Let's focus on the hard crimes, shall we?
Let's focus on the hard crimes, shall we?
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Peter Ward

Original Poster:

2,097 posts

286 months

Friday 30th March 2007
quotequote all
On today's Auto Express website here: www.autoexpress.co.uk/news/autoexpressnews/207694/fine_cheats_cars_set_to_be_seized.html

Auto Express said:
Fine cheats' cars set to be seized
Three strikes and out. That's the Government's new no-tolerance approach to motorists flouting road rules
By Julie Sinclair

30th March 2007
New rules will make it easy for authorities to lift cars of drivers who fail to pay three parking or traffic fines in a row
It's penning new regulations which will give traffic wardens the power to seize vehicles if the registered owner has failed to pay three parking or traffic fines in a row, and has not made an appeal. This already applies to an estimated 50,000 drivers in London. When the new rules come into effect, they would have days to pay up, or lose their wheels.

Once owners hit the three outstanding fines mark, they would be placed on a persistent evaders' database, according to Transport for London (TfL). The cars could then be immediately lifted from anywhere - even driveways - and owners would have 56 days to clear their debt, before their vehicle is sold. However, a TfL spokesman insisted that it wasn't trying to target honest motorists who were genuinely unaware they had been accruing fines.

"If they've recently bought a car and the keeper details haven't been transferred, for example, they could pay a £200 bond to stop it being towed. This would give them time to get the paperwork up to date," he said.

Drivers of foreign registered cars will also be targeted by the Transport for London and London Local Authorities Bill, which is still passing through Parliament. They often slip through the net, as it is difficult to trace them back to their home country.

The new rules are currently only planned for London, and are being put in place to catch motorists trying to dodge paying the congestion charge.

I guess this will finally nail the US embassy cars, for which no fines have ever been paid as the US considers the charge to be a tax! I'd love to see that one in the courts

BTW, isn't it nice that for a small £200 fee, "honest motorists" will be able to stave off the carjack for a few days? This is for motorists who are "genuinely unaware", ie. essentially innocent. £200 charge to protest your innocence? Nice little earner for someone banghead

chrispy porker

17,733 posts

258 months

Friday 30th March 2007
quotequote all
Don't the embassy cars have diplomatic immunity?

herewego

8,814 posts

243 months

Friday 30th March 2007
quotequote all
It's a £200 bond, not a £200 charge.


Edited by herewego on Friday 30th March 18:08

vonhosen

40,597 posts

247 months

Friday 30th March 2007
quotequote all
Peter Ward said:
On today's Auto Express website here: www.autoexpress.co.uk/news/autoexpressnews/207694/fine_cheats_cars_set_to_be_seized.html

Auto Express said:
Fine cheats' cars set to be seized
Three strikes and out. That's the Government's new no-tolerance approach to motorists flouting road rules
By Julie Sinclair

30th March 2007
New rules will make it easy for authorities to lift cars of drivers who fail to pay three parking or traffic fines in a row
It's penning new regulations which will give traffic wardens the power to seize vehicles if the registered owner has failed to pay three parking or traffic fines in a row, and has not made an appeal. This already applies to an estimated 50,000 drivers in London. When the new rules come into effect, they would have days to pay up, or lose their wheels.

Once owners hit the three outstanding fines mark, they would be placed on a persistent evaders' database, according to Transport for London (TfL). The cars could then be immediately lifted from anywhere - even driveways - and owners would have 56 days to clear their debt, before their vehicle is sold. However, a TfL spokesman insisted that it wasn't trying to target honest motorists who were genuinely unaware they had been accruing fines.

"If they've recently bought a car and the keeper details haven't been transferred, for example, they could pay a £200 bond to stop it being towed. This would give them time to get the paperwork up to date," he said.

Drivers of foreign registered cars will also be targeted by the Transport for London and London Local Authorities Bill, which is still passing through Parliament. They often slip through the net, as it is difficult to trace them back to their home country.

The new rules are currently only planned for London, and are being put in place to catch motorists trying to dodge paying the congestion charge.

