Motor tax court summons

Culture1

Hi all, long story short. My car was crocked off the road but not signed off the road. My tax was also out too. Now I only had funds to pay for 1 or the other so obviously with 3 kids and work I needed my car unfortunately this meant driving for a week with tax 2 months out if date. I got pulled over and fined. I didn't have the money coming to me to pay the fine but knew I would have it to pay the second notice. So I waited for the cash to come through stupidly I Miscounted the dates and went a day over the cut off and got myself a court summons. What happens now? I've never been to court. We are a low income family and can't afford a huge fine. What's the norm here does anyone know?

Stheno

Culture1 wrote: »

Hi all, long story short. My car was crocked off the road but not signed off the road. My tax was also out too. Now I only had funds to pay for 1 or the other so obviously with 3 kids and work I needed my car unfortunately this meant driving for a week with tax 2 months out if date. I got pulled over and fined. I didn't have the money coming to me to pay the fine but knew I would have it to pay the second notice. So I waited for the cash to come through stupidly I Miscounted the dates and went a day over the cut off and got myself a court summons. What happens now? I've never been to court. We are a low income family and can't afford a huge fine. What's the norm here does anyone know?

Have you paid the tax including arrears and have a receipt to prove it?

Grass between the tracks

A fine in the order of a couple of hundred euro or a few days in jail in default.

first58

Go to court where you will probably get a fine for 500 euro or so, contact the warrents officer in your local garda station and agree a weekly amount that you can afford until the fine is paid off...job done, its not a big deal at all.

AnarchistKen

Pay arrears and have it taxed going into court. First appearance and no previous should get probation act with a bit of luck. Worse case a small fine payable in up to 90 days

Stheno

If OP has paid the arrears and car is currently taxed, and they talk to the gardai on the summons, they may drop it.

Nedser101

Just go to the fines office and pay the fine plus penalty .then show up for court and how the clerk or who is ever looking after the case and it will be most likely struck out

Grass between the tracks

Stheno wrote: »

If OP has paid the arrears and car is currently taxed, and they talk to the gardai on the summons, they may drop it.

Nedser101 wrote: »

Just go to the fines office and pay the fine plus penalty .then show up for court and how the clerk or who is ever looking after the case and it will be most likely struck out

Neither of these courses of action is possible now. Garda has no authority to drop the summons and the fine cannot be now paid.

Nedser101

Grass between the tracks wrote: »

Neither of these courses of action is possible now. Garda has no authority to drop the summons and the fine cannot be now paid.

That is incorrect I've been there on two occasions where I was able to pay fines after a summons was issued . OP just try and pay fine .if fines office doesn't take your. Money just bring proof that you tried .you should be fine if its a first offence.

Stheno

Nedser101 wrote: »

That is incorrect I've been there on two occasions where I was able to pay fines after a summons was issued . OP just try and pay fine .if fines office doesn't take your. Money just bring proof that you tried .you should be fine if its a first offence.

Same here I was summonsed for non display of an insurance disk (I'd left it at home and wasn't around to actually get to the police station) and when I contacted the garda with the details it was dropped.

Wicklowandy

The original fine is unpayable now.

Tax and pay ALL arrears (dont attempt to declare it off the road) and talk to the guard in court, he may or may not let it stand, you could catch a break, you probably wont, its an easy prosecution.

Have your arrears receipt and current tax disc in court and when you get your chance to speak, be honest about your situation and apologetic. Every district judge is different, but many see the financial trouble people are in at the moment.

Good luck with it. As i said every district is different (check your local paper;you may get an idea of fines for similar offences) but prepare well, and of course dress respectably and sit through the full sitting until youre called.

If youve everything in order now arrears etc., and not a regular in court, you'll get a smallish fine. Its just worth taxing it in future though, the cost of a day off work, arrears, possible fine and if its seized release and storage fees make skimping on tax a false economy.

Culture1

Thing is the car needed so much work I ended up just trading it in and got myself a newer car which is in tax now I've records showing I called the payments office on the day to make payment over phone. They also show me calling the 2 guard stations in Galway about this. I also sent them a postal order which they sent back I've a copy of that and a receipt for that too