Spanish Speeding Fine Nightmare

Ambledown1

A group of us got a hire car out for our holiday in Spain. I have just received a letter from the car hire company saying we have been caught speeding by a Spanish speed camera.

The company want to charge us £30.00 as an administration fee for simply getting our details and handing them over to the Spanish Police. I have yet to receive the actual fine from the Spanish authorities, however having done some internet research it is likely I am about to be stung for 400 euros!

I'm hoping someone somewhere out there may be able to give me some advice. Firstly can the car hire company actually charge me an admin fee for simply sending me a letter? Would it effect my credit rating if I didn't pay it. Secondly what are the repercussions for not paying the Spanish speeding fine? Can it effect my credit rating in England? Would it show up on my passport if I was to ever enter Spain again?



Many thanks,

HappyMJ

Ambledown1 wrote: »

A group of us got a hire car out for our holiday in Spain. I have just received a letter from the car hire company saying we have been caught speeding by a Spanish speed camera.

The company want to charge us £30.00 as an administration fee for simply getting our details and handing them over to the Spanish Police. I have yet to receive the actual fine from the Spanish authorities, however having done some internet research it is likely I am about to be stung for 400 euros!

I'm hoping someone somewhere out there may be able to give me some advice. Firstly can the car hire company actually charge me an admin fee for simply sending me a letter? Would it effect my credit rating if I didn't pay it. Secondly what are the repercussions for not paying the Spanish speeding fine? Can it effect my credit rating in England? Would it show up on my passport if I was to ever enter Spain again?



Many thanks,

The car hire agreement states the 30 £ or euro fee. You could choose not to pay it and it becomes a civil matter in Spain.

No not paying it won't affect your credit rating in the UK.

Not paying the fine means you might be disqualified from driving on Spanish roads in the future. Your UK driving record will not be affected.

It will not show up on your passport.

bazster

Presumably they will charge your credit card for the admin fee, and if it's provided for in the hire agreement there's probably not a lot you can do about it.

As for the fine itself (if a notice ever arrives), I believe that if they nab you next time you visit Spain you risk having your vehicle seized until you pay the fine.

muckybutt

Have a read http://www.motoroffence.co.uk/news/foreign-speed-camera-tickets

Ambledown1

Dear all,

Thanks very much for the advice, I will ignore the fine and let you know if there are any further issues.

RENEGADE_2

Very unlikely you will be tocuhed in Spain if you're clever. They are a member of this marvelous little scheme known as the Schengen Agreement, named after a small riverside town in Luxembourg where in 1985, the then-heads of government of a batch of western European countries agreed to lift border restrictions so that now, crossing by land into Spain is no different from driving out of Somerset and into Dorset. Spain is surrounded by Schengen states, Portugal and France. Obviously Andorra is outside Schengen as is Morocco from where you could stumble into Spanish authorities. I speak of Spain's enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla which are on the North African continent; Spain has sovereignty of these regions.

As far as I'm concerned, your hire company may be biting off more than it can chew if it takes money from you and hands it to Spain. If Spain wishes to extradite you over a few euros you owe them, let Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy meet with David Cameron to discuss the matter. You perhaps can take refuge in the embassy of Venezuela where I am sure Hugo Chavez shall take good care of you!

bazster

RENEGADE wrote: »

Very unlikely you will be tocuhed in Spain if you're clever. They are a member of this marvelous little scheme known as the Schengen Agreement

Highly unlikely that he'll get picked up entering Spain, but if he gets pulled over for some other traffic indiscretion whilst there then it's bye-bye car until the fine(s) are paid.

It's been widely reported recently that in some areas El Plod Espanol are trying to prop up their dwindling budgets by preying on visiting motorists, so the chances of getting pulled over for some minor or trumped-up offence might be fairly high.

I for one wouldn't fancy going driving in Spain with a previous unpaid fine hanging over me.

RENEGADE_2

I agree with Bazster. Avoid Spain for a while. If you went directly from Britian (non-Schengen) to Spain (Schengen), say by ferryboat or airplane, then you would definitely come have to pass Spanish passport control and customs. However, there is still the question of liability. Has the Spanish agency been informed of the suspect's identity? A hire company itself is not reliable information and even if you return with a new passport, can they be sure you are the same individual when your number doesn't match that on their Ten Most Wanted? Besides, it is all a question of whether when they take your passport they scan it. It could just be the glance at the photo and hand it back, or they might even be looking to see that you are holidng a passport and let you in anyway.

maninthestreet

What about the European Arrest Warrant?

fivetide

maninthestreet wrote: »

What about the European Arrest Warrant?

For a speeding ticket? I'll have whatever you are having today.

Have a look at muckybutt's link....

5t.

trets77

I have never had my passport checked that last few times i have taken a bucket and spade flight into Alicante.

Beware the Spanish police if they pull you over though. They can be very officious.