French parking fine - Should I pay ?

French parking fine - Should I pay ?

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Discussion

Nacnud

Original Poster:

2,190 posts

270 months

Tuesday 18th June 2002
quotequote all
On the way back from Le Mans we stopped at a cafe and I got a parking fine. Can't work out what I did wrong; but c'est la vie.

First problem is how to write a cheque for €11.00! I can feel a hefty bank charge coming on...

I'm very tempted not to pay.

Anyone tried ignoring a French parking fine ?
Can they and will they follow it up with Swansea ?

Any information would be much appreciated.
Cheers - Duncan

trefor

14,637 posts

284 months

Tuesday 18th June 2002
quotequote all
Don't pay it. I doubt they will chase/find you even it they were bothered.

Any French on here care to elaborate on the system for parking fines in France?

Don

28,377 posts

285 months

Tuesday 18th June 2002
quotequote all
Well.

Never try this with America or Australia. They will find you. Once they have when you enter the country they ask for the money!

NO IDEA of Europe has this level of competence/vindictiveness.

JohnL

1,763 posts

266 months

Tuesday 18th June 2002
quotequote all
Well I've ignored Italian and German ones with no comeback. Deliberately parked illegally in front of a police station in France (I was young ...) in the hope of being able to make it a hattrick but they didn't bite!

Much less border controls in the EU than US/Australia so Don's scenario is pretty unlikely.

I heard of someone who ignored a Swiss one before emigrating to Oz. Short visit back to CH two years later, police visited his hotel the first evening demanding the fine plus interest.

cazzo

14,803 posts

268 months

Tuesday 18th June 2002
quotequote all
I doubt they'll send Interpol after you for non-payment of parking fine (although our PC govt would deport you if asked!) and I doubt many people in France even bother paying them.

My advice would be to wave your private parts at them and fart in their general direction!

Bodo

12,381 posts

267 months

Tuesday 18th June 2002
quotequote all
quote:

Well I've ignored Italian and German ones with no comeback. Deliberately parked illegally in front of a police station in France (I was young ...) in the hope of being able to make it a hattrick but they didn't bite!

Much less border controls in the EU than US/Australia so Don's scenario is pretty unlikely.

I heard of someone who ignored a Swiss one before emigrating to Oz. Short visit back to CH two years later, police visited his hotel the first evening demanding the fine plus interest.




I can confirm, that there wouldn't come anything from Germany, as authorities have narrow minded rules, they don't even consider the existance of something abroad.

Anyway, don't pay to France

marki

15,763 posts

271 months

Wednesday 19th June 2002
quotequote all
When i first moved to Denmark i had a UK reg car , got a stack of parking fines and never had any follow ups on them

JMGS4

8,741 posts

271 months

Wednesday 19th June 2002
quotequote all
Can confirm you can bin it and forget about it AT THE MOMENT!. The reason: all of the centralisticly controlled socialist states of Europe have an address data base and a legal assistance clause. The police just tap into the other countries address database and send the fine, sending a copy at the same time to the local copshop for folowing up.
2 ways it can't/doesn't work
a) the time it takes to process i.e. Germany-France the french treat german speeding offences against french as a nono and just sit on it. It then runs out of time in Germany and thus cannot be followed up.
b) no address database/no natsi ID cards eg GB so they can't find you anyway.... same result.......

AAAAAAHHHH sez you,,, free for ever.... NOT TRUE!!!!! because the brussels mafia is passing laws this autumn to force all EU countries to process speedily all EU motoring fines and have a centralised points/license system. So if tyro spik cop in the wilds of Telefonia decide he doesn't like you then your license in GB is in danger... Oh the wonder of centralistic governments!!!! NOT.
Of course power crazy control freak liar Phony Tony and his creeps support such centralistical ideas just to cement his powerbase and his relations with other powercrazy centralist european nastis (sorry natsis)......

>> Edited by JMGS4 on Wednesday 19th June 07:57

Nacnud

Original Poster:

2,190 posts

270 months

Wednesday 19th June 2002
quotequote all
I think I know what to do now. Cheers everybody.

JMGS4, that's scary !

outlaw

1,893 posts

267 months

Wednesday 19th June 2002
quotequote all
quote:

I think I know what to do now. Cheers everybody.

JMGS4, that's scary !


I dont pay em in the uk never mind abroard m8

got a golve box full of em dam things. keep meaning to sort out the glovbox and chuck em in the bin.

JMorgan

36,010 posts

285 months

Wednesday 19th June 2002
quotequote all
A mate used to do this in Germany, binning tickets. Told that Her Parking Hatendant approaches DVLC only to be told get lost. So it was fun to be there as he parked next to "don't park here or we rip you off" sign,s with the locals warning us and him shrugging shoulders and trying to say in german "but its tuesday"

PS that was early 90's.


>> Edited by JMorgan on Wednesday 19th June 09:15

trefor

14,637 posts

284 months

Wednesday 19th June 2002
quotequote all
quote:

Well.

Never try this with America or Australia. They will find you. Once they have when you enter the country they ask for the money!



In America you'd best pay speeding fines (ahem, not that I would know about this ), but parking fines are not a problem. I always try to park legally/properly, but still picked up a few tickets in LA and San Francisco ... I've never paid them. My girlfriend (who is Californian) said not to bother - and these were on rental cars - so Hertz (or whoever) don't seem to get chased for payment either (as you know, they'd slap the fine on your credit card).

JMGS4

8,741 posts

271 months

Wednesday 19th June 2002
quotequote all
A good one for you: was in Edinburgh last summer during the festival with my german reg car. Spoke to local parking attendant about where I was parked (jammed into a corner in the Haymearket) and was told pay the first parking fee and leave it showing and ignore any tickets, because Edinburgh Corporation only follows up after 10 on the same foreign numberplate...

kiwi45

8 posts

271 months

Wednesday 19th June 2002
quotequote all
As far as French fines, don't pay. It's all about the money, and getting that 11 Euro's would cost too much.
Just be lucky you didn't get the ticket in Holland, you'd definetely get a wheelclamp. Costs about 150 Euro to remove that damn thing.

mattjbatch

1,502 posts

272 months

Wednesday 19th June 2002
quotequote all
quote:
Costs about 150 Euro to remove that damn thing.
Or an angle grinder

outlaw

1,893 posts

267 months

Wednesday 19th June 2002
quotequote all
quote:

quote:
Costs about 150 Euro to remove that damn thing.
Or an angle grinder



here here