Australia Speeding Ticket

roryc

Hi all,

Recently got a $338 speeding fine driving between Melbourne and Sydney. Was going 126 in a 100kph zone, and while the fine is excessive I think I need to pay it or it might f**k up my chances of getting a 2nd year visa over here.

The cop that gave me the ticket said if I had no plans of coming back to Oz there was no need to pay the fine, but like I said, I don't want to mess up getting my second year over a few quid.

Anyone know if this is the case?

Also, I've been travelling a fair bit and didn't get a chance to pay the fine. Now I've gone over the 21 days they give you to pay the fine, does it now increase or can I still just pop into the local post office and pay the original amount?

Cheers

amybabes

we are in the same boat, my bf clocked up a number of fines during his first year here - parking too close to the curb, parking in the wrong direction, speeding etc.....and never paid them as he moved around and it was just easy to avoid it. it didnt cause him hassle applying for his 2nd yr, but we are now considering applying for residency and i've been told that it will damage our application if there are unpaid fines etc. Also our housemate had 3 fines sent home to ireland!!

daftdave

i went a few days over on a parking fine , i called and paid it by credit card , the whole system was automated and it took the payment no problem with no extra charge , if you want to be sure to get your 2nd yr visa then pay it my friend , some kick in the balls if you get refused because of a silly fine .

Mahatma coat

Check to see *serupritiously* if your fine has been refered to SDRO, if it has just ignore it, if it hasnt then pay it before you get a summons,

DamoDLK

I got a parking ticket in St.Kilda for the second time, i was thinking about not paying for it.. cause i thought that it was steep @ $70 - but $338!!?? holy feck!
On the points of the 2nd year visa.. think i'd better pay it sooner rather than later!

Zambia

I got a fine in 1997 I left oz and ignored it , when applying for residency there is a Yes/No question.

"Do you owe the Australian goverment money?"

In 2007 I saw this and rang NSW licencing , they refered me to A federal dept as it turns out I still owed the fine +interest.

I paid it before applying. If you ever plan on having anything to do with this country, pay the fine.

ballooba

NSW fines are issued by the SDRO. The fine was large because of the scale of the infringement. The fine goes up depending on the margin by which you break the limit. Beware that you will also have received demerit points on your driver file in the relevant state.

Claasman

I think you can pay the fines online as well...it might be handier for you...

Mahatma coat

Look, heres the gig, SDRO/SPER are no more a Government body than the Reserve bank or Queensland Transport or QANTAS

they are a private debt collection company who 'buy' your fine from the Police for pennies on the dollar and then try to inflate it with their charges.

So technicaly if your case has been rfered to SPER/SDRO yo do not Owe the government any money.

<snip>

I really should keep my stoned and rambling Paranoia to the correct forum

Zambia

You could be right but at the time the pound was really strong so the fine was about £60 in the end I did not take the chance.

Any way if you get fined in Australia pay the fine. We are spending money on first time builders grants and stimulus projects hand over fist. We need the cash.....!!!!

Mahatma coat

despite what you may believe only a small amount of the money will go to the exchequer, in the form of Corporate Tax :eek: the rest of it is absorbed in 'administration fees' and 'shareholder profits' and just you try to get a list of the shareholders, we have been pushing for a list of the Directors and Shareholders of
'Queensland Magistrate Court' for the last two years, they sent us their oficial blurb, we pointed out to them that we realised it was bollox and could we please see the actual organisational chart, nothing since but a few of our more outspoken menbers have been harassed, raided, slandered and ocaisonaly jailed.

Please note: This factsheet is not intended to be a comprehensive
explanation of the court system in Queensland. Because of the
complex nature of the subject, only enough information has been
included to give a general understanding of the system, without
going into specifi c situations

38141

ballooba wrote: »

...Beware that you will also have received demerit points on your driver file in the relevant state.

Do you still get demerit points even if you do not have an australian drivers license?

Derek B

amybabes wrote: »

we are in the same boat, my bf clocked up a number of fines during his first year here - parking too close to the curb, parking in the wrong direction, speeding etc.....

You mean too far away from kerb surely?

Zambia

38141 wrote: »

Do you still get demerit points even if you do not have an australian drivers license?

Want to volunteer to have been driving my car on Doncaster road at 6 am this morning and find out?

Stinkin fixed cameras

Mahatma coat

you register your car in your OWN name :rolleyes:

all of mine are registered to a series of diferent dummy companies I have set up over the last few years for various reasons

they cany put points on your licence unless you sign a statdec

the fine becomes seven times larger, but what the hey I was plannin on ignorin it anyway.

next time you find yerself a cashed up clueless backpacker get them to register a company, then when they go home your sorted

Zambia

Yes Im just crazy ....

Mahatma coat

just like the majority of the population then Lad

seriously the system only works because most people are unaware of how to get round it.

those that know how are at either end of the 'criminal' spectrum

ballooba

38141 wrote: »

Do you still get demerit points even if you do not have an australian drivers license?

Yes, it goes on your driver file.

Mclovin

So, I sold the car and trusted that the new owner would change the registered name and address but didn’t. I have a couple of speeding and parking fines and possibly a toll fine being delivered to a house I vacated a no. of weeks ago, none of the fines are my fault. The decision to get in contact with vicroads or whatever authority on fines and finding out the amount and just biting the bullet is playing on my mind.

I’m leaving Victoria to go travelling the east coast and will be flying out of Sydney early next year, will these fines come back to haunt me at the airport does anybody think or does anyone have experience of this problem. I don’t really plan on coming back to Oz anytime soon but would like it to be an option.

I need my monies for travels you see…

Zambia

Mclovin wrote: »

So, I sold the car and trusted that the new owner would change the registered name and address but didn’t.

Sorry thats just stooopid , you know it is:rolleyes:

Pop into Vicroads see what they say, at least get the car changed over to the other name. Say you are broke and see what payment options they have.

I doubt they can keep you in Oz. Once you have the money ring them and pay by credit card.

38141

Mclovin wrote: »

So, I sold the car and trusted that the new owner would change the registered name and address but didn’t. I have a couple of speeding and parking fines and possibly a toll fine being delivered to a house I vacated a no. of weeks ago, none of the fines are my fault. The decision to get in contact with vicroads or whatever authority on fines and finding out the amount and just biting the bullet is playing on my mind.

I’m leaving Victoria to go travelling the east coast and will be flying out of Sydney early next year, will these fines come back to haunt me at the airport does anybody think or does anyone have experience of this problem. I don’t really plan on coming back to Oz anytime soon but would like it to be an option.

I need my monies for travels you see…

The person you sold the car is probably laughing...can't believe his luck. You'll probably have to track down this individual before you can transfer the car to them...get off your ass

Jagera

In Qld (so assuming similar in Vic) all of the fines should include a statutory declaration saying that it wasn't you.

Did you keep any of the paperwork from the sale? Generally there's a part that you keep for this purpose. Or did you just hand over the car with no paperwork?

Mclovin

I know it was a stupid thing to do. Gonna call Vicroads and make sure its changed over now but don't have much documents of sale. Just gonna truck on regardless and hope it doesn't come back to bite me too hard.........don't judge me.

Mahatma coat

if its just parkin and speedin fines, and provided its not an excessive amount of money, they wont bother you at emmigration, Customs only check for Criminal matters, Trafic Isnt, unless there is a third party involved, so provided you havent done a hit and run they wont check, you may get a letter back home to IReland some time in the future, but if yer not coming back dont worry about it.

as for not transferrin ownership, well thats just daft, what dids you expect would happen?

Zambia

Mclovin wrote: »

.........don't judge me.

Sorry to late ...;)

Fancy taking a hit for one last one before you go.

Damn fixed cameras :mad:

Mclovin

I'll just fall back on an old motto i like.........it'll all work out in the end.

I feel better already, thanks for the comments lads!