Almost got arrested on the road - warrant

komar80

Hi.
Have been driving my lorry this aftrernoon and got stopped by "insurance check" team. Police said that they have warrant on my lorry number. After they contacted Collectica , officer told me that i didn't pay court fine, collectica didnt manage to take this money from me and now or i will pay 825 pounds, or they have to arrest me.
Thanks to my mate, who came with help i have managed to pay half and agreed with them that i will pay the rest tonight by phone.
Problem is that I HAVE NEVER RECEIVED ANY LETTER !!!
Police promised one year ago to send my case to court because of "issue" with tacho charts. And that was the end, nobody contacted me. I said, ok maybe they forgot.

And now officer is telling me that i didnt respond to court letters, collectica letters, and even they sent some people to my house to collect money.
Never received any letter from court or collectica. Officer said that he confirmed my address with collectica and everything is ok.
The only explanation I can see is that someone mixed up my address and istead to write 105A they sent everything to house no 105. My neighbour is a dutche and insisting that never received any of my letters. Its strange if u consider that i'm very offen receiving his letters.

Is not about money , 200p collectica charge. Its about my credit score. We are about to take mortgage after new year. Please confirm that i'm in deep (text removed by MSE Forum Team).

Is anything i can do ?

I didn't build my credit score for last few years to destroy now everything because of few hundred pounds.
And for god sake why court not sending letters with "signature requied" letters. And don't answer me like police officer, that country cant afford this. My motherland is poor but they doing this, my wife's country also. You cant destroy someone future, or in same cases take a freedom , because court doesn't have 2 pounds.

BertTheRaccoon

I'm not sure if a non-paid court fine for a criminal matter in the magistrates court has any bearing on a credit score. It's not a civil county court matter is it?

Someone else may be able to confirm.

Maybe worth doing an experian (or similar) check on yourself to see if there is any record of this or other shizzle.

komar80

I cant give you any details because dont have any letter
From the file that officer was holding I remember only that it was Bromley court, but dont know if magistrate or county.

Ye, i'm planning to make check of my record, just will wait another 2-3 weeks.
Thanks for that small ray of hope at the end of crappy day.

Iceweasel

Contact your nearest Citizens Advice Bureaux (CAB) for free advice on what options are open to you to do next.

Aretnap

It would be a Magistrate's court, not a county court, as it's a criminal matter. I'm also not 100% sure whether unpaid criminal fines show up on your credit record, but I have it in my head that they generally don't.

I believe the reason summonses etc aren't usually sent recorded delivery is not so much to do with cost, more because it would be easy for anyone who was expecting a summons to avoid receiving it by arranging to be "out" when the postman came.

Your usual route in this situation is to contact the court and make a statutory declaration to have the conviction set aside - you can read something about the procedure here. http://www.pattersonlaw.co.uk/Offences/Court/Making-a-statutory-declaration.php It might still be a struggle to get your money back from the bailiffs if you've already paid them though.

bigjl

If you were threatened with arrest then it will be a court fine of some description I would have thought.

Don't think magistrate court stuff affects your credit record but I could be wrong.

You were summonsed to appear in court due to your Tacho offence.

A word to the wise the Police and Courts may be slow sometimes but if a copper says he is going to take it to court then that is what they are going to do. No such thing as them letting it go after the fact, if that was the case they would have given you a verbal warning at the roadside.

komar80

Have u seen me complaining that I was fined for tacho issues ?
I was penalised for working too much, its ok . 615 pounds it's not enough for one special delivery letter, ok. Probably will be enough to build another 3 mil council house in central london for some poor family who never worked a minute in there live. Rewarding laziness its a foundation of my new country. But live it's live, rules are rules and have to swallow this.

And u should think twice before sending someone home, i know people who finished in magistrate court for this kind of jokes.

I believe the reason summonses etc aren't usually sent recorded delivery is not so much to do with cost, more because it would be easy for anyone who was expecting a summons to avoid receiving it by arranging to be "out" when the postman came.

No. Friend of mine went almost all divorce without knowing about this because wife was hiding letters. He asked court the same question and they said that the only reason its a cost of sending special delivery letters.
Few pounds its too much to give someone rights to defence ? C'mon.
Now, court doesn't care if you know that there is case against you.
Tell me why instead of sending me normal letter with info about 625 pounds penalty they did't send special delivery letter with info about 625 + 3 pounds penalty? Would cost them nothing, I still need to pay my penalty even if not signed but then court can try another way of contacting me because they know that i didnt receive letter.

A lot of countries giving you rights to defence and have ways to deal with people avoiding postman ( ex. usa and special guys who delivering letters to hand. At the end one of the sides will pay for this)

Bit harsh ? But true. I wanted to be in court to say what i have to say. I wanted to pay penalty because i know it was my fault. Nobody gave me chance. Police officer was treating me like a criminal and i dont even know why all this crap heppened ?
Officer forgot about one small letter when was taking my details? Or maybe postman its a idiot ? Or someone is stealing my letters?

A word to the wise the Police and Courts may be slow sometimes but if a copper says he is going to take it to court then that is what they are going to do. No such thing as them letting it go after the fact, if that was the case they would have given you a verbal warning at the roadside.

