Lenkaya

I just received two traffic violation fines from my last trip to Italy in October 2012. The fine is for $600 and $350 dollars which I think is outrageous. The letter came from the American collection agency that the Italian municipality delegated to collect the debt.
I think the amount of fees is insanely inflated but I called the number listed on the letters and they are telling me that they can't reduce the fine and unable to settle. What would happen if I don't pay? Would it ruin my credit? Can I just ignore it? Is there any way to dispute it. I'm very concerned about it. Thank you

Sojourntraveller

Did you in fact violate a traffic law? You don't say. There are some scams that exist that claim bogus fines owing.

If they show a date when you were there and what the violation was and you AGREE that it is legitimate, that is you know you did what they say you did, then fine, the chances are it is as presented and an agency has been hired to collect. You need to tell us that before anyone suggests advice.

If it is legit then you owe the money regardless of what you think of the fees etc. being charged. You might if you tried be able to pay the actaul fine directly to the municipality in Italy and avoid the collection agency but it would be very complicated to do at least and may not even be possible at all if the municipality has 'signed over' the debt to the agency.

I doubt it will affect your credit in your home country if you don't pay. It could affect your ability to rent a car in Italy though or return to that municipality without concern.

Did you know before leaving italy that you had been fined? If so, why did you not arrange to pay the fines before leaving the country?

Lenkaya

We had no idea we violated the traffic law. Collection agency said that pictures were taken by the roadside cameras and we were not aware of it until now, which is 2 years later. I asked for the images and the dates on the images are accurate. I would have paid the original amount if I was aware of the violation right away but in 2 years the amount is over $1K as I mentioned.

MmePerdu

I suspect it will be reported to US credit bureaus, as any debt that goes to collection is, and may already have been. Since the OP doesn't mention that they're innocent, I'd guess they simply ignored, or were oblivious of, the traffic laws. And figured, after 2 years, and likely even knowing earlier when it would have been cheaper, they'd just wait it out. Just a guess, of course.

Pay up and cut your losses, as it will only get worse if you wait.

MmePerdu

OK, now we know, guilty as charged. Pay up and forget it.

Christina

This is a new one about not hearing for two years and them hiring an American collection agency. You need a lawyer, I bet, if you really intend to dispute this. Because if you really were not notified for two years, that sounds like something that should be taken into consideration. I notice you don't say anything about what was happening in those two years or what reason the car agency would have for never notifying you. That makes no sense. And why would they hire a collection agency unless you were refusing to pay it. Everybody else on Fodors with this problem has been contacted by the car rental agency.

But trying to argue that legally about debt in another country, isn't very feasible. The agency is being tricky, because if they sold your debts to an American agency, that probably could affect your credit rating as you now owe it to them. But since the debt was incurred in another country, maybe there are some other legalities in the US. I sure wouldn't know which is why I said only a lawyer might know. From what you say, they didn't sell the debt to that agency, they are just being hired to try to get it from you. Which is odd if they never tried.

Was this a rental car or not? I just dont understand why you give no explanation as to what they said as to why you weren't notified before now.

Pegontheroad

I wonder what's going on here. This is the third letter recently about this kind of fine. The OP stated that he/she did not know he/she had violated the traffic law.

I can't offer any advice, only my sympathy because I recently received a letter from a municipality in Germany and from Avis/Budget, both requesting the same amount, 30 euros. It was difficult to actually pay the fines, but they were at least small.

I don't understand why this matter has been turned over to a collection agency after two years when you were not notified to the ticket immediately.

Dickie_Gr

Google the latest rules.

I have and three and ignored them all but that was five years ago.

The rule WAS that you had to be served with 364 days and some most noticed were issued around 11 months after your visit.

I revisited and hired cars many times following the serving of the tickets, never had a problem but the car hire companies now charge for providing your details to the authorities.

