Gardai hunting for expired motor tax in car parks

Ardent

Just got a lovely letter from AGS advising me of a 60 euro fine due to my car (sitting in the train station car park) having an expired tax disc.

Talk about sneaky. Never heard of this before, is this a new phenomenon?

whats sneaky about catching you dodging tax

Becoming a bit of a parody of themselves.

Paddy@CIRL

I'd imagine you're not going to get a lot of sympathy here, OP.

We all know how the system works, so when you get caught you need to take your punishment and get on with it.

lanciadub

Ardent wrote: »

Just got a lovely letter from AGS advising me of a 60 euro fine due to my car (sitting in the train station car park) having an expired tax disc.

Talk about sneaky. Never heard of this before, is this a new phenomenon?

no defo not a new phenomenon , I had something similar happen about 15 years ago while parked up on a street .
If its in a public place with no tax you're fair game ..

kdevitt

Ardent wrote: »

Just got a lovely letter from AGS advising me of a 60 euro fine due to my car (sitting in the train station car park) having an expired tax disc.

Talk about sneaky. Never heard of this before, is this a new phenomenon?

I would have thought this presented a minor legal issue for the Gardai - given it’s presumably private land. They can do you entering or leaving.

We barely ever see gardai near where I live - yet they pretty regularly park themselves at a nearby level crossing to check on tax and insurance discs of the stationary traffic. Don’t have a massive issue with it - but would probably rather they prioritize patrols to try and deter the amount of daytime burglaries going on.

Rubberchikken

im no fan of AGS but pay tax when its due and avoid letters for fine.

Isambard

kdevitt wrote: »

I would have thought this presented a minor legal issue for the Gardai - given it’s presumably private land. They can do you entering or leaving.

We barely ever see gardai near where I live - yet they pretty regularly park themselves at a nearby level crossing to check on tax and insurance discs of the stationary traffic. Don’t have a massive issue with it - but would probably rather they prioritize patrols to try and deter the amount of daytime burglaries going on.

public place requires tax disc afaik.

kdevitt

Isambard wrote: »

public place requires tax disc afaik.

I think it’s only a public place if admission is free of charge, which I’m purely assuming wasn’t the case here. Someone more knowledgeable might chime in hopefully.

1874

Ardent wrote: »

Just got a lovely letter from AGS advising me of a 60 euro fine due to my car (sitting in the train station car park) having an expired tax disc.

Talk about sneaky. Never heard of this before, is this a new phenomenon?

when you say an expired disc, how expired? a week, a month, 3 months, despite there being no grace, Id be sympathetic up to a month, but a few weeks over is normally enough to get it sorted, and I think they should be out sorting out more serious problems than this.

GM228

kdevitt wrote: »

I think it’s only a public place if admission is free of charge, which I’m purely assuming wasn’t the case here. Someone more knowledgeable might chime in hopefully.

Once the public has access it's a public place whether or not there is a fee.

‘public place’ means any street, road or other place to which the public have access with mechanically propelled vehicles as of right or by permission and whether subject to or free of charge

And motor tax is a requirement in a public place.

RobbieMD

kdevitt wrote: »

I would have thought this presented a minor legal issue for the Gardai - given it’s presumably private land. They can do you entering or leaving.

We barely ever see gardai near where I live - yet they pretty regularly park themselves at a nearby level crossing to check on tax and insurance discs of the stationary traffic. Don’t have a massive issue with it - but would probably rather they prioritize patrols to try and deter the amount of daytime burglaries going on.

In the Act, public place is defined as-

“public place” means any street, road or other place to which the public have access with vehicles whether as of right or by permission and whether subject to or free of charge;

Effects

GM228 wrote: »

Once the public has access it's a public place whether or not there is a fee.

The public can access my front garden, without paying a fee. That doesn't make it a public space.

Guy:Incognito

w211 wrote: »

If you park your car, it can be without tax, insurance or NCT.

Not in a public place it cant.

upinsmoke

Also I'm pretty sure traffic wardens can give you a ticket for no tax so was probably them

Effects

upinsmoke wrote: »

Also I'm pretty sure traffic wardens can give you a ticket for no tax so was probably them

Do we even have traffic wardens these days? Apart for the guys in the clamping vans, who can't fine you for tax as far as I know.

Riesen_Meal

Effects wrote: »

Do we even have traffic wardens these days? Apart for the guys in the clamping vans, who can't fine you for tax as far as I know.

