Speeding

[suebids]

Has anyone else been sent a 'notification' which couldn't possibly be them? Received a 300euro fine for speeding in a place we have never heard of!! We had the hire car they quoted but it wasn't us!!

Any ideas what I should do about it please?

[kenbowns]

You could contact the car rental Company who should be able to verify the dates which you were using that particular car and more importantly the dates that you were NOT using it, also do you still have the contract that you signed as proof or even any email confirmations.

HTH, Ken

[Chrisdee]

There was a scam or is a scam in the UK where people use hire car registrations on false plates to avoid the London congestion charge, perhaps it's something similar.

[maddy]

We've had a speeding fine for a car that we'd part-exchanged 10mths before at the Citroen Dealers. As we were spending a lot of time in the UK we missed the first couple of demands but were in when the denuncia arrived! We quickly learned that you have to deal with these fines very quickly as the amount keeps going up and up!! Fortunately they managed to get the new owners to cough up and the dealers dealt with everything else (as they should) but I found it a bit alarming that after all that time the car was still in my name.

[Drewth]

If you are resident in Spain, this can become a nightmare. May I strongly recommend that you consult an abogado or gestor and have them sort it out for you, plenty of them who speak and offer services to the English speaking population advertise in the free press. Once registered, the fine will grow and grow and your name will be posted as a debtor in your ayuntamiento on the boletin board.
Legal services in Spain are cheaper than in the UK.

[suebids]

Thanks for all suggestions. We are in UK but a Spanish friend has spoken to Trafico for us and they have asked for it in writing but have said that it is the reponsibility of the car rental company to help sort it out. I have chased the car company and they say that the manager thinks there is a mistake so they are checking their records - meanwhile the clock ticks!! Don't know what else to try!

[GAL]

Keep on to them ring em a few times every day hopefully they will get so sick of your voice

I do know of a freind in Yecla who this happened to but never did find out the outcome will contact him and post his reply

[Drewth]

Again, I strongly recommend a lawyer. If the fine is registered your name will apear on the Boletin board and the debt, whether correctly imposed or not, will grow and grow and be attached to anything in Spain the authorities can find to attach it to - normally your property here if you own one. And there it will sit, growing daily.

Debtors on our community who have had non payment of community charges registered against them are finding this out to their horror. The registered debt grows at a rate of 5% a day once the court has recorded it. Any form of unlawful debt is a bad thing to have in Spain and not tackling the problem head on and when it is current will result in terrible grief later on. I assure you, the matter will not go away.

If you are in the UK or elsewhere, just find a local English speaking lawyer here to deal with the issue. If you speak Spanish, any lawyer will. If you pay taxes in Spain and have a gestor or agent etc who handles them, ask them for assistance. The car hire company don't care about you. All they will want to do is to offload the debt.

[suebids]

Hi Drewth
Thanks for that - our first 30 days are up very soon so we will contact our solicitor.
Sue

[boybodyi]

Ive had this and it was a hired car that I didnt even know the company. Had to find the hire company and get them to go back in their books to prove it wasnt me. Could not believe how they got my name and address? Makes you wonder

[suebids]

Interestingly the hire company have been very helpful to date!! Have made calls on our behalf, written letters in Spanish and emailed them to me to copy and sign and always returned every call!
Problem still not resolved because I am waiting for 'evidence' in the from of a radar photo from Trafico - this should be interesting because although we had that car at that time we were NOT at that place!! MILES away.

Will let you know what happens!!