I have simply followed local Italian customs which go something like " rules are made to be broken" and only a fool parts with money unless entirely necessary.

kybourbon

>>>We had no idea we violated the traffic law. Collection agency said that pictures were taken by the roadside cameras and we were not aware of it until now, which is 2 years later.<<<

The first thing that happens is you get a charge on your credit card from the car rental agency (for providing your info to the police). You should have seen this within a few months of your rental. I don't know if this is legit since you didn't mention the fee from the agency. I'm pretty sure the law is they have to get the ticket to residents within 90 days and people out of the country within 365 days.

Sher

The OP is not saying she is not guilty. She says that she would have paid had she been aware of the fines.
Why don't we give her the benefit of the doubt and say she was not aware.
One of the problems of these fines is the amount tacked on for non payment because of the lengthy lapse between the offense and the notice.

A friend of mine received a similar fine in France. Unfortunately, the notice she finally did receive in the US stated it was the third or fourth and by that time the charge was astonomical.

If the car rental company has your information, and most charge a fee to pass that information on, my question is why would it take two years to receive it?

My friend was lucky and by the time she received the third or fourth notice, the first that actually made it to her, she was returning to France and presented herself to the district of the fine and paid only the face amount of the fine not the extra tacked on. Unfortunately, most of us cannot do that.

I actually understand why the OP is upset but that does not get them out of paying I don't think.

Lenkaya

It was a rental car and I have no idea. This letter doesn't have our unit number on it so I'm wondering if it could have caused an issue with delivering previous notices.

Lenkaya

Is there a possibility of this traffic violation expiring if we ignore it or once it's in the Collection Agency hands it's a lost cause?

MmePerdu

"Is there a possibility of this traffic violation expiring if we ignore it..."

A bill EXPIRING?

Jean

It sounds like you've received copies of the photos taken and the dates match. So, are you the driver in the images? If so, I'm not sure what you're debating...

Have you asked if the demand amounts include a penalty for previous non-payment? I think it would have to be up to the Italian municipality or the U.S. collection agency to prove that you were properly informed before they can assess late payment penalties.

dwdvagamundo

Agree with Jean.

My unfortunate experiences have been that the Commune or other municipality mails a bill close to a year after the violation and sends pictures with it. Credit card company has not gotten involved because I pay once I ascertain it was me.

Ask for a copy of original demand letter. Never had fines so heavy as those you're reporting.

tom_mn

I can't help you on advice on the debt collection effort, but can only say to look on the bright side. Visitors to North Korea are imprisoned for years, visitors to Syria are beheaded, and in Europe, well, it's just unexplained traffic fines.

Alec

Have you changed your address since your Italian trip, perhaps more than once? If the authorities have had difficulty in tracking you down, that may explain the delay in serving the fine, and as it remained outstanding, the amount just ballooned. The use of collection agencies for fines incurred by overseas visitors is getting more common.
I'd contact the Italian authorities direct, tell them you didn't know you had broken the law and thus had no chance to settle the fine earlier, and would they reduce the amount to the original?

kybourbon

If your credit card was never charged for providing your info, I can't imagine this is legit. Could just be a scam.

There used to be a 5 year expiration for violations. Don't know if that is still the case.

Rubicund

I have never heard of a collection agency in another country being engaged to collect a two year old fine for a traffic violation from an Italian (or any country) local authority,especially a country not in the EU.

Do they say what traffic laws you violated? Do they tell you what the original fine was and what they have added on for their "costs", because $950 seems way too excessive for what was probably originally less than €100.

I'd do a bit more digging here, as this does sound like a scam. Google the collection agency and see what comes up, check their address and see if they really are where they say they are.

bvlenci

Sometimes a collection agency can be persuaded to settle for less. They buy "uncollectable" debts at a deep discount and try to get as much as they can for each one, to compensate for the ones that really are uncollectable. Try to find out what the original fine was, and offer a bit more than that. Also, check whether the town (or city) does use that collection agency. If it's a scam, I don't know how they would have come by the specifics of the offense.