Statutory declaration. Options

[AgentJay]

Just require some insite on where best to go next. On the 8th march I received a notice saying I was been charged with traffic offences.

2 for speeding and failing to give driver information. I had never had any notices previous to this so I immediately went onto the make a plea website and pleaded not guilty and stated I had never received any prior paper work.

Fast forward to a few days ago and I came back off holiday to a further steps notice for not paying a fine.

I didn't even know at this point the 2 items were related so I phoned the court to be told it was for the offences above and I had be found built in my absence. I immediately told them yet again I was not made aware of any trial. She went away and came back asking me to confirm my address this I did and stated I have lived here over 5 years. The paperwork had gone to an address I lived at over 9 years ago. Not even my previous address which was my parents.

I have am appointment now in November to make a statutory declaration. But wonder if there is anything else I should be doing.

[Advertisement]

[AgentJay]

Should read things more closely thought it was only 2 letters a notice and a reminder. So it's now 3 letters I still cannot explain. Only street in the village with a number 13. But my next door neighbour gives me my mail. So it's not that

[cp8759]

Should read things more closely thought it was only 2 letters a notice and a reminder. So it's now 3 letters I still cannot explain. Only street in the village with a number 13. But my next door neighbour gives me my mail. So it's not that

Well the magistrates will have various options, which will likely include:

1) Decide that your mail has been vanishing for no apparent reason and you're innocent, or
2) Decide that you're guilty and you've made up a story about vanishing mail to try and cheat the system.

Put yourself in their shoes, who would you believe?

Incidentally, why does your neighbour give you your mail?

This post has been edited by cp8759: Mon, 2 Dec 2019 - 22:22

[Fredd]

Incidentally, why does your neighbour give you your mail?

That sounds like one of those city dweller kind of questions.

[cp8759]

Incidentally, why does your neighbour give you your mail?

That sounds like one of those city dweller kind of questions.

But the OP lives in a village.

[AgentJay]

Only road that has a number 13 substitute posties often deliver to the wrong house but neighbour brings it around. Regular postie always does the street backwards so he can't make that mistake.

[cp8759]

Only road that has a number 13 substitute posties often deliver to the wrong house but neighbour brings it around. Regular postie always does the street backwards so he can't make that mistake.

Well unfortunately nothing you've said discloses a systemic issue with the post. The police have evidence that 3 letters were sent and by your own admission, you cannot explain why they were not received. Based on this evidence, the overwhelming likelihood is that you would be convicted in court at a contested trial.

Therefore if this is the sum total of your evidence, the best advice I can give you is to plead guilty to the s172 offence.

[Fredd]

Incidentally, why does your neighbour give you your mail?

That sounds like one of those city dweller kind of questions.

But the OP lives in a village.

I know; I was suggesting that asking why a neighbour would take mis-delivered mail around to the intended recipient is the kind of question that would be asked by someone who doesn't live in a village.

[disgrunt]

I think cp's point was more, "Why did your neighbour have your mail? Is this a usual occurance? Do you share a post box or have a very similar address and letters get misdelivered all the time?" I assume CP was trying to find out if there is anything that potentially could help the OP they they didn't think warranted a mention.

<attempt at being light hearted>
You know, the usually insignificant things that OP's usually forget to mention E.g. " well my mail gets delivered to my neighbours house by the usual postman as he knows that my dog will bite. (In fact it bit the last postman) but when the usual postman is on holiday the replacements leave it in the hedge by the gate. Do you think I should tell the magistrate this when they are sentencing me for not replying to the letter I was sent?"
<\attempt at being light hearted>

OP, you wouldn't believe the number of people who come here looking for help and only on page 5 of a late NIP to the wrong address thread drop a bombshell like, "well at the time the officer stopped me he breathalyser me but I blew under."

[cp8759]

I know; I was suggesting that asking why a neighbour would take mis-delivered mail around to the intended recipient is the kind of question that would be asked by someone who doesn't live in a village.

I see, I'd looked at this the other way round. In a village it's common for every house to have its own front door & letter box; in a city you could have flats, HMOs and the like. My question was aimed as disgrunt suggests but I think we've got to the end of the road on that one. A guilty plea to maximise the discount on the fine seems like the best outcome.