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600 Euro fine in lanzarote!!! anyone able to advise??

Hello all,
Apologies for the new thread but this is not a standard parking fine, in fact it's not exactly a parking issue at all...

During a surfing holiday in Lanzarote back in may I parked at a beach within the National Park. It's a popular place, beach goers park along either side of a narrow road, and we did the same. Yesterday I received a 17 page dossier (in Spanish) accusing me of raping the environment.

Its from Guardia Civil, Medioambiente. Essentially like the environment agency here but part of the police force. They produced photo's of my hire car parked with 2 wheels on the sand. This constitutes an infingement of their environmental laws and carries a fine of between 600 & 6000 euros, my fine being at the former end of the scale.

If this was in the UK I'd know how to fight it, there was zero signage for example. But it's not in the Uk.

So should I.....Pay up (20% reduction), contest (losing 20% reduction and probably requiring a lawyer and a trip to lanzarote) or ingnore and never set foot on Spanish soil again????

From what I can translate my letter contains: an initial charge from Guardia Civil to the hire company, a document naming me as the driver from the hire company, and minutes from court proceedings decreeing that I am liable.

It's definitely genuine before anyone suggests otherwise, but scams are harder to ignore when they are run by the government....

Any experts on Spanish law out there?!?!?!
«13

Comments

  • The_Deep
    The_Deep Posts: 16,830 Forumite
    On several occasions, when entering Spain, the border has not been manned. Why not post this on here


    http://britishexpats.com/forum/spain-75/
    You never know how far you can go until you go too far.
  • unforeseen
    unforeseen Posts: 7,271
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    What have Spanish borders to do with it since this is an island off the coast of W Africa
  • The_Deep
    The_Deep Posts: 16,830 Forumite
    unforeseen wrote: »
    What have Spanish borders to do with it since this is an island off the coast of W Africa



    Read this


    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lanzarote
    You never know how far you can go until you go too far.
  • unforeseen
    unforeseen Posts: 7,271
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    Forget the idea that this is a parking fine. You have been fined for transgressing their environmental laws.

    You don't know how to fight this in the UK. The same rule would Apply. Ignorance of the rules is no defence.

    This is not like a foreign debt collection attempt as it is a fine that has been awarded by a court. I don't know whether they will chase it but if not paid then further visits to Spain may be compromised.
  • unforeseen
    unforeseen Posts: 7,271
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    The_Deep wrote: »

    I realise it belongs to Spain but fail to understand about borders being unmanned. They don't need to be. That is the beauty of electronic records of movements being passed between countries. Outstanding fines could automatically be flagged. They can then man the border waiting for that person.
  • Thanks, Yes I wonder if it may just get forgotten about during siesta time but don't really want it hanging over me if I want to visit Spanish territory again.
    I've posted on the expat site, thanks very much for that tip.
  • The_Deep
    The_Deep Posts: 16,830 Forumite
    if not paid then further visits to Spain may be compromised.


    The borders with France and Portugal are unmanned.
    You never know how far you can go until you go too far.
  • Umkomaas
    Umkomaas Posts: 41,252
    First Anniversary Name Dropper First Post Photogenic
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    I’ve said this before - the more we deal with court cases, the more people will believe we are a ‘legal eagle’ forum and increasingly post issues that have nothing to do with private parking. We’ve had two such in the past couple of days.
    Please note, we are not a legal advice forum. I personally don't get involved in critiquing court case Defences/Witness Statements, so unable to help on that front. Please don't ask. .

    I provide only my personal opinion, it is not a legal opinion, it is simply a personal one. I am not a lawyer.

    Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day; show him how to catch fish, and you feed him for a lifetime.

    Private Parking Firms - Killing the High Street
  • Yes it's really nothing to do with parking i suppose, despite my parking being the issue.

    I'm not sure how well the electronic systems are implimented, but my gut feeling is its unwise to ignore it. They did have my name and address slightly misspelled so that might m ake me difficult to flag - i cant recall if i gave the hire company my passport number but certainly my driving liscense details will be on the system.

    I received some local advice saying as long as I don't use the same hire company again I have nothing to worry about, but that seems unlikely. Just depends how well organised it all is.

    If it was a hundred euros it would be paid already, but I don't have a spare 600 sitting around, i'll need to borrow.

    If I respond and try to fight it then they have me pinned down, and I suspect I would lose without spending big money on a lawyer.

    There was at least another hundred cars parked identically to me, I don't suppose they will all be paying up. Though I'm quite sure that only the foreign and hire vehicles will have been stung.
  • A fair point The Deep, but the reality is i'm likely to want to fly into spain at some point
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