Yeah sure I do often see them around where I used to live nearly daily...

Squidgy Black

Effects wrote: »

Do we even have traffic wardens these days? Apart for the guys in the clamping vans, who can't fine you for tax as far as I know.

Local authorities like DCC/DLR etc are traffic wardens, and can fine for not displaying a valid tax disc. You're thinking of private operators like NPCS.

GM228

Effects wrote: »

The public can access my front garden, without paying a fee. That doesn't make it a public space.

"As of right or by permission" qualifies the definition of a public place, in any case it is long held by the courts that the garden of a private dwelling is not a public place.

galwaytt

Effects wrote: »

Do we even have traffic wardens these days? Apart for the guys in the clamping vans, who can't fine you for tax as far as I know.

Sis-in-law got not one, but two tickets from wardens in Galway over the weekend, tut-tut. Would have been cheaper to tax the car at this rate.....

James Bond Junior

Effects wrote: »

Do we even have traffic wardens these days? Apart for the guys in the clamping vans, who can't fine you for tax as far as I know.

We have ornamental ones in Limerick.

Alun

They should check for bald tyres as well while they're at it, they'd make a killing.

GM228

w211 wrote: »

If you park your car, it can be without tax, insurance or NCT.

Incorrect, you can't use your car in a public place without all three, "use" includes park.

endacl

Always thought that strolling through car parks would be a much more efficient and effect way of checking tax.

Fair play.

Sleeper12

Isambard wrote:

public place requires tax disc afaik.

And insurance

GM228

w211 wrote: »

I have rights to remove all these discs on car park, because these are necessary only on road. Load of trouble to remove but next time I will.

Again incorrect, you are also required to display them in a public place. (The exception being for an insurance disc, but only for the first 10 days of the policy).

upinsmoke

upinsmoke wrote: »

Also I'm pretty sure traffic wardens can give you a ticket for no tax so was probably them

Traffic Warden sticks a notice on the car though, you don't get a letter.


Besides, OP says it was from AGS so.




OP Must live in a lovely area, that there's no malicious crime to investigate, freeing up Garda time to wander around car parks.

Paudee

James Bond Junior wrote: »

We have ornamental ones in Limerick.

I've gotten three in the last year outside my house when I've forgotten to display the residents permit. They're very active in certain areas of the city.

GM228

w211 wrote: »

It is a f... parking.

Even if it is a "f... parking" whatever that is it is still required to be displayed in a public car park!

elperello

Deleted User wrote: »

Traffic Warden sticks a notice on the car though, you don't get a letter.


Besides, OP says it was from AGS so.




OP Must live in a lovely area, that there's no malicious crime to investigate, freeing up Garda time to wander around car parks.

To be fair without some level of enforcement the State would lose a lot of revenue.
I think our motor tax system is in need of complete reform but for now it is what it is and it's not fair to blame AGS for enforcing it.

elperello

elperello wrote: »

[/B]

To be fair without some level of enforcement the State would lose a lot of revenue.
I think our motor tax system is in need of complete reform but for now it is what it is and it's not fair to blame AGS for enforcing it.

Then send Revenue officers around the car parks looking to issue fines?


I'm sick to the teeth of calling the Gardai and have them show up hours later or not at all, or hear about how they're busy at the moment, and then you see the cnuts wandering around car parks and doing people for drink driving on the way to work the following day.


I made a 999 call last summer to a break in ongoing in my house that my dad (who was at home) alerted me to. The Gardai didn't even show up. A 999 call to a break in to a house where the would-be burglars knew there was a pensioner alone inside, and the Gardai were too busy to bother their hole. Keep in mind we have heard many a time of old fellas at home alone when a burglar strikes, and they end up severely beaten or killed.


Thankfully I got home in time and managed to sort things out, but I waited 2 hours for the Gardai before ringing again to see what they were at (which was when they told me they'd "get to me soon" but they're busy).


As an aside, I work for the local papers; nothing of note was happening. No big crime scene to attend at the time.


It really irks me when I see stupid stuff like this. A legitimately useless police force.

KaneToad

kdevitt wrote: »

I think it’s only a public place if admission is free of charge, which I’m purely assuming wasn’t the case here. Someone more knowledgeable might chime in hopefully.

Was the policeman wearing his hat at the time? Did he also issue the fine in Irish, if not, challenge it all the way to the supreme court.

