Suddenly got terrifying legal letters re: train penalty fare!

Glasseye

Thanks for helping,

I travelled a couple of months ago back home to Brighton without my network railcard (which I offered to collect, when I was stopped by someone manning the barriers, as my house is 4 mins from the station and I could leave my phone/wallet/bag/etc as a deposit) They wouldn't let me get the railcard to prove I owned it, nor would they allow me to call my friend to bring it(!!!) apparently that would be giving me an "unfair advantage" over other people who had forgotten their railcards!?

I've only just got these 3 legal letters as they were sent to my mum's address (which I gave because I didn't have a proper address of my own) and she didn't tell me until I visited recently.

I just thought that they hadn't bothered pursuing me over something so trivial. Now they're saying I owe £106.50. I have absolutely no way to pay that at all (credit cards/friends) even if I was willing to.

Thanks for any ideas

maninthestreet

How about paying it, as you seem to admit you did travel without your travelcard? Can you borrow money from family/friends to pay?

London50

To start with it is NOT trivial, you traveled without the ticket you are meant to have therefore you broke the t&c of the train company. You failed to respond to letters sent to an address that you supplied then did not check to see if there was any further letters relating to it {I take it from your comments hoping it would go away as it in your opinion not important }. You have now found out that is not the case, in the end the fine is due and will need to be paid so you need to QUICKLY find someone or some way to pay it otherwise not only will you have the fine but a criminal record as well.
Too many people IMO these days seem to think that they can get away with this type of thing and come up with excuses as to why they should be let off {it was not my fault, I was running late, I just forgot to pick it up ect}. You have been caught, you did wrong now you need to sort it out and learn that rule are there and if you ignore then they sometimes come back and bite you.

agrinnall

As you admit you are guilty of the offence then not paying it will have consequences a lot worse than finding the money now.

dzug1

Glasseye wrote: »

I travelled a couple of months ago back home to Brighton without my network railcard (which I offered to collect, when I was stopped by someone manning the barriers, as my house is 4 mins from the station and I could leave my phone/wallet/bag/etc as a deposit) They wouldn't let me get the railcard to prove I owned it, nor would they allow me to call my friend to bring it(!!!) apparently that would be giving me an "unfair advantage" over other people who had forgotten their railcards!?

There's nothing to show that your friend (or someone else) wasn't quietly using your railcard whilst you were in London without it

peachyprice

Glasseye wrote: »

Thanks for any ideas

Sell some stuff on eBay?
Ask you parents to lend you the money (as they failed to pass these letters on to you)?
Do some overtime?
Cut back on your outgoings?

Getting caught for fare evasion doesn't come cheap, especially if you bury your head in the sand.

Blackbeard_of_Perranporth

I am of the opinion that the penalty fare should be twice the six month season ticket. OP travelled without a valid ticket. Just remember one dodger last year, a banker lost his job due to their evasion

silvercar

You could go to court and explain that you made an offer to fetch your rail card, you could show the rail card as proof that you did own it at the time, even if you failed to have it in your possession. Then it would be up to the judge to decide if you are guilty or not.

Remember the courts don't always side with the railways. There was a case where a judge threw out a prosecution for someone having the wrong type of ticket to leave the train short of destination.

It could also be worth writing back to the train company and stating your defence. They may let you off on this occasion. You could also make an offer to settle.

On the balance of probability, I would think you will be found guilty if it does end in court, but it is not cut and dry.

whitesatin

Well, you should be "willing to" as that is how it goes but, you sound young, so you do have my sympathy. I can imagine myself in a similar situation many moons ago. You tend to think you are the only one, a special case, but, in reality, of course, you are not.

You need to find this money somehow, before it escalates and the repercussions continue.

Maybe just use this as one of life's lessons. Good luck with it anyway.

timbstoke

Read carefully. The court will be asked to order you to pay the £53 fare and £60 towards prosecution costs - i.e. the costs haven't yet been awarded, and until a court awards them, they aren't a part of what you owe, no matter what they'd like to believe.

In your shoes, I'd pay the £53 sharpish, and include a letter that, as the £60 is towards costs and they have not yet initiated proceedings, that amount is not due. Maybe it won't stop them, but if you can't afford the full amount, at least that lets you turn up in court and argue that the fare has been paid in full and there is no case to answer - a court will look less favourably on a claim for costs if the costs are the only reason that the case has proceeded in the first place.

cookie365

Pay the £106.50 asap.