Not stopping at stop sign fine... what do I do?

[owen]

Well once again I am in need of some non-camera related help.

Today to my surprise I received a notice from the State Debt Recovery Office, apparently it is a Penalty Reminder Notice. I don't know what I'm meant to be reminded about as I never recieved anything initially.

Anyway, the fine says that I was in Newtown on the 14th of July at 7:28 PM. It seems a bit hard since I made this post at 6:22pm that same night, from Nowra. Gary or one of the admins if it is possible, can you please PM me the IP that this post was posted from so I can determine if I did in fact post it from home? (don't really know where I would have posted from if not from here or work.)

Anyway, what should I do about this notice? I want to write a letter but the only option they gave me are to pay the fine or go to court... any advice is welcome.

Thanks,
Owen.

I might add that they want $179.00 for it. Thomas Street in Newtown.... anyone have any ideas where that is, or any photos that might jog my memory?

[phillipb]

Owen,
I can't really help you with your problem, I'm currently helping my daughter with a disputed speed fine. In her case, the photo clearly shows that it is her car but the date in question is wrong. They claim it was on the 14th but she was there on the 15th. Her claim is that if the camera was mulfunctioning for the date then it could have also been malfunctioning for the speed.
No reply as yet.
If you have proof of your whereabouts at the time of the infringment, you may have a case.

[shakey]

Use the Marcus Einfeld defence

Go to court...Say Therese Brennan was driving your car at the time, and she has unfortunately died in the meantime, or possibly even before she was driving your car, but there is someone else with a similar name who could have been driving your car but has also died.

Sorry to be so flippant..

[Ivanerrol]

Guilty until proven innocent.

You really need stong evidence to go against these types of cases.

I have been caught by a speed camera where there is no dispute that it was my car - its easy to make out myself as the driver of the car in the picture. However wrong date.
I could prove that I was 120 kms away on the day in question.

This was a few years ago and at the time the government were very intent on keeping their income stream unsullied. Under advice at that time it was easier to pay the fine than get mired in legal issues that would have taken time and money and required third party witnesses that would have needed to travel 120 Km round trips for court appearence get signed stat decs etc etc.

The government here in Victoria have only back peddalled since a case was bought out publicly by the media last year where an old bomb was supposed to be doing over 160 on a freeway.

[obzelite]

Owen,
I can't really help you with your problem, I'm currently helping my daughter with a disputed speed fine. In her case, the photo clearly shows that it is her car but the date in question is wrong. They claim it was on the 14th but she was there on the 15th. Her claim is that if the camera was mulfunctioning for the date then it could have also been malfunctioning for the speed.
No reply as yet.
If you have proof of your whereabouts at the time of the infringment, you may have a case.

dont know the laws over there, but in WA any errors in the information related to the image will get you off.
Got a friend who does database stuff for the WA Police and he says a whole heap of pictures never make it out of the office as they have wrong times, wrong dates and wrong locations. All that info is on the film so its useless for court as its incorrect evidence.
And now due to the number of people who contest fines, because of errors, all the fines now go out with the photos on them.

[gstark]

Owen,

Gary or one of the admins if it is possible, can you please PM me the IP that this post was posted from so I can determine if I did in fact post it from home?

PM Sent.

I'd be talking with my local MLA about this. Especially if he's Labor, given the fact that there's an election in 6 months time.

The Debt Recovery Office have a reputation for incompetence on a grand scale: they make Telstra look like a model of modern efficiency, and getting through to somebody who matter - and who cares - is simply not a possibility.

[owen]

Thanks Gary, will do. But uhh... excuse my ignorance, what's an MLA?

[Jenno]

Member of the Legislative Assembly....your local state politician in other words

Ray

[owen]

Ah ha. I'll go see her tomorrow

[stubbsy]

Owen I had a similar problem last year. I live in Newcastle and had a failure to pay toll fine sent to me for the Sydney harbour bridge at 2pm on a weekday. While I go to Sydney from time to time I was at work at that time in Newcastle. I sent the notice back and appealed against the fine as per the instructions with the notice explaining the impossibility of the event and pointing out the car had been with me at all times. That's the last I heard of it. I didn't get asked for proof of me being at work (which I could have provided) or anything else.

[Wocka]

Owen,

My father-in-law received a reminder notice for parking his motobike on the footpath. He lives in Newcastle and the fine was for a motorbike in Bondi.

I can't remember if it was a work day, but he wrote to them saying this was not him as he lives / works in Newcastle and the location of the fine etc. They didn't persue the infringement any further.

Your in Nowra, but the 14th was a Friday, so it is possible you were going to Sydney for the weekend? If you decide to write to the State Debt Recovery Office, say you live in Nowra, was at work until 5:30 PM ( or what ever time ) and have witness's saying you were there and will sign a stat dec to confirm the situation.

At 7.28M you could be in Sydney from Nowra? But you would be speeding and perhaps that's how you got there so fast. You didn't stop at stop signs .

Hope it goes well.

Cheers,

[owen]

THanks everyone. Wocka the thing is that I posted on this forum at 6:30 that same night, I couldn't make that trip in an hour even if I was trying to. Thanks for the advice though, I think I'll write to them first.

Cheers,
Owen.

[owen]

Well guys, I got a letter back stating that the fine was incorrectly issued to me. Thanks for all the advice

Cheers,
Owen.

[christiand]

Running red light:

A few years ago my motorcycle had been running a red light (NOT)
I was in Sydney doing a job that day, the motorcycle was in the garage and nobody had been riding it.
That is exactly what I wrote to them and no fine.

Cheers,
CD

[beetleboy]

Makes you wonder how many people just pay the fine and forget about it...wonder how often they get reimbursed?

Probably just me being cynical!

[Geoff]

Great outcome Owen - good news, well done!

[gstark]

Probably just me being cynical!

You ????


Owen,

A good and just result. Well done.