Northern Rail Court Summons
6 replies
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Bluenose88
Forumite 1 posts
Hi All, I've received a court summons for tomorrow!!! I had moved address and my old landlord has forwarded mail to me that I only received yesterday when I got home from work.
On 27/11 I took a local train to Liverpool Lime St, as the train was pulling in when I arrived at the station I boarded, I didn't see a guard on the train selling tickets. I don't travel this route often but you could at one point pay at Lime St and this was my intention. I approached the desk and asked for a ticket when a Revenue Protection Officer approached me and asked where I was coming from and why I didn't buy a ticket at that station. This resulted in me receiving a Penalty Fare of £20. I didn't pay this fare - on 18/11 I lost my father, his funeral was on 10/12 therefore I had a lot on, as well as travelling between Liverpool and Birmingham often as that is where I work.
I spent Xmas in Liverpool and over that period I received to reminders with increasing penalty to my address in Birmingham. I only picked these up in the new year and I wrote them a letter explaining the situation and asked for some leniency in light of the circumstances i.e. let me pay the £20 instead of £90. This was quite bluntly rejected.
I'm unsure what to do - They have included a final settlement offer but it says it needs to be paid at least 2 days before the court date, but I'm also annoyed at giving in when I did approach them to buy a ticket from a ticket desk and my appeal was rejected despite the circumstances. I do regularly use trains and keep the tickets/receipts for expenses and I have the trainline app full of spent tickets - I'm not fare dodger!
Any advice appreciated...
Thanks,
On 27/11 I took a local train to Liverpool Lime St, as the train was pulling in when I arrived at the station I boarded, I didn't see a guard on the train selling tickets. I don't travel this route often but you could at one point pay at Lime St and this was my intention. I approached the desk and asked for a ticket when a Revenue Protection Officer approached me and asked where I was coming from and why I didn't buy a ticket at that station. This resulted in me receiving a Penalty Fare of £20. I didn't pay this fare - on 18/11 I lost my father, his funeral was on 10/12 therefore I had a lot on, as well as travelling between Liverpool and Birmingham often as that is where I work.
I spent Xmas in Liverpool and over that period I received to reminders with increasing penalty to my address in Birmingham. I only picked these up in the new year and I wrote them a letter explaining the situation and asked for some leniency in light of the circumstances i.e. let me pay the £20 instead of £90. This was quite bluntly rejected.
I'm unsure what to do - They have included a final settlement offer but it says it needs to be paid at least 2 days before the court date, but I'm also annoyed at giving in when I did approach them to buy a ticket from a ticket desk and my appeal was rejected despite the circumstances. I do regularly use trains and keep the tickets/receipts for expenses and I have the trainline app full of spent tickets - I'm not fare dodger!
Any advice appreciated...
Thanks,
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Replies
Contact them imediately and pay.
Ask them to stop the court procedings if they are unable to you have to attend.
For £20 you are now having to pay £90 possibly more at court along with a criminal record.
pay up and in future buy the ticket BEFORE you travel
Since you ignored two reminders you are now in a really weak position to fight this, no matter how unfair it may seem.
And when you change address set up a mail redirection.