Speeding fines

[LesleyM]

Does anyone know if fines imposed by courts are based on ability to pay and if so do they normally ask what you do for a living and/or proof of income in one form or another ? ...and no it's not what you're thinking

[outlaw]

Does anyone know if fines imposed by courts are based on ability to pay and if so do they normally ask what you do for a living and/or proof of income in one form or another ? ...and no it's not what you're thinking

yes they do
but i know plent that have bullshited it

[madcop]

All fines imposed by courts are means related. There is no point fining someone if they are so badly affected by it that they cannot pay and the rest of their family (if they have one to support) are severely affected by the fine.

[hertsbiker]

So why wasn't the Harman bird fined £5000 ? and why did that biker go to prison for a year? surely that will have caused hardship to his family....

Rich people DO NOT PAY more than ordinary people. Only the scrote type get away with it.

C

[bobthebench]

Does anyone know if fines imposed by courts are based on ability to pay and if so do they normally ask what you do for a living and/or proof of income in one form or another ? ...and no it's not what you're thinking

We try. You are usually asked your means, or for the thickos - how much do you get in ? How much do you spend ? (The now standard reply of "All of it" gets met with the standard response "Not any more") If a written pleas is tendered without any info on means, assume average earnings. No proof sought as such.

People will try it on, but often other clues - appearance, type of car, address, indicate if as poor as they say. Sometimes even the truth can be deceptive. We ask about income, not savings.

Need to work out what someone can reasonably afford per week, and max fine is usually around 100 times that.

[regmolehusband]

At the time of one and only speeding court hearing I was honest on the form about the amount of fluid cash I had sitting around. The means form specifically asked about my savings (North Wales Police) which at that stage were quite high. As a result this cost me a £450 fine when the standard recommendation to the magistrates was £150.

I will never again be honest about my financial standing in the same circumstances.

>> Edited by regmolehusband on Friday 9th May 18:10