...Got a speeding ticket in Spain...

Old Oct 22nd, 2014, 11:34 AM
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...Got a speeding ticket in Spain...

In Mid August we rented a car in Spain for 7 days, driving up North from Madrid and along the Northern coast.

Today I got a letter from the Spanish authorities which, as much as I can understand, is a speeding ticket for driving 62 km/h where 50 is the limit, and I suspect that limit was set only in case of rain (it did rain a bit during couple of those days)... The ticket indeed shows a photo of our rented car, taken by the speed camera. The fine is 100 Euros.

The only sentence in English is instructing me to go to their website for payment, but the tab mentioned ("Jefatura Virtual") is nowhere to be found on their web page.

So my question is, what happens if I simply ignore it?
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Old Oct 22nd, 2014, 11:44 AM
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Why would you ignore it? Do you typically cheat on debts you owe?
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Old Oct 22nd, 2014, 11:47 AM
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well there are two issues, moral and legal. Legally you may get picked up in future in Spain (if you come again), unlikely that Euro warrent will be issued for this. Morally, the issue is clear.
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Old Oct 22nd, 2014, 11:52 AM
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This question comes up again and again and is always meant with similar upbraiding by honest folks who do not understand the desire to weasel out of it. But yes if not going back to Spain just ignore it - nothing can be done I think.
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Old Oct 22nd, 2014, 12:08 PM
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Leaving the moral issue aside, won't the rental car company get involved at some point?
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Old Oct 22nd, 2014, 12:10 PM
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Wrong, possibly, again.

Posters here have begun to report this year for the first time that their traffic violations have been turned over to commercial debt collection agencies, international agencies which can harass you endlessly.

Your ticket may not come from such an enterprising community, but do you want to take the risk.

The reference department at your local public library may well be able to help you sort through the Spanish website.
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Old Oct 22nd, 2014, 12:15 PM
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I understand the desire. I asked a question about behavior and character. Most of us have desires to do things we never enact.
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Old Oct 22nd, 2014, 12:17 PM
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My dear Sandralist, I didn't post this question here to be chastised. I still know the difference between right and wrong.

If you bother to actually READ what I posted, maybe you'd notice I did go to their website, but I couldn't find the section they instruct to use for payment...

...BTW, I asked a friend of mine who got a similar ticket from the Italian authorities 6 months ago, and he had the same problem, he couldn't find a way to pay it online, and he told me he gave up and left it unpaid.

Yes, my question is not moral, of course, it is legal but also practical, wouldn't the Spanish authorities turn to the rental agency to get paid? Wouldn't the rental agency (who has my CC number) then charge me?
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Old Oct 22nd, 2014, 12:25 PM
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read this link for guidance on using the Spanish website

http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/ShowTop...Andalucia.html

If you decide not to pay come back in a year and let us know how you got on.
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Old Oct 22nd, 2014, 12:29 PM
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Thanks, sofarsogood. Finally a practical, useful, helpful post, which is what this forum is made for.
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Old Oct 22nd, 2014, 12:32 PM
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Unless things have changed, or unless you are from a EU member country (Chicago?), you will not be able to pay the fine online since you do not have the required Spanish Identification number, which they use to add points to your drivers license. You can send a check, but you are already well past the time when they add a penalty (typically double).

Jefatura Virtual refers to "La Jefatura de Tráfico Virtual", the online site to make your payment.

You could call the Tourist Office of Spain in Chicago, (312) 642-1992, or email them ([email protected]) to see what they say.

As far as not paying and eventually returning to Spain, the only problem you might encounter is being stopped by the Guardia Civil (they issue the tickets for speeding on the nation's highways) and they happen to run a search, which would be highly unusual unless you're wanted for something a little more serious then not paying a speeding ticket.
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Old Oct 22nd, 2014, 01:41 PM
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We got a similar ticket four years ago. We sent off a Euro check to Spain, only to have it returned to us. One HAD TO pay via credit card. We went on their site, hunted and pecked for a while, and finally the payment part came up and In English !

BTW, they will now be collecting fines for motor violations across borders for EU citizens. If you read Spanish, go to autopista.es for details.
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Old Oct 22nd, 2014, 01:41 PM
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UPDATE: Reading the guidance on TripAdvisor, the link sofarsogood was so kind to post here, I followed the instructions (though the site changed a bit since 2012) and was able to reach the proper page to type the appropriate info and then go to the next page for the credit card information. The charge was still at its 50% reduction rate, so now I owe 50 Euros only.

For future reference, the URL one can jump directly to is:

https://sedeapl.dgt.gob.es:7443/WEB_...ionPagador.jsf

BUT, turns out this site is unsafe, the message Chrome is posting says the certificate is not secured and somebody may be able to steel my information...

...I'm still wondering what's my next step....
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Old Oct 22nd, 2014, 01:46 PM
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In addition, if you paid your fine within 30 days, the amount was halved. Even tho' this happened in August, you just got the letter so the 30 day period applies.
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Old Oct 22nd, 2014, 02:01 PM
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Please note:

To qualify to post on these boards you must have never have broken any law, paid every cent ever owed to the IRS, looked for the owner for every found dime, never cheated on an exam, and most of all be self-righteous and unforgiving.

Statistically it is quite remarkable that such a group of singular and scrupulously honest has gathered at this time on its own.
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Old Oct 22nd, 2014, 02:21 PM
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Yes, IMDonehere, I've noticed that. I really don't belong here. I should be beheaded. It's very in now.
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Old Oct 22nd, 2014, 02:32 PM
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BTW, the more I try digging information from the ticket, I found the exact place where I committed the crime... Thanks to Google Street-View (one of the best innovations of the 21st century), and comparing it to the photograph of my rented Golf —— I actually located the EXACT spot :

https://www.google.com/maps/@43.3284...ZYaKZ_UDBA!2e0

One can see how short the distance is between the 70 km/h sign and the 50... My car was photographed traveling at 62 next to the 2nd, old, gray building, when one enters this tiny village, probably 70 feet beyond the 50 km/h sign....

We should send the Marines to take over Madrid.
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Old Oct 22nd, 2014, 03:03 PM
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This European ticket business has had quite a play on this board recently. I received a ticket for speeding in Germany, and I had a h*ll of a time paying it.

They sent me a couple of letters, with the second one threatening me with a lawyer. I wouldn't have hesitated to pay it, but I couldn't figure out how to do it. When I tried to wire transfer, the bank couldn't do it. I finally sent euros in registered letters to both the traffic agency and my car rental company.

So far, so good. No lawyer has shown up, so I assume my cash arrived where it was supposed to arrive.

I think that when one doesn't realize one is breaking the speed limit, it's tempting to feel that one is innocent and therefore should not have to pay.

My advice would be to go ahead and do it.
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Old Oct 22nd, 2014, 03:04 PM
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Your experience is quite similar to ours, but in Huesca, when we turned a corner on the N-240 at 110 kph, only to have the speed drop to 70 kph (the sign was hidden behind the bushes from the photos posted online) for about 100 meters and then pop back up to 110 kph. When I researched the location of the speed trap, there where at least 400 complaints, mostly from locals.
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Old Oct 22nd, 2014, 05:26 PM
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In fact they have already tracked you down through the rental agency. If you don;t respond and they decide to track you further they can in fact charge you through the rental agency which has your credit card info. And if you don't pay now the cost will only increase as penalties are added to the original fine - which IMHO is quite low for speeding - our parking tickets are more than that.

I don't know if they will go to this much trouble - but they are certainly able to do it. And it may live in the computer system of the car rental company.
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