Hi everyone, looking for a bit of advice please.
Just received a huissier (bailiff) letter for an unpaid speeding fine from October 26th last year. However, we have never received an AVIS, nor a notice of majoration, so are in complete ignorance of this. OK with paying the fine but very unhappy that had no idea about this, where do we go to get a copy of the AVIS and complain that we never received a reminder let alone the original fine?
PS -It's my husbands fine not mine - fortunately!
I totally agree on the pay up advice, my query/complaint is that we never received the amende or the amende forfaitaire majoree so how could we pay it. Incidentally both are marked clearly on the huissier notice as having been sent.
I had an instant fine once by gendarmes at a stop sign. I had slowed and seen a clear road and not stopped. I complained both to the gendarmes at the roadside and then to the department, that this particular junction was not suitable to be marked as a stop sign, because it was clearly dangerous to stop if the road was clear.
No-one answered my letter and my fine went from 90 to 200 euro with no warning.
If the fine turns out to be valid, my advice is pay up or they'll make your life harder. It's like organised crime.
We will have to be more careful. We think that we are the only Williamsons around here and the way they put your telephone entry under towns and villages means that it is difficult to check if there is anyone with the same name as yourself!
You seem to have been very unlucky in Lyon.
I got clocked twice on the same trip from Cherbourg to home two years ago. I was also only done for a couple of KPH over the limit but they actually reduce your speed by a certain amount before fining you (if I remember correctly there's a sliding scale on the back of the PV) so you were probably doing 143 Heather :-) Anyway, I think you're right not to have a fight with them. Life's too short.
That's great news. Do keep us posted.
Called in this morning and they said they would send a copy of the carte grise to their client explaining that it doesn't quite match. Apparently we have 3 month to pay now so hopefully will be able to sort it out without paying first! Thanks for all the replies - will try and remember to post an update when it is resolved - one way or another.
If the number plate doesn't match, then I think you have a very strong case for mistaken identity.
Back in UK my husband was sent a parking fine for Christmas Eve in Brighton, when he was actually putting up the christmas tree in Hampshire.
He was all for paying it as he said no one would believe him, but I insisted that he said it was a mistake, which of, course, it was. It turned out the traffic warden had made a mistake and the car was a different colour from ours.
we received a printed apology, which shows that it happens quite frequently!
I had this happen to me few years back. Got flashed on autoroute in May and the cops turned up in September with photo of me in my car. Explained that I never received original and was unhappy about paying extra on top of fine 96€ rather than 45€. Basically they bullied me and said if I didn’t pay that they’d fine me more so went along with it. French friend said I should have asked them to prove original had been sent - easier said than done ! Annoyingly, I was only 3kph over 130 kph limit
Bon Courage !
Thanks guys, it does look dodgyso will check with the huissier tommorrow. Only opened the letter this evening aso cant do anything till the morning. Number plate does seem to have an extra 0 in it?? But more of a concern is that we havent received the reminders either, so will get on the case.
It is not highly unlikely, it happens moreoften than one might think, with the new system of "immatriculation" there have been o large number of mistakes in the transcription of the number into the original PV.
Check the license-plate numbers in the letter from the hussier to see if it corresponds exactly (meaning including the dots/traits) with you number-plate. If not so check with the local police to verify and most likely your ticket will be invalidated and classified.
If it corresponds you can call the bailiff and try to get a copy of the original PV. But in that case I have to agree with Paul, that's highly unlikely....
How about calling this huissier and asking him for the original fine which was allegedly send to you? (In my experience, the tickets which were sent here for the kids, there were always at least 2 reminders) So this must be on their records and if you haven't changed address there should be no problem to recognize that the postman sometimes does not always takes his job too serious (still wondering where 3 x-mas parcels have ended up...)
Tracy, highly unusual that you never received either the original contravention letter or anything else ! Are you sure this is not a scam or an escrocerie ? Was the vehicule registered to the correct address ? I have always paid my contraventions within hours of recieving them on the government website, and I think I'm right in saying I always have to sign for the letters, (recommandé avec avis de réception ) so unless you are adamant that you committed the offence , I would check it out first. You could of course call the huissier direct .
you sure its not a scam?
i was caught couple of weeks ago paid the fine at the Hotel des Impots the local council offices maybe they will know