Attempted UK Collection of Italian issued speeding fine Options

[Bibby]

Hi everyone, first post here thanks for reading and thanks for this great site.

Received an attempt by 'ZZPS' to recover speeding fine issued by an Italian Police Province. I think first notices were received and ignored in 2020 the next ones sent back to sender sometime in 2021 and this is first contact from anyone in the UK.

I have read a few other posts about the correct process to recover these fines that the Italian authorities do not tend to bother following because they don't get paid. So these letters from debt collectors in the UK are huff and puff bluff and bluster designed to intimidate/scare the recipient into paying.

The one I received has all the details of the offence and mentions being appointed by a 'special attorney'

Posting here and have attached their letter because they have rattled me! As they threaten county court action I am looking for confirmation that the only way this can proceed in the courts is if the 'special' attorney issues proceedings via the CPS? Which due to not getting paid is very remote.

I should be sufficiently enlightened/fortified from what I have read, please excuse me for seeking re assurance!
Thanks again for reading.

edit: can't seem to upload photo of redacted letter

This post has been edited by Bibby: Sun, 29 Jan 2023 - 11:34

[Advertisement]

[Bibby]

Hello again thanks for your comments.

The agents previously named as the next to have a go have made their bid titled 'warning before case is transferred to solicitors' and repeats the threat that their client is fully intending to pursue the matter through the courts.

https://imagizer.imageshack.com/img924/4125/KMp5do.jpg

Maybe so but what action can a solicitor take and in what court. It can't be through the county court as alleged speeding is a criminal offence so until their client instructs the relevant authority these lot are trying it on to force a surrender and take their slice of the pirated treasure!

Thanks again to the members of this forum for the knowledge.

[roythebus]

Formerly known as bailiffs.. https://gctt.co.uk/

They seem to be following the line taken by private parking debt collectors sending ever-more threatening letters in the hope you'll pay. As you say, speeding is a criminal offence (in the UK), it may not be in Italy. But we are not in Italy. You have not committed any offence in the UK. It is highly unlikely that any agent could instigate county court action to collect a foreign debt, especially for a small amount. For the erstwhile bailiffs to take any action, the case would have to go to county court, a judgement would have to be made against you, and you would have to have not paid the debt before they come knocking on the door. and all that is highly unlikely. As for magistrates being involved, the alleged offence was in Italy, not the UK, so outside their jurisdiction. any solicitor worth his salt would tell them they have no chace of collecting anything, unless of course that solicitor is in the office next door working for the same firm.

What I'd suggest is a letter to the "certified" agents telling them that you deny any debt and that if there is any further correspondence from them it will be treated as harassment under the Protection from Harassment Act ( police matter). It looks like this lot of chancers go round buying foreign debts to try to collect here. You owe them nothing. but someone else may come up with a better idea.

This post has been edited by roythebus: Fri, 24 Feb 2023 - 17:35

[Bibby]

.............most of the other road users invade one's personal space on the highway, they love to get right up the rear!

A friend of mine was followed so closely on an autostrada that his parking sensors were set off!

I can imagine mate, one occasion on an empty dual carriageway this van was so close I communicated by sign language that he should f**k right off out of it. He pulled up along side and the expression on his face was of an innocent boy, seemingly hurt that I should think he'd done anything wrong!

Another time I had a go at a bloke in a small town who cut right across seemingly from nowhere, he had stopped as well to avoid contact. As I berated his careless and irreverent driving he calmly pointed behind me to my right and after a couple of times trying to see what he was on about I saw a very rusty and faint 'STOP' sign. Ok right mia culpa.

But then I rode to where he had come from and what did I see, also a STOP sign, and I may say in much better condition than the one I had missed. You gotta love them.

It is also, so far, the only country where I have been beeped at for taking too long to depart a set of lights

Formerly known as bailiffs.. https://gctt.co.uk/

They seem to be following the line taken by private parking debt collectors sending ever-more threatening letters in the hope you'll pay. As you say, speeding is a criminal offence (in the UK), it may not be in Italy. But we are not in Italy. You have not committed any offence in the UK. It is highly unlikely that any agent could instigate county court action to collect a foreign debt, especially for a small amount. For the erstwhile bailiffs to take any action, the case would have to go to county court, a judgement would have to be made against you, and you would have to have not paid the debt before they come knocking on the door. and all that is highly unlikely. As for magistrates being involved, the alleged offence was in Italy, not the UK, so outside their jurisdiction. any solicitor worth his salt would tell them they have no chace of collecting anything, unless of course that solicitor is in the office next door working for the same firm.

What I'd suggest is a letter to the "certified" agents telling them that you deny any debt and that if there is any further correspondence from them it will be treated as harassment under the Protection from Harassment Act ( police matter). It looks like this lot of chancers go round buying foreign debts to try to collect here. You owe them nothing. but someone else may come up with a better idea.

Thanks for your comment I see it the same way.

Bailiffs might well be certified by the county court however can only legally enforce on court judgements and there certainly isn't one here or even on the horizon.

I like where you say ''any solicitor worth his salt would tell them they have no chace of collecting anything, unless of course that solicitor is in the office next door working for the same firm.''

Because I saw something on the paperwork that gives their game away, this supposedly new firm with a new address in a different postcode have the same telephone area code as the first lot! Then I compared the different letters and the format is remarkably similar ok the latest has a different font but apart from that it's clearly from the same source.

So can expect more letters from 'solicitors' threatening this and that but until the proper and relevant authority is invoked the threats are empty, menacing perhaps but definitely empty. And this was a few years ago so they can only assume the contact details are still relevant would rather not give any 'nibbles' on the line being dangled.

For a visit to occur they say they send a notice of enforcement minimum 7 days before and without an order from the court they have no authority whatsoever so is unlikely. If they do want to waste their time I will look forward to sending them packing, on my property I ask the questions they give the answers.
I think I need the opportunity to deal with someone who thinks they can exert their assumed authority, would be good for me.

This post has been edited by Bibby: Sat, 25 Feb 2023 - 17:20