Yes, been told that in UK is not going to be forgotten. But what u can do? Call to every court an ask if they have my case , and if they sent me letter? Officer said, wait for letter, so I was waiting.

Thanks for the links , I will check now. Dont see reason to feed Collectica with my 200 pounds. Btw, 3 pounds for card payment on the top of everything. In this case was no problem with extra charge.

hallowitch

It not going to affect your credit score Magistrate court fines are not recorded with credit reference agency


statutory declaration is the correct way to go I bet they have the wrong address (forgot the A) hopefully this should be enough for the Stat Dec Before bailiffs attend for a magistrate court fine the court should send you a further steps notice

you need phone Collectica and I strongly suggest you record the call as they wont want to be to helpful because they will lose there big fat pay day (there fees are £300)

Ask them the EXACT address on the warrant ,the date you were fine, what court your fine at, court fine ref no amount of fine.

then get in touch with court fine department and ask for the exact address the information is being sent to as you have received none (don't let them fob you off you are legally entitled to file a stat Dec )

hallowitch

just to add there are a lot of new web sites popping up (some have free help forums that will soon direct you to fee paying site) please don't use them they charge a lot of money for template letters or offer to write one just for your circumstance's for a fee they give a lot of wrong information

There is a bailiffs advice online fee paying web site that charges £10 that is well established and has an exhalent reputation and is highly recommended on here and other sites that one is ok to use


Im not trying to tell you to use any fee paying site im trying to warn you of the dangers of these new sites that are popping up and felt it was unfair not to mention the reputable site as Its not fair to tar them with the same brush

CFC

komar80 wrote: »

Have u seen me complaining that I was fined for tacho issues ?
I was penalised for working too much, its ok . 615 pounds it's not enough for one special delivery letter, ok. Probably will be enough to build another 3 mil council house in central london for some poor family who never worked a minute in there live. Rewarding laziness its a foundation of my new country. But live it's live, rules are rules and have to swallow this.

And u should think twice before sending someone home, i know people who finished in magistrate court for this kind of jokes.


No. Friend of mine went almost all divorce without knowing about this because wife was hiding letters. He asked court the same question and they said that the only reason its a cost of sending special delivery letters.
Few pounds its too much to give someone rights to defence ? C'mon.
Now, court doesn't care if you know that there is case against you.
Tell me why instead of sending me normal letter with info about 625 pounds penalty they did't send special delivery letter with info about 625 + 3 pounds penalty? Would cost them nothing, .

Police promised one year ago to send my case to court because of "issue" with tacho charts.

People with 'tacho issues' kill other people. If I had my way, anyone not driving according to regulations would be locked up and never let out. Or at least have their licence removed permanently.

No, the court doesn't care that you got the letter, and that's the way it is. Suck it up.If you don't commit an offence then the process wouldn't bother you, would it, because you wouldn't come into contact with it.

If you think they do it better in your home country and you're annoyed with the way they do it here, then i suggest you pack your bags and go back, simples!

And before you threaten me with the police for inviting you to depart if you do not like Britain's laws and court system, go and get a reality check. You think you can threaten me with a racial offence, you're playing the race card without even thinking about the fact I have no idea what country you originate from, I just know that you are comparing this country unfavourably to your own, having committed a criminal offence and then complaining.


REALITY CHECK!!

:rotfl:

komar80

CFC wrote: »

Police promised one year ago to send my case to court because of "issue" with tacho charts.

People with 'tacho issues' kill other people. If I had my way, anyone not driving according to regulations would be locked up and never let out. Or at least have their licence removed permanently.

No, the court doesn't care that you got the letter, and that's the way it is. Suck it up.If you don't commit an offence then the process wouldn't bother you, would it, because you wouldn't come into contact with it.

If you think they do it better in your home country and you're annoyed with the way they do it here, then i suggest you pack your bags and go back, simples!

And before you threaten me with the police for inviting you to depart if you do not like Britain's laws and court system, go and get a reality check. You think you can threaten me with a racial offence, you're playing the race card without even thinking about the fact I have no idea what country you originate from, I just know that you are comparing this country unfavourably to your own, having committed a criminal offence and then complaining.


REALITY CHECK!!

:rotfl:

You don't know what kind of issue it was so keep for you "your way".

I'm surprise that you have something more to say, not only your previous "go home" .

UK is not North Korea and I have rights to complain if i'm not happy with the way court works. Even if i'm criminalist because accidently have clicked tacho button three times, instead of two.
If UK justice system taking care about all kind of butchers and terrorists from around the world, i would like to expect fair treating, if i'm paying my taxes here.
And why the hell I should pack my bags? Because I gave as a example my country, country with different way of sending letters by court. This should decide about where I live?
And what ? I'm not allowed do say that something is working wrong in UK ? Is it really bodering you that much?Let me make your live happier: " Her Majesty's Empire is a perfect place!!! And i'm not taking any benefits. Better?

I'm not threatening you. Came from country where parents teaching us how to work hard, not how to play with racial card to have easy and lazy live. Just said that you should be more careful because one day you can meet person with lower level of tolerance for this kind of crap.

ANd to be rasist you dont need know race of country of someone. Btw, recently Home Office's campaign was banned for saying "go home" to illegal immigrants. Illegal, not to people from another EU country, like me.
Because you know what. That long Uk is in EU, i'm at home. :cool: