Parking fine

jezzer

Folks, I just got a solicitors letter looking for €130 for a parking fine i supposedly received a few months back, i dont recall receiving the fine so i asked the solicitor to send me on the photographic evidence and sure enough it was my car alright, i asked should i not have received notification in the post regarding the fine and the solicitor told me that once the fine is put on the windscreen the council deem it to be enough notification....it says on the fine that if the €60 isnt paid within 28 days it goes up to €90 but out of the blue i get a letter from the solicitor looking for €130? surely this cant be right and they have some sort of an obligation to at least send some sort of reminder to pay the €90? regarding the fine being placed under the wiper sure anyone could whip that off, hardly a secure means of issuing a fine? This process doesnt sound right to me

Caliden

If the letter didn't come from the council it seems like a scam to me.

mikeecho

If it's a parking fine from the council/Gardai you don't get a solicitors letter, you get a summons. For non payment.

Personally... I'd ignore it.
Make no contact whatsoever with them.

jezzer

mikeecho wrote: »

If it's a parking fine from the council/Gardai you don't get a solicitors letter, you get a summons. For non payment.

Personally... I'd ignore it.
Make no contact whatsoever with them.

But they have pictures of my car and they emailed me a copy of the fine, it all looks real to me?

Comhrá

jezzer wrote: »

Folks, I just got a solicitors letter looking for €130 for a parking fine i supposedly received a few months back, i dont recall receiving the fine so i asked the solicitor to send me on the photographic evidence and sure enough it was my car alright, i asked should i not have received notification in the post regarding the fine and the solicitor told me that once the fine is put on the windscreen the council deem it to be enough notification....it says on the fine that if the €60 isnt paid within 28 days it goes up to €90 but out of the blue i get a letter from the solicitor looking for €130? surely this cant be right and they have some sort of an obligation to at least send some sort of reminder to pay the €90? regarding the fine being placed under the wiper sure anyone could whip that off, hardly a secure means of issuing a fine? This process doesnt sound right to me

Did you actually speak to the solicitor who sent you the letter in order to ascertain the validity or otherwise of the demand.

Does the letter specify which authority issued the fine on day one?

mikeecho

Some of these solicitors are actually debt recovery firms with cleverly constructed names.

Ie, the solicitors that write to m50 toll dodgers are not solicitors at all

punisher5112

Was it on public land as in council fine?
Do not ignore as they will summons you to court unless it's a private car park but will still get a judgement against you.

jezzer

tippman1 wrote: »

Did you actually speak to the solicitor who sent you the letter in order to ascertain the validity or otherwise of the demand.

Does the letter specify which authority issued the fine on day one?

yes i called the solicitors office and spoke to someone and they sent me the email with the copy of the parking fine and pics of the car and they have a website... The letter states that it was kildare county council who issued the fine..I just cant understand why I haven't received some sort of notice between the fine being left under the wiper to receiving this solicitors letter

jezzer

punisher5112 wrote: »

Was it on public land as in council fine?
Do not ignore as they will summons you to court unless it's a private car park but will still get a judgement against you.

it seems it was a county council car park

mikeecho

Highly irregular.

Councils issue summons.

They don't threaten with solicitors letters

jezzer

mikeecho wrote: »

Highly irregular.

Councils issue summons.

They don't threaten with solicitors letters

thats what i thought but the solicitor said once they leave the fine under the wiper they deem that sufficient that i have received the notice but surely there should have been some sort of reminder sent by post before receiving a solicitors letter?

CarrickMcJoe

Was it in the north east. Same happened me, but I saw the warden walk past my van as I was doing a pick up. Few months later I get the non payment fine.
Made a few enquires and turned out the wardens sometimes don't bother leaving ticket , just type into their handheld machine but say it may have blown off.
I got off.

jezzer

CarrickMcJoe wrote: »

Was it in the north east. Same happened me, but I saw the warden walk past my van as I was doing a pick up. Few months later I get the non payment fine.
Made a few enquires and turned out the wardens sometimes don't bother leaving ticket , just type into their handheld machine but say it may have blown off.
I got off.

are you serious?? how do they get away with this? this happened to me in kildare, did your non payment fine come from a solicitor? how did you get it sorted?

Amanda.ie

jezzer wrote: »

Folks, I just got a solicitors letter looking for €130 for a parking fine i supposedly received a few months back, i dont recall receiving the fine so i asked the solicitor to send me on the photographic evidence and sure enough it was my car alright, i asked should i not have received notification in the post regarding the fine and the solicitor told me that once the fine is put on the windscreen the council deem it to be enough notification....it says on the fine that if the €60 isnt paid within 28 days it goes up to €90 but out of the blue i get a letter from the solicitor looking for €130? surely this cant be right and they have some sort of an obligation to at least send some sort of reminder to pay the €90? regarding the fine being placed under the wiper sure anyone could whip that off, hardly a secure means of issuing a fine? This process doesnt sound right to me

This might be helpful OP.

Time frame of parking fines issued as of July 01st 2015
Day 1 - Fine issued

Day 10 - Reminder issued

Day 29 - Original fine increases by 50%

Day 57 - Admin fee of €40.00 added to the fine amount

- Court & Warning letter list sent to Solicitors & KCC

- Solicitors warning letter sent for fines not paid within 56 days.

Day 95 - Summons issued

(approximately)

Day 95 - Summons & legal fee of €100.00 added to the fine

(approximately) amount .

https://www.google.ie/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=4&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwjggO3az6DPAhWFLsAKHVJhAG0QFggsMAM&url=http%3A%2F%2Fkildare.ie%2FCountyCouncil%2Froadsandtransportation%2Fpayparking%2F&usg=AFQjCNFjn-kC3B-ZvI92GflSU1s2HNT-xg

punisher5112

Op same thing happened me from fun laoghaire council.

Fine, increase then Solicitor then summons even though get this it had been paid so still have to follow it up.

jezzer

Amanda.ie wrote: »

This might be helpful OP.

Time frame of parking fines issued as of July 01st 2015
Day 1 - Fine issued

Day 10 - Reminder issued

Day 29 - Original fine increases by 50%

Day 57 - Admin fee of €40.00 added to the fine amount

- Court & Warning letter list sent to Solicitors & KCC

- Solicitors warning letter sent for fines not paid within 56 days.

Day 95 - Summons issued

(approximately)

Day 95 - Summons & legal fee of €100.00 added to the fine

(approximately) amount .

https://www.google.ie/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=4&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwjggO3az6DPAhWFLsAKHVJhAG0QFggsMAM&url=http%3A%2F%2Fkildare.ie%2FCountyCouncil%2Froadsandtransportation%2Fpayparking%2F&usg=AFQjCNFjn-kC3B-ZvI92GflSU1s2HNT-xg

Cheers for the info, i see at day 10 you have reminder issued, i had assumed this would be the case but the solicitor told me no, that the fine under the wiper is all that i get

CarrickMcJoe

jezzer wrote: »

CarrickMcJoe wrote: »

Was it in the north east. Same happened me, but I saw the warden walk past my van as I was doing a pick up. Few months later I get the non payment fine.
Made a few enquires and turned out the wardens sometimes don't bother leaving ticket , just type into their handheld machine but say it may have blown off.
I got off.

are you serious?? how do they get away with this? this happened to me in kildare, did your non payment fine come from a solicitor? how did you get it sorted?

No, came from council. I happen to work for 2 people in the fines office.
One said she knew it went on and only 3 months ago the other guy told me the wardens were warned to quit the practice

SBPhoto

mikeecho wrote: »

If it's a parking fine from the council/Gardai you don't get a solicitors letter, you get a summons. For non payment.

Personally... I'd ignore it.
Make no contact whatsoever with them.

Not True if you don't pay the fine in the specified time they hand it over to their solicitor

jezzer

SBPhoto wrote: »

Not True if you don't pay the fine in the specified time they hand it over to their solicitor

but surely i should have had some sort of notification from the council? seems a bit harsh, a fine under the wiper which i never recieved then a solicitors letter for €130 quid

Amanda.ie

jezzer wrote: »

but surely i should have had some sort of notification from the council? seems a bit harsh, a fine under the wiper which i never recieved then a solicitors letter for €130 quid

You should have had notification. Is your car registered to you at your current address?

jezzer

Amanda.ie wrote: »

You should have had notification. Is your car registered to you at your current address?

yes it is, i asked the solicitor this but they told me there is no obligation to send me a notification..

punisher5112

Contact council fine department and tell them they may accept the €90. It has worked for some.

HelgaWard

Maybe contact Kildare County Council directly? Information about parking on their website here http://kildare.ie/CountyCouncil/roadsandtransportation/payparking/

Some of the paid parking is managed by an outside company.

Caliden

If that's legit, it seems like a money making racket to simply notify owners on day 57 and make €130.

At least with penalty points you get an actual letter.


Call the solicitors again and record them admitting that a reminder was not sent.

mikeecho

All corispondance should be directed to the local council

jezzer

punisher5112 wrote: »

Contact council fine department and tell them they may accept the €90. It has worked for some.

thanks i will try that