Can you fine people on private property?

Gloomendoom

1886 wrote: »

Just ignore it, they'll hardly take you to court. I've had a company chasing me recently over a gym membership I cancelled over five years ago. Bothered?

I think not

It's not quite the same thing. Universities can, and do, prevent students from graduating if they have any overdue library fines at the end of their course. Of course, you could argue that the fines are not actually fines at all, but they are legally enforceable and amount to the same thing.

However, when students take a place at the uni they have usually agreed to a set of terms and conditions that makes the consequences of not paying library fines clear at the outset.

I doubt if the t&c's specifically mention cycling without lights but there may be some other catch-all clause in there about obeying university rules and regs, or that you agree to abide by the laws of the land etc. It might be worth checking the small print.

Throbbe

agrinnall wrote: »

It may well be unenforceable, but if you are studying at the university they can prevent you graduating if you have an unpaid item on your student account.

This. I was fined £25 for, ahem, 'borrowing' a traffic cone, which I appealed against. It was made pretty clear that I wouldn't graduate if I didn't pay up.

Trebor16

Ask them to provide you with the legal basis that gives them the power to issue any fines.

redux

Find out what the university bylaws say or imply on the subject, which may state that similar rules apply as for public roads, or footways, or with certain variations.

But don't hope for them to have overlooked drawing things up properly. You didn't mention whether it's a road or some kind of path, but if the latter it could turn out the right to cycle there at all might come into question when reviewed.

thenudeone

It's possible that the university has used its power to appoint persons with police powers, under the Unversities Act 1825.

eg: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cambridge_University_Constabulary

I have no idea what implications that has about where income from fines issued by these "constables" goes - (usually it would effectively be the treasury).

steve-L

Throbbe wrote: »

This. I was fined £25 for, ahem, 'borrowing' a traffic cone, which I appealed against. It was made pretty clear that I wouldn't graduate if I didn't pay up.

You still get the certificate, just not the ceremony.....

I graduated without ceremony from my MSc. but still got the certificate.

Guys_Dad

Some of you are well informed, others clearly not!

Universities have their own "rules" and there is much that may be legally questionable, but in the environment, is how they operate, with mutual consent, so to speak.

Take a look at this article and this is an example of how their "society" operates.

http://www.tcs.cam.ac.uk/issue/news/cambridge-colleges-in-student-fines-scandal/

One extract sums it up " In agreeing to the Ordinances at matriculation, students at the University of Cambridge effectively acknowledge the University's authority to deal with damage to property in any way the University sees fit.

As every student must agree to abide by Statutes and Ordinances at matriculation, each member of the university is acknowledging the University's power to fine, discipline or punish them as they wish. "

See Dublin University fines here.
http://www.qub.ac.uk/home/ceao/CommunityAffairs/Disciplinaryinformationforstudents/

Butterscotch-

steve-L wrote: »

You still get the certificate, just not the ceremony.....

I graduated without ceremony from my MSc. but still got the certificate.

Must depend on the University. At ours if you owe money the scripts aren't marked which means you can't even get the certificate.

Paradigm

All speculation until we know who the OP has been "fined" by.