Simple_Simone

Deleted User wrote: »

OP Must live in a lovely area, that there's no malicious crime to investigate, freeing up Garda time to wander around car parks.

:rolleyes:

Or perhaps - and bear with me here, because this is complicated and I'm not trying to overload your somewhat limited imagination - they were in the station car park to investigate a crime.

Simple_Simone

Simple_Simone wrote: »

:rolleyes:

Or perhaps - and bear with me here, because this is complicated and I'm not trying to overload your somewhat limited imagination - they were in the station car park to investigate a crime.

Imagination is the apt word alright.


That's not how policing works. You don't show up to investigate a crime and 'sure while we're here' grab a few people for no tax.

McCrack

Deleted User wrote: »

Then send Revenue officers around the car parks looking to issue fines?


I'm sick to the teeth of calling the Gardai and have them show up hours later or not at all, or hear about how they're busy at the moment, and then you see the cnuts wandering around car parks and doing people for drink driving on the way to work the following day.


I made a 999 call last summer to a break in ongoing in my house that my dad (who was at home) alerted me to. The Gardai didn't even show up. A 999 call to a break in to a house where the would-be burglars knew there was a pensioner alone inside, and the Gardai were too busy to bother their hole. Keep in mind we have heard many a time of old fellas at home alone when a burglar strikes, and they end up severely beaten or killed.


Thankfully I got home in time and managed to sort things out, but I waited 2 hours for the Gardai before ringing again to see what they were at (which was when they told me they'd "get to me soon" but they're busy).


As an aside, I work for the local papers; nothing of note was happening. No big crime scene to attend at the time.


It really irks me when I see stupid stuff like this. A legitimately useless police force.

The fact you refer to the Gardai as cnuts says a lot about you

Simple_Simone

Deleted User wrote: »

Imagination is the apt word alright.

That's not how policing works. You don't show up to investigate a crime and 'sure while we're here' grab a few people for no tax.

Sincere apologies, I hadn't realised that you had obtained the Diploma in Garda and Policing Studies.

4ensic15

kdevitt wrote: »

I would have thought this presented a minor legal issue for the Gardai - given it’s presumably private land. They can do you entering or leaving.

We barely ever see gardai near where I live - yet they pretty regularly park themselves at a nearby level crossing to check on tax and insurance discs of the stationary traffic. Don’t have a massive issue with it - but would probably rather they prioritize patrols to try and deter the amount of daytime burglaries going on.

It might be private land but it is a public place.

4ensic15

kdevitt wrote: »

I think it’s only a public place if admission is free of charge, which I’m purely assuming wasn’t the case here. Someone more knowledgeable might chime in hopefully.

Doesn't matter whether there is a charge or not. Once it is open to a substantial number of the public being entitled to drive into it,

ebbsy

McCrack wrote: »

Deleted User wrote: »

Then send Revenue officers around the car parks looking to issue fines?


I'm sick to the teeth of calling the Gardai and have them show up hours later or not at all, or hear about how they're busy at the moment, and then you see the cnuts wandering around car parks and doing people for drink driving on the way to work the following day.


I made a 999 call last summer to a break in ongoing in my house that my dad (who was at home) alerted me to. The Gardai didn't even show up. A 999 call to a break in to a house where the would-be burglars knew there was a pensioner alone inside, and the Gardai were too busy to bother their hole. Keep in mind we have heard many a time of old fellas at home alone when a burglar strikes, and they end up severely beaten or killed.


Thankfully I got home in time and managed to sort things out, but I waited 2 hours for the Gardai before ringing again to see what they were at (which was when they told me they'd "get to me soon" but they're busy).


As an aside, I work for the local papers; nothing of note was happening. No big crime scene to attend at the time.


It really irks me when I see stupid stuff like this. A legitimately useless police force.

The fact you refer to the Gardai as cnuts says a lot about you

The gardai are completely useless. Not worth a ****e. Good at setting up checkpoints and arresting lads with €5 of cannabis though.

Ubbquittious

I always thought it was parking attendants that would find untaxed cars and rat them to the guards. Didnt think guards would go through the trouble to do it themselves

Cee-Jay-Cee

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Then send Revenue officers around the car parks looking to issue fines?


I'm sick to the teeth of calling the Gardai and have them show up hours later or not at all, or hear about how they're busy at the moment, and then you see the cnuts wandering around car parks and doing people for drink driving on the way to work the following day.


