urgent help please !!

buddy143

Coblcris wrote: »

Do not believe the 'helpful lady' !!

The Speeding may be closed but the S.172 is still live until they get your response.
Send it in using a tracked mail service, Special Delivery is best.

A S.172 is six points and a significant fine.

You need to avoid the S.172 issue.

On this note, I made another phone call to essex police this morning.
Spoke to a lady clearly, and she too confirmed that because the offence happend more than 6 months ago, it is expired now.
I did ask her specifically re S172 and whether I still need to send the form filled in with mydetails, the lady mentioned that "yes, there is S172 and we can ask you to attend court, but that too should be done within 6 months. Because it is >6m now, even that too is expired. You dont worry. The case is closed now."
I think atleast now I can take a deep breath !!!!!!

Coblcris

The S.172 clock is different from the NIP clock. There is an additional 28 days.
You did know that already did you ? Did you refer the person on the phone to this fact ?
See post number 9 from Sarah, the S.172 is still active.
Did you read that post ? Did you think she was 'just wrong'. On what basis ? In my experience she is a very reliable poster and most knowledgable.

By all means continue trusting the non written (so not evidential) word of the nice person on the phone if you wish .

I would return the completed statement along with a note stapled to it stating that the speeding offence has timed out, quoting the dates.

But its your licence not mine. To risk half of it, a substantial fine and not insignificant insurance premium increases for the want of a few minutes effort and the price of a Special Delivery letter is beyond me. .

Good luck. Let us know how you get on as you will have no valid defence to a S.172 charge in your circumstances.

sarahg1969

Coblchris is right. You cannot rely on them to tell you the truth. The S172 is still active.

There is no reason for you not to reply to it. And every reason that you should. Unless you can afford to lose half of your driving licence and significant wad of cash?

Just complete the NIP and return it. Job done.

Coblcris

I fear for this poster.

buddy143

HI, finally filled in the NIP form and send it by special delivery.
hopefully things will be sorted now.

sarahg1969

Thank goodness for that!

You will very possibly now receive a COFP, which you CAN safely ignore, as they cannot issue a summons for the speeding.

HO87

So that it is absolutely clear to you and other posters - the 6 month clock for the S. 172 issue does not start until 28 days (at least) after the document making the requirement was served upon you i.e. at the point when the offence of failing to comply with it is committed. In your case the clock could still be running in October 2010. Imagine your surprise when on the run in to Christmas you suddenly receive a summons?

What you were told by the "nice lady" was not incorrect just incomplete and was, as a consequence, thoroughly misleading. For yours and others future reference making contact with the police in such circumstances is often quite dangerous not only because the advice can be misleading (and sometimes downright wrong) but because as in all such matters legal you are better committing things to paper in order to be able to better evidence it should the need arise.