Parking Fine

sbEdge · 23-07-2008 8:39am #1

I just thought I'd ask if anyone here has been in the same situation as I am right now. About 2 weeks ago I got a parking fine in the post, I parked in a Taxi space on Patrick St in Cork, I didn't realise it was a Taxi space, but fair enough, I paid the 40 euro fine the next day. Then this week I get another letter telling me exactly the same thing, parking fine for parking in a Taxi space on Patrick St, same date June 13th, but the time was different, it was 15 minutes later, so basically I was caught twice by two different people for the same offence. I contacted the Garda station and they said that if I feel that getting two fines is unfair I should appeal, and it's then up to the second person who fined me whether they will drop the second fine. I think this is ridiculous, I was illegally parked, fair enough, I paid the fine, but why don't they put a ticket on the car so that nobody else gives another fine? If 20 gardai were to see the car would I get 20 fines? I have written a letter of appeal and enclosed a copy of both letters and a receipt for paying the first fine, hopefully they will drop the second one.

Has anyone else ever been in this situation or heard of anything like this?

Thanks

ojewriej · 23-07-2008 8:43am

I was in a very similar situation few months ago - only my fines were for not displaying TAX disc. I wrote to the superintendent and he cancelled both tickets.

Guards have these handheld devices now to issue the tickets, and they don't print them out anymore.

m@cc@ · 23-07-2008 8:47am

sbEdge wrote: »

I just thought I'd ask if anyone here has been in the same situation as I am right now. About 2 weeks ago I got a parking fine in the post, I parked in a Taxi space on Patrick St in Cork, I didn't realise it was a Taxi space, but fair enough, I paid the 40 euro fine the next day. Then this week I get another letter telling me exactly the same thing, parking fine for parking in a Taxi space on Patrick St, same date June 13th, but the time was different, it was 15 minutes later, so basically I was caught twice by two different people for the same offence. I contacted the Garda station and they said that if I feel that getting two fines is unfair I should appeal, and it's then up to the second person who fined me whether they will drop the second fine. I think this is ridiculous, I was illegally parked, fair enough, I paid the fine, but why don't they put a ticket on the car so that nobody else gives another fine? If 20 gardai were to see the car would I get 20 fines? I have written a letter of appeal and enclosed a copy of both letters and a receipt for paying the first fine, hopefully they will drop the second one.

Has anyone else ever been in this situation or heard of anything like this?

Thanks

You could claiming double jeopardy but I'm not sure if it applies in Irish law.

ShooterSF · 23-07-2008 10:06am

Surely you can only be fined once for an offence. Or else fines are based not on the crime but rather how many cops are on duty at the time.
Reminds me of an argument I used to have with people about speed cameras as I said if I was ever caught on one I'd just keep speeding as any other speed cameras cathcing me would be evidence of the Same action and not a seperate offence

Logic dictates that the fine is based on the offense not on how many times it was spotted.

m@cc@ · 23-07-2008 10:12am

ShooterSF wrote: »

If I was ever caught on one I'd just keep speeding as any other speed cameras cathcing me would be evidence of the Same action and not a seperate offence

Logic dictates that the fine is based on the offense not on how many times it was spotted.

The location is different though, so it could be considered a separate offence.

Saruman · 23-07-2008 10:14am

You can only be fined once.. think about it... You could get clamped, not know... clampers do another round... clamp another wheel. You could come back and find 4 clamps, 4 fines and might have to wait for 4 different clampers to come back to unclamp each wheel

Actually i believe that if you are clamped, they tell you that you do not have to wait around and can come back at your leisure.. i wonder does that mean you can stay illegal parked and they will not clamp you again even after taking off the clamp?

m@cc@ wrote: »

The location is different though, so it could be considered a separate offence.

Hate to break it to you but that suffers from a lack of logic

Did you not hear abut the poor woman who lost her license in the first few weeks of the penalty points? She kept clocking up points in different locations one day (may have been over a few days) and they arrived one by one and she clocked up enough to lose her license.

Think of it another way... murder is an offense.. I doubt someone who murders 5 people in one go can complain about 5 life sentences on the basis that he only commit the one crime

biko · 23-07-2008 10:21am

You can get fined more than once. If you leave the car longer (like days) the fines will rack up, and should. Twice in one day is a bit much but it depends on location, are you blocking an entrance or business? Don't chance it in the city centre.

m@cc@ · 23-07-2008 10:49am

Saruman wrote: »

Hate to break it to you but that suffers from a lack of logic Did you not hear abut the poor woman who lost her license in the first few weeks of the penalty points? She kept clocking up points in different locations one day (may have been over a few days) and they arrived one by one and she clocked up enough to lose her license.

Think of it another way... murder is an offense.. I doubt someone who murders 5 people in one go can complain about 5 life sentences on the basis that he only commit the one crime

Sorry, my wording was bad. I was agreeing with you. I meant same offence just in a different location.

sbEdge · 23-07-2008 10:54am

m@cc@ wrote: »

Sorry, my wording was bad. I was agreeing with you. I meant same offence just in a different location.

No it was the same location, the car was parked in the same place for about an hour, one fine was recorded 15 minutes after the first.

m@cc@ · 23-07-2008 10:59am

sbEdge wrote: »

No it was the same location, the car was parked in the same place for about an hour, one fine was recorded 15 minutes after the first.

My original post was in reference to the guy who went past a number of speed cameras.

Steve_o · 23-07-2008 11:04am

sbEdge wrote: »

I just thought I'd ask if anyone here has been in the same situation as I am right now. About 2 weeks ago I got a parking fine in the post, I parked in a Taxi space on Patrick St in Cork, I didn't realise it was a Taxi space, but fair enough, I paid the 40 euro fine the next day. Then this week I get another letter telling me exactly the same thing, parking fine for parking in a Taxi space on Patrick St, same date June 13th, but the time was different, it was 15 minutes later, so basically I was caught twice by two different people for the same offence. I contacted the Garda station and they said that if I feel that getting two fines is unfair I should appeal, and it's then up to the second person who fined me whether they will drop the second fine. I think this is ridiculous, I was illegally parked, fair enough, I paid the fine, but why don't they put a ticket on the car so that nobody else gives another fine? If 20 gardai were to see the car would I get 20 fines? I have written a letter of appeal and enclosed a copy of both letters and a receipt for paying the first fine, hopefully they will drop the second one.

Has anyone else ever been in this situation or heard of anything like this?

Thanks

Aye this happened to me in Limerick last year only in a pay and display car park, sent the letters the same as you did and the second fine was dropped. They were nice about too, they said that it was unusual to have two ticket inspectors in the one place within 20 mins!

Parking Fine

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