I already paid!!!

[Somerman]

I had a fine for speeding. I paid it online 12 months ago and received an email confirmation with a long payment ID Number. Subsequently I got further demands/threats from the Courts so I replied, I gave them the email, I rang them up etc but they said they couldn't trace the payment and needed bank details. At that point I stopped trying to help them. I didn't know which card I had used for the payment and besides it was getting ridiculous - I had a receipt from the Courts website and the Courts Accounts dept said it was no good and I didn't like being told I would have to pay twice because they had lost the money. I didn't think I would hear from them again

 

Yesterday I had a Summons to appear in 3 weeks time with threats of Prison or Bailiffs if I didn't pay £85 before then. What do I do? How do I challenge this? the hearing is just to consider how I should pay - not to decide if I paid before or not. I have actually found the bank statement now which shows the payment (luckily I still had it) so I know I paid this fine. I urgently need to challenge this thing and am getting a bit stressed now.

 

TIA

[crem]

If you don't get them to accept you have paid prior to the court date, then simply present your bank statement and confirmation e-mail to the court.

 

Irrelavent as to whether they think the court case is just to consider how you should pay, I don't see how presenting a proof of payment to a court can be anything short of successful!

[Somerman]

Well thanks Crem, you would have thought so, but I have already experienced the Kafkaesque here being told that my email with a 'Payment ID Number' was not proof of payment and did not enable them to trace the payment.

 

And this Court thing - it isn't a judicial process, it's an enforcement hearing or something, so it isn't like there is a debtor and a creditor and the Court decides between the two of us, there is just me and the Court and the Court has already decided I haven't paid them and they aren't going to decide anything against themselves.

 

I had better see a solicitor. At least it's only £85 so I could just pay it and argue about it later.

 

It seems the Courts website was so crap that I failed to enter the correct code for the correct Court and paid Thames Valley Magistrates instead of the right Court but they took the payment, issued an email receipt and there was bugger all I could do about it then.

 

TS