Visiting some friends staying in a camping for the afternoon we parked on the road outside. When we returned we found a contravention 35€ on the windshield. And on the cars parked in front and behind.
Not a sign of a line, but eventually some 30m back we found a No Parking sign - on a much narrower part of the road. I reckon the Mairie are treating it as an earner.
If I was in UK I'd take it up with the parking ombusperson (can't remember the proper title). I've failed to google the equivalent in France-is there such and is it worth it?
Seriously, I'd pay it and forget about it. Life's too short. Chalk it up to experience or something. Such fines ceased being about 'fairness' some time ago. Letter of the law it'll be bang to rights, so you'll be just banging your head against a brick wall trying to fight it. Not to mention more anxiety and maybe even cost. Let it go.
I treat such things (mercifully rare as they are) as a cost of motoring, a consumable. Like you put petrol and oil in the car, so you'll pick up the occasional speeding or parking fine.
A slightly devil's advocate point of view, I accept.
Steve, perhaps you could speak to the policeman who caught your burglars.
I too am having a problem with the French police, being accused of doing something I did not do.
At the moment I am thoroughly pissed off with authority in any form in France, having been discriminated against by the French government because I am British, misdiagnosed with lung cancer and now this latest escapade.
I am beginning to understand the French attitude to authority!!
Hi,
You have to pay first and, then, protest, hoping to get a refund. And don't wait (45 days) or the 35€ will become 75€ (and so on) (http://vosdroits.service-public.fr/particuliers/F18509.xhtml).
But I sincerely doubt you'll get a favourable response. Never heard of any. Sometimes, IF you can find the policeman and IF it was really unfair (and IF he is a good guy), he may agree to delete the ticket he gave you. I've been there.
Otherwise, if you want to give a try at the formal procedure, here is how : http://vosdroits.service-public.fr/particuliers/F18510.xhtml
But, imo, the time you'll spend trying is worth more than 35€. And they know it.
Just to give you an idea of the situation, have a look at this short article from France Info : http://www.franceinfo.fr/emission/Unknown%20token%20emisaison-type-url/noeud-diffusion-temporaire-pour-le-nid-source-822841-05-05-2014-11-47
Sorry.
No parking signs do not have to be every few meters anywhere. I was done in my sister's road in SW London four years ago, where the sign is at least 100m away and no lines of any colour anywhere. Fortunately it was a rental car that I returned at Gatwick with the notice from the windscreen forgotten in it and never heard again.
you can dispute the fine but you have to pay up first then claim back (how to will be on the contravention) however if there was a No Parking sign further up the road it is valid, depending on it's placement, up to the next junction so I doubt very much you'd be successful.