we had a friendly chat, and they went in their way, but it got me wondering, has anyone else on here had or nearly had a similar or higher fine?
I've not had anything over a typical sort of £120 for a parking fine type thing.
Kent Border Kenny said:
Owing to me not having some my homework properly on driving my UK car here on holiday, I was questioned in a shop car park yesterday by customs, near my home in the Netherlands. They said that had I been caught driving in, as opposed to standing next to the car that I’d have had a circa €80,000 fine (full import duty on the new price, plus a 50% surcharge.)
As it was, we had a friendly chat, and they went in their way, but it got me wondering, has anyone else on here had or nearly had a similar or higher fine?
Where are you resident and how long were you in NL for?As it was, we had a friendly chat, and they went in their way, but it got me wondering, has anyone else on here had or nearly had a similar or higher fine?
xjay1337 said:
What? How do they work that one out
I've not had anything over a typical sort of £120 for a parking fine type thing.
I’ve been given Dutch residency, and as soon as that happens it becomes an offence to drive a foreign registered car in the Netherlands for a single metre.I've not had anything over a typical sort of £120 for a parking fine type thing.
It’s to stop people avoiding the punitive NL car purchase taxes, but is wide enough that it also covers me brining the British car over for a week’s holiday with the family.
Tax is based on engine size and original purchase price, which on a five year-old 5L Range Rover is a huge amount of money.
My other mistake was to use it to go to a cash and carry that only gives membership to people who work here, so it stuck out a bit.
Doofus said:
Where are you resident and how long were you in NL for?
Dutch resident, but still have homes in the UK, and my family spend most of their time there.This car was out here on the ferry last week, and is going back on the boat tonight, so only one week.
I’ve a UK SL63 parked under my office for which I’ve a resident’s parking permit at my Amsterdam home, which I naively understood to mean that I could use it here. It tends to get swapped once every couple of months with a car from the UK.
Kent Border Kenny said:
illmonkey said:
£2050 fine for speeding in Switzerland.
Ouch.Is it based on income?
I paid the fine, as I would like to go back. Turns out, I got a job with offices there and have been several times, so it was worth paying!
I used to work in the courts in Scotland. I was undertaking Sheriff Clerk relief duties at Kirkwall in Orkney when a birds egg collector was caught and charged. He was brought up before the court the following day, charged with stealing 20 bird's eggs.
The regular Sheriff was up in Shetland, so I had to use the services of an Honorary Sheriff. An Honorary Sheriff is a local worthy whose name has been put forward to the Sheriff Principal as someone who can act in the absence of the regular Sheriff. They don't need any legal qualifications, just (hopefully) a bit of common sense and most importantly, the ability to listen to the Sheriff Clerk and do what he or she tells them to do! In small courts in rural locations they tend to be used a lot.
Accused appears in the dock, represented by the duty solicitor and pleads guilty. The Procurator Fiscal says his piece, duty solicitor says his piece and the Sheriff decides to retire to his chambers to decide on sentence. I went in with him and offered my professional advice - a substantial fine, but one that was payable. I suggested £5000 which was a typical fine in this court for this type of offence.
His Lordship goes back on the bench and announces the sentence. The legislation allows for a maximum fine of £5000 per egg, so he imposes a fine of £100,000, payable within 3 months!
Bird egger turns white as a sheet.
Needless to say, the fine was reduced on appeal to £5000!
The regular Sheriff was up in Shetland, so I had to use the services of an Honorary Sheriff. An Honorary Sheriff is a local worthy whose name has been put forward to the Sheriff Principal as someone who can act in the absence of the regular Sheriff. They don't need any legal qualifications, just (hopefully) a bit of common sense and most importantly, the ability to listen to the Sheriff Clerk and do what he or she tells them to do! In small courts in rural locations they tend to be used a lot.
Accused appears in the dock, represented by the duty solicitor and pleads guilty. The Procurator Fiscal says his piece, duty solicitor says his piece and the Sheriff decides to retire to his chambers to decide on sentence. I went in with him and offered my professional advice - a substantial fine, but one that was payable. I suggested £5000 which was a typical fine in this court for this type of offence.
His Lordship goes back on the bench and announces the sentence. The legislation allows for a maximum fine of £5000 per egg, so he imposes a fine of £100,000, payable within 3 months!
Bird egger turns white as a sheet.Needless to say, the fine was reduced on appeal to £5000!
Jimmy Recard said:
RSTurboPaul said:
Really?
Do you have a link for that??
(Not snarky, a genuine question.)
I said iirc because I think I’ve heard it but I’m not sure. I’ll check Do you have a link for that??
(Not snarky, a genuine question.)
Edited by Jimmy Recard on Wednesday 15th July 13:15
But I get your point
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