Train Penalty Notice

munchings-n-crunchings

Hello,
I've never been to this board before, so I hope somebody can advise me.

My daughter aged 13, uses the train Monday to Saturday term time to go to school, and I buy her a half termly ticket.

The other Saturday, she used the ticket the day after it expired...completely forgot she had broken up from school.

Whilst I realise she was liable for the fare, the train route is from unmanned stations, so you pay the inspector on the train.
The inspector accepted her ticket....if it had been noticed at this point, she could have purchased a single ticket, no problem.
Only when exiting the station, her ticket didn't work thru the barriers..obviously :rolleyes:
So she was given the penalty.

Do I have any sort of grounds for appeal?
The penalty notice does not have a reason for the fine, it does not have an inspectors
badge number, a time or my details as the person is under 18...and my daughter clearly looks under 18.

The fine is not huge, but if the error was picked up on the train, I wouldn't have the fine at all,

Regards
Munchie

surreysaver

The fact it has not been filled in correctly with the Inspector's number or any time I would have thought would make the penalty invalid - if it went to court how could it be proved when your daughter was travelling and got caught?

Hintza

I'll warn you now, the hassle involved will make just paying the fine seem like the besr option in a month or two's time. I have fought a fine before (still maintain I was right) but you just get stonewalled.

On the face of it your daughter boarded a train without a valid ticket, the inspector made a mistake but that doesn't really change the fact.

Think long and hard about this before taking up the fight.

munchings-n-crunchings

Thank you both for your thoughts.

I'll try and appeal on the basis that the notice has been incorrectly filled in.
Now it's happened once, I know to be more on the ball when she uses the train at weekends..:D especially at the end of term!

Regards
Munchie

woody01

She's 13.
Refuse to pay it as i doubt they cannot take any further action on a 13 yr old.

nomoneytoday

Pay it - you're daughter rode the train

munchings-n-crunchings

nomoneytoday wrote: »

Pay it - you're daughter rode the train

I wasn't disputing the fare due.
Just felt if error was picked up on train when her ticket was inspected, she could have paid the fare there and then, rather than getting the penalty at the station.
But also feel the notice should be filled in correctly, especially when it's a child.

Munchie

I

Armengar

And since the OP buys a half term ticket I cannot see how she is really dodging the fare (since I imagine a new half term ticket is now in force). I'd contest it too.

Neil_B

having helped fight one i recall from Bye-laws that only certain people are authorised to issue penalty fares. Almost certainly the Inspector on the train but only certain people at the station. So identity would be important surely?

the friend I helped was entirely innocent but reacted poorly and threw the ticket away so lost the appeal procedure. Then being out of time he was chased by IRCAS (is that the collector here?). They did actually accept at a later stage.

generally difficult to fight though. Maybe pot luck who deals with it.
-

nomoneytoday

Armengar wrote: »

And since the OP buys a half term ticket I cannot see how she is really dodging the fare (since I imagine a new half term ticket is now in force). I'd contest it too.

However, if my season ticket ran out on Friday, but I was on the train Saturday should that be allowed?

surreysaver

nomoneytoday wrote: »

However, if my season ticket ran out on Friday, but I was on the train Saturday should that be allowed?

No. The ticket's expiry date is the Friday. It is not valid after that. The only exception to this is if you started your journey on Friday, you are allowed to continue it past midnight.