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Bus Lane; No letter. Will Phoning Trigger a Fine?

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RealGem
RealGem Posts: 569 Forumite
Part of the Furniture 100 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
edited 6 March 2018 at 3:37PM in Motoring
Hi,

Three weeks ago I was being tailgated and I always pull over or move into the inside lane and let the tail-gator pass when that happens. But on this occasion, I forgot that the inside lane was a bus lane.

By the time I realised it was a bus lane, I was looking up at the camera as I passed it, thinking "Great, I've cut out meat from my diet because I can't afford it, but now I've just thrown £35 away."

My dad got a fine for a bus lane and yellow box. The usual procedure for my town, is you get a letter with a £70 fine, which is only £35 if you pay within two weeks.

Well I haven't got a letter, which sounds like good news...

But there's another issue. My neighbour is a thief and has stolen my mail previously. (We share a front door and mailbox).

So I am concerned he has stolen my Fine letter from the Council and if so, I could not pay within the two weeks. I don't know what happens after that (if the cost goes up and up or not).

So I want to phone them and ask them the hypothetical question:

"Can you find out from a number plate if there are any outstanding driving fines?"


If the answer is Yes, then I want to state my number plate and see if I have a fine.

But I am concerned that by phoning them I will trigger a fine that I would not have got in the first place!

So should I just do nothing?!

I am very very broke BTW. But I need my car.


What would you do?

Thank you


PS: I only moved over a short distance before cars are allowed to move over to turn left. Will that make a difference?
Look at it this way... In a hundred years who's gonna care?
«1

Comments

  • Car_54
    Car_54 Posts: 8,837 Forumite
    Tenth Anniversary 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    No, it won't trigger a "fine". No, a "short distance" doesn't help.

    BTW are you sure the bus lane was operational at the time?
  • RealGem
    RealGem Posts: 569 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 100 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    Car_54 wrote: »
    No, it won't trigger a "fine". No, a "short distance" doesn't help.

    BTW are you sure the bus lane was operational at the time?

    Thank you.

    Yes it's a permanent bus lane.

    Please can someone let me know what they would do?

    Should I phone them? Or leave things be?

    thanks a lot
    Look at it this way... In a hundred years who's gonna care?
  • Browntoa
    Browntoa Posts: 49,602 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    edited 6 March 2018 at 10:20PM
    Leave things be

    At 3 weeks I'm sure it's not going to happen , they have to apply to the DVLA within 14 days
    Ex forum ambassador

    Long term forum member
  • RealGem
    RealGem Posts: 569 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 100 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    Browntoa wrote: »
    Leave things be

    At 3 weeks I'm sure it's not going to happen , they have to apply to the DVLA within 14 days

    Thanks

    But what if they did send a letter and my neighbour stole it?
    Look at it this way... In a hundred years who's gonna care?
  • docmatt
    docmatt Posts: 915 Forumite
    Is it on record that the police know about the stolen mail?

    Let’s say they did send it to you and he nabbed it and you received a court summons.

    ‘I didn’t get the letter cause it was pinched’ won’t work, but it would if there was a record of it.
  • Deastons
    Deastons Posts: 464 Forumite
    RealGem wrote: »
    Thanks

    But what if they did send a letter and my neighbour stole it?

    Could you ever prove such a thing? So much could have happened to the letter from the moment it entered the postal system.

    Fact is, you haven't received it, so I'd rest easy and forget about it. (and do something about your neighbour stealing your post)
  • RealGem
    RealGem Posts: 569 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 100 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    Thanks, no I've told the police but I can't prove it.

    He is known to them, and they believe me, but of course they need evidence.

    OK thanks, I will leave it, and hope I never got a ticket!

    Cheers
    Look at it this way... In a hundred years who's gonna care?
  • Deastons
    Deastons Posts: 464 Forumite
    RealGem wrote: »
    (We share a front door and mailbox).

    I wonder if you could change this. Could you install another mailbox? And label one as your property and one as theirs? Maybe even a lockable post box to one side of the door.
  • RealGem
    RealGem Posts: 569 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 100 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    Deastons wrote: »
    I wonder if you could change this. Could you install another mailbox? And label one as your property and one as theirs? Maybe even a lockable post box to one side of the door.

    Hi, thanks

    Yes, it's taking ages but the council have agreed to having a new door entry system where the postman has access to the building and delivers mail to the separate flats. Hopefully it won't be long. Cheers
    Look at it this way... In a hundred years who's gonna care?
  • seatbeltnoob
    seatbeltnoob Posts: 1,367 Forumite
    Tenth Anniversary 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    you csn phone the council and ask if they have any outstanding fines for your VRN. They'll only fine you if they have good proof of the infraction, they cant just fine you based on your verbal confession. If you are worried, do not admit to anything and just ask about outstanding PCN.
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