3 July 2010

Paying off traffic fines?

| allofus
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Why is it that every state in Australia has the same rule that if you have lost your license due to traffic fine defaults you can apply to make regular payments and you can have it back.

NSW for eg, if you have say $2000 owing in fines and you had lost your licence due to not having the money to pay these fines straight away, you can make a payment arrangement even if its only $5 per fortnight, so long as you stick to these payment arrangements after the 6th payment they will re-issue you with a licence so long as you stick to the arrangement and continue to make regular payments ( you miss one and you lose the chance and never get the same offer)

ACT how ever, if you have fines outstanding you MUST pay every cent of them before they will even think of giving it back to you. ?????

WHY cant Canberra be the same as the rest of Australia ?

I personally have lost my license for fine default due to my stupid behavior in my early teens, i had been charged for burn outs, speeding etc i had a total of $2500 in fines and paid almost all of it off, i had $5 owing still so naturally asumed that i’d drive to the local shop front, pay my $5 and drive home legit.

How ever, unfortunately i had gotten 5 doors down the road and was pulled over by a police officer that recognised me and pulled me over, i was charged for no licence, disqualifed driver, turned out my car (that i had just brought) had fraud rego, so thats another charge, no rego, no third party and he also defected my car on account of a blinker light that was not working on my front guard.

I explained my story to the officer and stated that it had taken me almost 5 months to pay the last 2500k and tried to reason with him, how ever he doing his job i failed at this attempt.

due to the anger and my rebellous teens i refused to make more payments and drove my self to and from work with out a licence.

Naturally i was pulled over for RBTs etc and i would get another fine for driving unlicenced, Note i have never been stupid enough to drink drive, never been in a car accident, never been in a chase, always co-operated with the law

its now 11 years later and i am up to a shameful $16,000 in fines.

I am not able to get a loan to pay this amount and the only option i have is to make payments when and of what ever amount i can to the ACT shopfront. In doing this i estimate at least 3 years before i can pay it off completely.

I am now 29 and regret the stupid things i had done in the past but its a fact of too little too late.

I am a single father of 4 and finding it extreamly hard to manage with out being able to have access to a car.

Oh and i am unable to get a work license UNLESS i have been charged for driving under the influence … why do drink drivers get the chance to get their right to drive back but that dosen’t stand for the rest of us?

What other options are there ? Who can i talk to? there has to be another way to get this sorted out?

I know alot of readers out there are saying “its your own fault, you should have paid your fines, you shouldn’t have done the wrong thing” i agree, i was young and naive and no had no one to tell me otherwise.

I accept responsibilty for the things i have done wrong, i am willing to pay these fines, but why cant i have a payment arrangement just like every other state in Australia?

Does the Government not realise how many people would come forward and happily pay off there fines if there was a payment scheme in ACT like this ??

Remember, i personally owe $16000.00 imagine if every unlicenced person in ACT went on this plan, no longer would there be so many unlicence drivers on the road but it would put a hell of a lot more money back into the ACT Government.

Signed

Confused and Frustrated,

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allofus said :

Ok.

1st I never once said i wanted sympathy!
2nd I never said im an Angel!
3rd I never said i wanted its to all just go away because i am 30!
4th I have sold my car, and not owned one for the past 3 years!
5th I have not driven a car in any way for the past 3 and a half years!

I do catch the bus, if the weather is warm enough i even use my push bike!

I DO agree that my action have been stupid i never suggested that i shouldn’t have been punished. My fines have been mostly driving with out a license repetitively (most the time only driving to work) yes i know i should have not driven i never said it was the correct thing to do!

I most certainly do not do drugs see prostitutes gamble drink or even SMOKE so who ever that was can go to hell!

All i wanted from this post was to see if there could be a payment scheme put into place!

where if one has fines that is having trouble paying that they can enter into a payment arrangement to pay them off, while one is paying these fines in regular payments one can have there license back, even if one had to sign a contract to state that one would serve time in prison if said arrangement was broken.

Oh and ps, you can not serve time for unpaid fines in the act i have also looked into this!

When you have children, you have unexpected things happen, such as injuries that need to be seen by a doc, having to run to the shop to get milk or bread for the next day for school, school things like plays etc football events etc that you cant always rely on public transport to get you there and even if you can it would take at least an hour to get you and all the kids to the local shops!.

I don’t want your sympathy, i just want a way to be able to pay off my fines and drive legally.

And i will get a loan to pay these fines once i have cleaned up my credit rating.

i turned to this site as there are many knowledgeable people on here who i though may have some good advice, but no, every one has there heads up there own arse’s and all they can say is i am drug user, scum bag because i have made a lot of stupid decisions.
sorry you people have never done anything wrong in your life’s !

I thank those who have not judged me how ever.

Now if you have any REAL advise that does not include me being a fuck wit id like to hear from you.

I’m on your side dude… its totally unfair that you cant pay the fines off.
From my point of view i personally find the punishment is far too harsh… honestly you’d swear you killed someone… its not like ur names mully……

Ok.

1st I never once said i wanted sympathy!
2nd I never said im an Angel!
3rd I never said i wanted its to all just go away because i am 30!
4th I have sold my car, and not owned one for the past 3 years!
5th I have not driven a car in any way for the past 3 and a half years!