I made a 999 call last summer to a break in ongoing in my house that my dad (who was at home) alerted me to. The Gardai didn't even show up. A 999 call to a break in to a house where the would-be burglars knew there was a pensioner alone inside, and the Gardai were too busy to bother their hole. Keep in mind we have heard many a time of old fellas at home alone when a burglar strikes, and they end up severely beaten or killed.


Thankfully I got home in time and managed to sort things out, but I waited 2 hours for the Gardai before ringing again to see what they were at (which was when they told me they'd "get to me soon" but they're busy).


As an aside, I work for the local papers; nothing of note was happening. No big crime scene to attend at the time.


It really irks me when I see stupid stuff like this. A legitimately useless police force.

Wow....So the Gardai that didn’t show up for your 999 call are the same ones that gave the OP a ticket for no tax? How did you find that out???

I once called a plumber to fix my leaking tap. He never showed up despite telling me that he’d be there within an hour. Two years later I was in Dublin and I seen a plumbers van being broken into, I could have prevented it but because of the problem I had two years previously I thought **** it, you deserve to have the van broken into.

I think my story is more ridiculous than yours but yours is not far behind it.

RacoonQueen

Deleted User wrote: »

Then send Revenue officers around the car parks looking to issue fines?


I'm sick to the teeth of calling the Gardai and have them show up hours later or not at all, or hear about how they're busy at the moment, and then you see the cnuts wandering around car parks and doing people for drink driving on the way to work the following day.


I made a 999 call last summer to a break in ongoing in my house that my dad (who was at home) alerted me to. The Gardai didn't even show up. A 999 call to a break in to a house where the would-be burglars knew there was a pensioner alone inside, and the Gardai were too busy to bother their hole. Keep in mind we have heard many a time of old fellas at home alone when a burglar strikes, and they end up severely beaten or killed.


Thankfully I got home in time and managed to sort things out, but I waited 2 hours for the Gardai before ringing again to see what they were at (which was when they told me they'd "get to me soon" but they're busy).


As an aside, I work for the local papers; nothing of note was happening. No big crime scene to attend at the time.


It really irks me when I see stupid stuff like this. A legitimately useless police force.

I don't think the 'roads policing' unit are the same ones that turn up for burglaries. There are different units within the Guards. So, you work for the local newspaper which means you know that they can't possibly have been doing anything else? Like investigating other crimes? Maybe some of them are drugs unit, maybe some a child protective services...could have been busy doing any manner of other investigations. They don't work solely on crimes that are happening RIGHT NOW you know.

Anyway. Not having your car taxed and being over the limit driving to work the next day are against the law. Too right they are out catching people for doing it. I'm glad our police force use some of their resources on this, pity they don't have more resources to do it more and catch more unlicensed/uninsured/no NCT people while they're at it.

Cee-Jay-Cee

Cee-Jay-Cee wrote: »

Wow....So the Gardai that didn’t show up for your 999 call are the same ones that gave the OP a ticket for no tax? How did you find that out???

I know a lot of the Gardai in the station. As I say, at the time, I worked for the local papers, so would be around them a lot.


I've nothing against the Gardai as individual people. Generally decent people. But they can not (and never in my experience have) offered a proper policing service.


I posted THIS in a different thread recently. Same opinion of them.


I've called Gardai many times, for many various issues in my life. Only ever had to call 999 (ie; an actual emergency) twice in my life, and neither time did they show up.


They give out about lack of funding, not enough resources, etc. then they wander around car parks doing people for no tax.



This thread that's currently trending the boards homepage paints a good picture of our lads in blue:


https://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2057959044

RocketRaccoon

I've seen them checking in the underground car park of a Limerick shopping centre.

RacoonQueen

RacoonQueen wrote: »

I don't think the 'roads policing' unit are the same ones that turn up for burglaries. There are different units within the Guards. So, you work for the local newspaper which means you know that they can't possibly have been doing anything else? Like investigating other crimes? Maybe some of them are drugs unit, maybe some a child protective services...could have been busy doing any manner of other investigations. They don't work solely on crimes that are happening RIGHT NOW you know.

Anyway. Not having your car taxed and being over the limit driving to work the next day are against the law. Too right they are out catching people for doing it. I'm glad our police force use some of their resources on this, pity they don't have more resources to do it more and catch more unlicensed/uninsured/no NCT people while they're at it.

