Got home from work last night to find a nice orange speeding ticket on the doormat from a recent trip to Spain. 100 Euro fine.

It is entirely in Spanish so I have no idea where to send the money or how. Or even if I need to bother at all (not sure what the jurisdiction is but I know of people who have simply ignored these when incurred in other countries)

To top it all off I don't even think I was driving at the time! I reckon it was my brother behind the wheel. It's in my name though as I hired the car.

Any advice?
Cheers

 

They have no means of enforcing it so I wouldn't pay it.

I read somewhere recently that some European Governments had subcontracted a UK organisation to collect their fines from UK motorists. You receive an official looking letter which threatens you with all manner of unpleasant things, but at the end of the day foreign fines are not currently enforceable in UK courts.

 

It's a civil matter.

 

give it the el bow.

 

Thanks fellas. Filed under 'trash'.

 

Yes. Only time you might want to do something different would be if you were driving your own car and were likely to return. If you were stopped on a subsequent journey a roadside check might show up any unpaid fines.

 

What are the issues if you return to Spain with an unpaid fine?

 

You could of course do the 'right thing' and pay the fine. £90 or thereabouts is hardly a life-changing sum...

 

It is when you're still paying for said holiday.

 

meet big Carlos, your new cell mate