Cars & Transportation Fighting Fines?

[AjsGuns]

Just curious if anyone has fought fines and asked for leniency, if so share your stories!

Now while this is my fault and I'm sure 70% of responses will be "pay the fine" I'm curious if anyone has taken a fine to court and had it reduced/dismissed?

So today i was coming back from the shops and got pulled over for a breathalyser then asked me to pull over to the side (i guess become I'm young/drive an old car) then had a look at my car/rego etc and asked for my license which i promptly handed over turns out it expired 19 days ago and got handed a $361 fine.. only "notification" i received was a letter from Vicroads about 2 months ago saying that i graduated from P2 (greens) to full license on the 2nd of November and didn't have to display green plates anymore there was no expiry/renewal on the letter so while i realised i would have to go in and get a full license i didn't realize my current one had expired..

Now yes its my fault i should of looked at my license but the things expires like every 5 years and i would of assumed i got a letter or something.. i have no traffic offences (yup, not even a single fine) in the last 5 1/2 years and no criminal record should i go to court and ask for leniency/reduced fine or just suck it up and hand over $361? Most likely ill just pay it online tonight since I'm 2hours away from the court which is 4 hours there and back + the time spent in court for a slight chance at a reduced fine. Feels bullshit though almost $400 for a simple mistake i can understand unpaid rego since Vicroads send out a sticker/notification letter/It's yearly etc. Swear they were out to get anyone for anything today, guy behind me got sent to the side as well and they tore his car apart looking for drugs i assume lol (Cop put gloves on and was searching his car, and gave him a spray when he found a baseball bat - not sure what happened after that).

 

[YAZZ#13]

Fought a speeding fine earlier in the year and got off. After having a look on the website, it basically says if you're caught less than 10kmph over the speed limit and haven't had a fine in the past few years you can write in and get a warning. Kept the letter saved on my computer and helped a mate get off his fine a month or so after mine

 

[Silent Alarm]

Yeah I king hit it.

 

[little graham]

Just curious if anyone has fought fines and asked for leniency, if so share your stories!

.

if you really believe that the Police were out that day to get as many people as possible then....

What you need to do is find out how you can stall the court case as much as possible, not just denying them there money but getting your moneys worth as with every action there's administrative procedures. Then if you have to pay a fine, at the last possible opportunity apply for relief, time to pay it off in the smallest installments you possibly can.

The next time you encounter police like this, stall them as much as you possibly can. ask any question you can, seek clarification on any law. do it politely and calmly and act dumb. Ask him/her about when her shift ends,the weather, if its been a been a busy day, how long before they get there holidays, hows thier family, are you a career policeman, what do you think of such and such etc etc...When its time to get back in your car, again stall your departure as long as you can.

If they are out to hurt you in your hip pocket, return serve..

 

[Doss]

Fought a speeding fine earlier in the year and got off. After having a look on the website, it basically says if you're caught less than 10kmph over the speed limit and haven't had a fine in the past few years you can write in and get a warning. Kept the letter saved on my computer and helped a mate get off his fine a month or so after mine

This was my experience too, basically to the last detail.

I was done doing 82km/h in a 70km/h zone, but with the 3km/h tolerance, 82 becomes 79. As it was my first offence and it was now under the '10 over' threshold, I wrote a letter- basically of the sop and contrite variety. Anyway, that was successful.

Remains my one and only 'brush with the law', so to speak.

 

[radiojake]

Part of owning a car is to get slugged with massive bills very routinely... Rego, maintenence, traffic infringements that aren't in themselves dangerous...