I guess this will finally nail the US embassy cars, for which no fines have ever been paid as the US considers the charge to be a tax! I'd love to see that one in the courts

BTW, isn't it nice that for a small £200 fee, "honest motorists" will be able to stave off the carjack for a few days? This is for motorists who are "genuinely unaware", ie. essentially innocent. £200 charge to protest your innocence? Nice little earner for someone banghead



Doesn't sound much different to what you could expect in some other countries, what's the problem ?
I'd expect there to also be some facility for you to check if there were outstanding fines against a vehicle when you go to buy it.

paddy27

1,745 posts

264 months

Friday 30th March 2007
quotequote all
herewego said:
It's a £200 bond, not a £200 charge.


Edited by herewego on Friday 30th March 18:08


True, but how long will they hang on to your £200 for?

Not all of us have a spare £200 hanging around.

who me ?

7,455 posts

242 months

Friday 30th March 2007
quotequote all
chrispy porker said:
Don't the embassy cars have diplomatic immunity?



They do - but so do our people overseas, and i have it on good authority that they are encouraged to comply with local laws in that regard.

chrispy porker

17,733 posts

258 months

Friday 30th March 2007
quotequote all
So therefore the embassy cars will not be covered by this legislation.

BliarOut

72,863 posts

269 months

Friday 30th March 2007
quotequote all
vonhosen said:
Peter Ward said:
On today's Auto Express website here: www.autoexpress.co.uk/news/autoexpressnews/207694/fine_cheats_cars_set_to_be_seized.html

Auto Express said:
Fine cheats' cars set to be seized
Three strikes and out. That's the Government's new no-tolerance approach to motorists flouting road rules
By Julie Sinclair

30th March 2007
New rules will make it easy for authorities to lift cars of drivers who fail to pay three parking or traffic fines in a row
It's penning new regulations which will give traffic wardens the power to seize vehicles if the registered owner has failed to pay three parking or traffic fines in a row, and has not made an appeal. This already applies to an estimated 50,000 drivers in London. When the new rules come into effect, they would have days to pay up, or lose their wheels.

Once owners hit the three outstanding fines mark, they would be placed on a persistent evaders' database, according to Transport for London (TfL). The cars could then be immediately lifted from anywhere - even driveways - and owners would have 56 days to clear their debt, before their vehicle is sold. However, a TfL spokesman insisted that it wasn't trying to target honest motorists who were genuinely unaware they had been accruing fines.

"If they've recently bought a car and the keeper details haven't been transferred, for example, they could pay a £200 bond to stop it being towed. This would give them time to get the paperwork up to date," he said.

Drivers of foreign registered cars will also be targeted by the Transport for London and London Local Authorities Bill, which is still passing through Parliament. They often slip through the net, as it is difficult to trace them back to their home country.

The new rules are currently only planned for London, and are being put in place to catch motorists trying to dodge paying the congestion charge.

I guess this will finally nail the US embassy cars, for which no fines have ever been paid as the US considers the charge to be a tax! I'd love to see that one in the courts

BTW, isn't it nice that for a small £200 fee, "honest motorists" will be able to stave off the carjack for a few days? This is for motorists who are "genuinely unaware", ie. essentially innocent. £200 charge to protest your innocence? Nice little earner for someone banghead



Doesn't sound much different to what you could expect in some other countries, what's the problem ?
I'd expect there to also be some facility for you to check if there were outstanding fines against a vehicle when you go to buy it.



What's the problem? It'll merely more encourage people to run around in unregistered 'disposable' cars.

fluffnik

20,156 posts

257 months

Friday 30th March 2007
quotequote all
chrispy porker said:
Don't the embassy cars have diplomatic immunity?


Only if we maintain diplomatic relations with the USA...

Peter Ward

Original Poster:

2,097 posts

286 months

Friday 30th March 2007
quotequote all
vonhosen said:
Doesn't sound much different to what you could expect in some other countries, what's the problem ?
I'd expect there to also be some facility for you to check if there were outstanding fines against a vehicle when you go to buy it.

This is targeted against those who don't pay the congestion charge. So someone fails to pay 3 charges (£24) and their car is taken away from their private property, and then after 56 days is sold. Isn't there some regulation that says that the punishment should be proportionate to the crime?

Is there "some facility" to check if there are outstanding fines? Would this be picked up by an HPI check? Or an AA survey? Or is there a DVLA search that you can pay for?

Wilder

1,509 posts

239 months

Saturday 31st March 2007
quotequote all
Hmm, emabassy cars have diplomatic immuntiy if being used by a ranking member of that embassy ,they dont even have to stop after an accident unless they have changed the rules I believe