Received speeding fine from abroad

lucasisking

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I've just received what appears to be a 100 Euro fine from Spain. The photo shows the rental car I hired whilst in Lanzarote a couple months ago on the day I used it, so it is legit. I must have strayed over their 50km limit at some point, although I have no recollection of that. But what should I do?

Can I ignore it?
If I decide to pay up, how do I pay? I can't read the bloody thing!

I've Googled for advice but info is sketchy and contradictory.
 
Ignore it.

Even trying to enforce a speeding ticket between N. Ireland and S. Ireland is nigh on impossible, in fact the Garda now tell you that you can pay only if you want.
 
Would it have an effect on you if you don't pay it and then want to go back to Spain and were pulled by the police for something?
 
Would it have an effect on you if you don't pay it and then want to go back to Spain and were pulled by the police for something?

Maybe if it was his own car, but trying to pin something on a hire car would be very difficult, if not impossible.
 
My first thought is to ignore. I'm not likely to revisit the Canaries again.

The only worry is that the hire company will have my credit card details, so if the Spanish go after them they could recover from me plus whatever charges they want to impose on top. The holiday was ages ago now so I don't have the hire agreement.
 
You don't have to pay it i believe...BUT the rules change soon!
 
Would it have an effect on you if you don't pay it and then want to go back to Spain and were pulled by the police for something?
More than likely wouldn't get back in the country without paying an even bigger fine. Happened to my MIL when she went back to northern Cyprus, got stopped at customs and took ages to sort out. She never knew about the speeding fine in the first place though.

Obviously Spain will most probably be different though.
 
My first thought is to ignore. I'm not likely to revisit the Canaries again.

The only worry is that the hire company will have my credit card details, so if the Spanish go after them they could recover from me plus whatever charges they want to impose on top. The holiday was ages ago now so I don't have the hire agreement.

Not sure if there are different rules for different types of fines but I ran a toll in america and didn't do anything about it as I forgot. A few weeks later I had a charge against my card for the toll and small bit of admin cost. My bank declined it, which I'm sure yours would do too, but I told them to release it at the next attempt to stop any potential future problems.

If you definitely aren't ever going back I probably wouldn't worry too much though
 
I would pay it. If you don't, it will be a permanent blip on your record in that country. It may or may not be checked at immigration (especially into an EU country from Britain), but it will be checked if you're ever involved in any kind of incident involving the police, such as if your car is stolen or you're in an accident. Non-payment of a fine is an offence in itself, and MIGHT be grounds for holding you in gaol until it's cleared up. It's unlikely, but I for one wouldn't risk it.

And as you say, the authorities might be empowered to take it via your credit card, in which case there's bound to be an add-on penalty.
 
@ OP - where you there alone or in company?.....if you were in company how can they prove that it was you driving the hire car?

I can't say how many others have real life experience of this, but I have. Even driving my own car (not a hire car as in this case), there was no way of enforcing me to pay the fine. Yes, if I'm involved in another incident there may be a record, but as a Garda once told me, they have no definitive proof that I either did, or did not pay the fine.
 
The only worry is that the hire company will have my credit card details, so if the Spanish go after them they could recover from me plus whatever charges they want to impose on top. The holiday was ages ago now so I don't have the hire agreement.

call the credit card company and say you lost it, they cant charge a cancelled card.
 
I've just received what appears to be a 100 Euro fine from Spain. The photo shows the rental car I hired whilst in Lanzarote a couple months ago on the day I used it, so it is legit. I must have strayed over their 50km limit at some point, although I have no recollection of that. But what should I do?

Can I ignore it?
If I decide to pay up, how do I pay? I can't read the bloody thing!

I've Googled for advice but info is sketchy and contradictory.

New Spanish laws mean that they will advise the UK:

"An EU Directive is to be implemented so that driving offences committed in one EU country are reported to the EU country of registration of the vehicle in question."

Blog | Legal4Spain

Viva Espana!!!

Ok, ive seen it was a hire car, all the same, they are getting sharper.....need the cash apparently.....
 
im sure they will take it from your CC, no?

Having said that i got a speeding fine a couple years back on a hire a car, which went to an address in the UK and i paid it on my return to spain and discounted too....
 
I suppose you might have morals and want to pay it, but if you can get away with it then I would also understand that sort of thinking.

On the CC front can you not just get a new one, balance transfer the amount on old card and then cancel that card?

Depends on how much you want to avoid it... And the above was just me shooting from the hip on what you could do, not saying you can nor would I judge you either way.
 
Not sure if there are different rules for different types of fines but I ran a toll in america and didn't do anything about it as I forgot.

I did exactly the same, one of those unmanned no credit card ones, no correct money and a queue behind me so I drove through to much clanging and flashing lights

A month or so later I got a fine , I contacted the email address explaining what had happened and they waived it

30 years ago a mate got done for speeding on the last day of his holiday in Florida,was told to pay the fine in the next town, didn't bother

FF 10 years on holiday with his wife and kids, got stopped at customs and it was touch and go whether they put him back on the plane but they eventually let him in
 
30 years ago a mate got done for speeding on the last day of his holiday in Florida,was told to pay the fine in the next town, didn't bother

FF 10 years on holiday with his wife and kids, got stopped at customs and it was touch and go whether they put him back on the plane but they eventually let him in

Urban myth methinks.

I have had an outstanding ticket from Louisiana since 2011. Have came in and out of the US at least 20 times in that time. Never been asked about it.

Maybe since 9/11 they don't worry about speeding tickets anymore.
 

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