Speeding fine issued 1.5 years after the event. Isn't there a time limit on issuing speed fines?

Lequitygame on 23/08/2016 - 19:58
Last edited 23/08/2016 - 21:14 by 1 other user

Hey OzBargain,

I assume some of you here are well versed in getting out of fines.
I have received a letter today from the VIC Sheriff's office informing me that I have a $350 fine to pay from a speeding event 1.5 years ago. "Excess speed by less than 10km/h".
This is the first time I have been informed of a monetary fine for this event.
I had been demerited 1 point from my license previously for this event, and the notice noted there was no monetary fine (I have since thrown out the notice, cos 1.5 years).
I have a perfect driving record apart from this event.

Is there a time limit in which fines can be issued from the VIC government departments after an event?

Will my clean driving record get me out of this?

Do I contact the Sheriff's office or Fines VIC or someone else? The notice isn't too clear on the instructions… There are no instructions to dispute the fine on my Sheriff's notice…

Last question, why does VIC love giving out fines to everyone?

Automotive

Comments

  • Savas on 23/08/2016 - 20:03

    If you have a clean license with experience you should be able to get away. Probably some silly dude that needs to bring in money.

  • pasey25 on 23/08/2016 - 20:40
    +8

    How did you lose one demerit and not pay a fine?

    • Haulien on 24/08/2016 - 13:44

      Suckey suckey

    • equitygame on 26/08/2016 - 19:38

      Apparently the fine was sent to one address, and the demerit notification to my real address…

      • tomsco on 27/08/2016 - 08:34
        +1

        I'd question that. When have they ever sent two docs. Fines I've seen have always had the $ amount and the demerit points on the one but of paper.

  • tomsco on 23/08/2016 - 20:41
    +3

    Hmm. Don't imagine this would normally come from the sheriff. Are you 100% certain there was no monetary fine? It's quite unusual for speeding to not have a fine attached.

  • altomic on 23/08/2016 - 20:43
    +2

    you should be able to get a copy of the original fine notice.

  • imcjb on 23/08/2016 - 21:28
    +1

    There would have been a monetary component to the fine as well as the demerit point deduction. You may have thought you had a choice…and chosen the demerit point.

    See more info here.

    http://www.camerassavelives.vic.gov.au/home/fines+and+penalt….

    The fine has already been issued, it's not out of time…it's just you didnt pay it 1.5 years ago when it was issued.

    Fines don't go away….they just keep increasing in value.

    N.B. I would love to invest in some security/derivative that somehow invested in outstanding fines. Might be a nice earner

    • Fredorishi on 24/08/2016 - 08:51
      +1

      This is correct. All fines cost money!!

      Because you didn't pay the original fine, it has been forwarded on to the Sheriff's for collection. The original fine still stands and now you have a bunch of admin fees on top of it. If you had a legitimate reason you didn't pay the original fine, you might have been able to get out of the admin fees. E.g. you moved house, didn't get the fine etc. etc.

      Re the good driver policy, check here. http://www.police.vic.gov.au/content.asp?document_id=10369
      If it's only a one point job and you haven't had a fine in the previous two years, you should be able to get an "official warning"

      I would probably just pay up and use it as a learning experience.

  • 2jzzzz on 23/08/2016 - 21:30
    +1

    Could this be a scam?

    • tonyjzx on 23/08/2016 - 21:35
      +5

      Yes its a legalised govt. scam.

      I was notified that I had an outstanding fine from 3yrs ago and that because of a clerical/computer error I was not informed.

      As a token of goodwill they waived all admin/late fees (!!!) and the fine will just be what it was at the time of the offense (the fine has since gone up).

      So they basically asked me for $120 for something I allegedly did 3yrs ago.

      I paid up. Its not something you can win.

      Pay up. The govt. always gets its pound of flesh.

      • StewBalls on 23/08/2016 - 22:15
        +8

        Centrelink gets my clients all of the time with this one…and I paraphrase a recent one:

        "Dear poor bastard struggling on a DSP, Although you correctly reported your income in the tax years 2001-2003, we incorrectly calculated your payment as $x rather than $y for that period. As a result of this you have incurred a Centrelink debt of $thousands. Contact us immediately blah blah to discuss, if your debt is greater than ($5k) it may be referred to our prosecutions department…blah, blah…our mistake, your problem."

        I fail to understand how they can have recourse for their own error after 7 years, let alone more than a decade. There is clearly no statute of limitations on Government stupidity!!!

        • nikey2k27 on 24/08/2016 - 08:04
          -2

          I one of them keep sent me letter about. i keep give 40.00 it from 2001

        • Stevek1960 on 24/08/2016 - 10:07
          +1

          That is a scam, I got the same from them, rang and was told to ignore as it was a scam.
          Make sure you check with centrelink customer support.

        • MeesusEff on 24/08/2016 - 15:40

          yes! my partner got a mail from them and we were away on holiday, they said he 'should have paid ' X amount of money back, but didnt send an official bill or anything, all they did was send messages to the Mygov account which showed up as 'you have a new message', without saying URGENT. 6 months later, it got referred to debt collectors and had interest charges on top of it wtf. how is your bloody error our problem.

    • equitygame on 26/08/2016 - 19:40

      No, It's real. Checked with Sheriff's office.

  • whooah1979 on 23/08/2016 - 22:09
    +2

    ask them for photos or it didn't happen.

  • inherentchoice on 23/08/2016 - 22:25
    +6

    1.5 years is a pretty quick processing period for Government departments.

    • equitygame on 26/08/2016 - 19:41

      They've never fixed an error this quick before!

  • JOCKz on 24/08/2016 - 08:22
    +1

    Try to sort it out over the phone, but in all honesty it wont be clear off your record unless the government has on record that they have received payment. I've had Citylink errors which i though were clear and have the Sheriffs Office chase me up years later. Had the same thing happen with the Electoral Office too. Both of which were i thought, all done and dusted.

    The Sheriffs Office nowadays are just extortion men for the government. No different to the mafia.

  • Olokun on 24/08/2016 - 09:09
    +1

    Do I contact the Sheriff's office or Fines VIC or someone else?

    If it is with a Sheriff it is no longer a fine and is an enforcement order. The Sheriff's office is not someone you want to mess with or ignore as they can clamp your car or block you renewing your registration etc.

    If you don't want to pay what is owed, then you will need to make a request for revocation, have that denied and then go through the legal process.

    • 973728 on 24/08/2016 - 10:28

      Agree, the next step is a warrant that will prevent you renewing your registration. I had this problem once as the council who issued a parking infringement did not look up my new address with VicRoads. Turns out they had sent all letters + enforcement order to my old address. I was able to prove this and the fine went down from $$$ to $$ and I paid it

      • equitygame on 26/08/2016 - 19:42

        Looks like I have a warrant then haha

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