Just incase I'm picking you up wrong, you are giving the impression that you believe the Gardai should prioritise checking tax discs over a 999 call to a burglary in progress at a pensioner's home?




As an aside, I do know what was going on in the station's district at the time. A small (non-malicious) fire in a housing estate, that was already extinguished and fire service on scene.

AllForIt

It never fails to amaze me the number of ppl I meet in everyday life, not just on this thread, who talk about the Guards catching wrongdoers on the roads as if it were some kind of immoral thing to do.

Sorry, I'm dragging this tread off topic. My apologies.

My point was that I feel it's a bit poor for the Gardai to not offer a proper policing service for malicious crime, and cry about resources, but then at the same time patrol car parks for tax discs, whilst claiming they're snowed under with work.

I think I've made my point on it, so i'll leave it be.

cursai

Jesus. They can do no right. A thankless job.

An Ri rua

Cee-Jay-Cee wrote: »

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Then send Revenue officers around the car parks looking to issue fines?


I'm sick to the teeth of calling the Gardai and have them show up hours later or not at all, or hear about how they're busy at the moment, and then you see the cnuts wandering around car parks and doing people for drink driving on the way to work the following day.


I made a 999 call last summer to a break in ongoing in my house that my dad (who was at home) alerted me to. The Gardai didn't even show up. A 999 call to a break in to a house where the would-be burglars knew there was a pensioner alone inside, and the Gardai were too busy to bother their hole. Keep in mind we have heard many a time of old fellas at home alone when a burglar strikes, and they end up severely beaten or killed.


Thankfully I got home in time and managed to sort things out, but I waited 2 hours for the Gardai before ringing again to see what they were at (which was when they told me they'd "get to me soon" but they're busy).


As an aside, I work for the local papers; nothing of note was happening. No big crime scene to attend at the time.


It really irks me when I see stupid stuff like this. A legitimately useless police force.

Wow....So the Gardai that didn’t show up for your 999 call are the same ones that gave the OP a ticket for no tax? How did you find that out???

I once called a plumber to fix my leaking tap. He never showed up despite telling me that he’d be there within an hour. Two years later I was in Dublin and I seen a plumbers van being broken into, I could have prevented it but because of the problem I had two years previously I thought **** it, you deserve to have the van broken into.

I think my story is more ridiculous than yours but yours is not far behind it.

I think that's a bit unfair. And ridiculous. Gardai ARE set targets. As are Revenue staff. X amount of this crime, Y amount of that etc. Divisions are compared.
Get real if you think it's not management by numbers.
Sure, there's lots of great Gardai. But An Garda Siochana is riddled with problems, not least of which is management ruled by PR, spin, obfuscation, picture building exercises.
The situation the poster descrived, with s vulnerable pensioner, is terrifying. Rightly, he associates the actions of the few with the many. As that is what Garda culture does, trenchently. Circles the wagons. So until they cleanse themselves of all the crappy, amoral activity, from the top down, people WILL tar them all with the same brush.
Cnuts is not a great description of anybody, least of all public servants vested with powers. But I empathise with the frustration and anger.
Oh and if you're caught for no tax, grow a pair. You rolled the dice, and lost.

Sam Quentin

Ardent wrote: »

Just got a lovely letter from AGS advising me of a 60 euro fine due to my car (sitting in the train station car park) having an expired tax disc.

Talk about sneaky. Never heard of this before, is this a new phenomenon?

Deleted User wrote: »

whats sneaky about catching you dodging tax

Well that went down like a lead balloon,. didn't

brightspark

Deleted User wrote: »

I'm sick to the teeth of calling the Gardai and have them show up hours later or not at all, or hear about how they're busy at the moment, and then you see the cnuts wandering around car parks and doing people for drink driving on the way to work the following day.


I made a 999 call last summer to a break in ongoing in my house that my dad (who was at home) alerted me to. The Gardai didn't even show up. A 999 call to a break in to a house where the would-be burglars knew there was a pensioner alone inside, and the Gardai were too busy to bother their hole. Keep in mind we have heard many a time of old fellas at home alone when a burglar strikes, and they end up severely beaten or killed.


Thankfully I got home in time and managed to sort things out, but I waited 2 hours for the Gardai before ringing again to see what they were at (which was when they told me they'd "get to me soon" but they're busy).


As an aside, I work for the local papers; nothing of note was happening. No big crime scene to attend at the time.

If people paid their taxes perhaps the Gardai would then have more time to deal with other crimes