I do catch the bus, if the weather is warm enough i even use my push bike!

I DO agree that my action have been stupid i never suggested that i shouldn’t have been punished. My fines have been mostly driving with out a license repetitively (most the time only driving to work) yes i know i should have not driven i never said it was the correct thing to do!

I most certainly do not do drugs see prostitutes gamble drink or even SMOKE so who ever that was can go to hell!

All i wanted from this post was to see if there could be a payment scheme put into place!

where if one has fines that is having trouble paying that they can enter into a payment arrangement to pay them off, while one is paying these fines in regular payments one can have there license back, even if one had to sign a contract to state that one would serve time in prison if said arrangement was broken.

Oh and ps, you can not serve time for unpaid fines in the act i have also looked into this!

When you have children, you have unexpected things happen, such as injuries that need to be seen by a doc, having to run to the shop to get milk or bread for the next day for school, school things like plays etc football events etc that you cant always rely on public transport to get you there and even if you can it would take at least an hour to get you and all the kids to the local shops!.

I don’t want your sympathy, i just want a way to be able to pay off my fines and drive legally.

And i will get a loan to pay these fines once i have cleaned up my credit rating.

i turned to this site as there are many knowledgeable people on here who i though may have some good advice, but no, every one has there heads up there own arse’s and all they can say is i am drug user, scum bag because i have made a lot of stupid decisions.
sorry you people have never done anything wrong in your life’s !

I thank those who have not judged me how ever.

Now if you have any REAL advise that does not include me being a fuck wit id like to hear from you.

I’m still a fan. He at least is honest not like the do gooders who think they can be judge and executioners for the crimes of this poor simpleton. Don’t you get it? This guy is a retard and in other times would have been kept locked up doing craft work and making broom broom noises.

colourful sydney racing identity12:10 pm 06 Jul 10

This did not happen. $16,000 in unpaid fines and then posts on RA about it? Come on people dust off the bs detectors.

Oscillate Wildly said :

A post from this loser’s FB group:

I persoanly owe the nsw goverment $4,718,00 i
have a “time to pay order” witch means i can have my licence. now
because of last night with the undercover pig i will now get a huge fine
an wont beable two pay it by the bue date an they will suspend my
licence. i agree that ACT should have the same rulse an everyother state
two help people like me an tyson out an all the other people that drive
unlicenced everyday just two make a living an do things with our kids.

*golf clap*

Law enforcement at work. The system is there for people who repent, but bites the ones in the ass who continue to offend (then blame the “undercover pigs” for their actions … lol)

P Taker said :

No sympathy.

Please move out of Canberra.

i think… i love you

One of two things happened here.
1: You either did the wrong thing about $200.00 times in which case, you probably don’t deserve your licence (or your money).
2: You parked on the Prime Minister’s head and got a SIXTEEN THOUSAND DOLLAR!!! fine. Are you insane. I would have stopped parking illegally after about $1,000.00!

I tend to get a fine, swear, suck it up, pay the fine and try harder not to park illegally next time.

No sympathy.

Please move out of Canberra.

Thoroughly Smashed2:37 pm 05 Jul 10

Whether it’s real or not, this is great.

sirocco said :

…but after $16K of fines due to consistanly bad driving behaviour I’m not sure any magistrate would give out a conditional licence

For this particular repeat offender I would be part of the mob outcry if special consideration was given.

Genie said :

And I dont see how him having a license will let him earn more money than someone without a license.

I wouldn’t give the OP one, since he has repeatedly shown a inability to obey the laws already. But I can think of many reasons why a persons employment prospects would genuinely benefit from a licence, e.g. shift work outside ACTION’s timetable, any job that involves actually operating a vehicle. Even the trolley boys at the mall drive that tractor around. Although I imagine they’ll all lose their licences when the “random” drug testing comes in….

Oscillate Wildly1:49 pm 05 Jul 10

A post from this loser’s FB group:

I persoanly owe the nsw goverment $4,718,00 i
have a “time to pay order” witch means i can have my licence. now
because of last night with the undercover pig i will now get a huge fine
an wont beable two pay it by the bue date an they will suspend my
licence. i agree that ACT should have the same rulse an everyother state
two help people like me an tyson out an all the other people that drive
unlicenced everyday just two make a living an do things with our kids.

*golf clap*

amarooresident31:34 pm 05 Jul 10

Somehow this reminds me of the Simpsons episode where Bart continually gets electrocuted by reaching for the same donut over and over again.

p1 – nope, you can get a conditional licence when you lose your licence for accrual of demerit points too

(we all have a silly teenage past – but that doesn’t mean we should be able to weasel out of responsibility for it)

but after $16K of fines due to consistanly bad driving behaviour I’m not sure any magistrate would give out a conditional licence

The OP doesn’t deserve a work license ! And I dont see how him having a license will let him earn more money than someone without a license. There are alot of people who bus it to work and earn plenty of money.

Someone who has accrued 16k in fees shouldnt be entitled to a license until it was ALL paid off.

Suffer the consequences of your actions!

Mate I ride from north Tuggeranong to the city to work. Its free.

You could also get a second job at McDonalds on the weekend, or do a couple of night shifts at coles for $30 an hour. It won’t take you that long to pay it off.

I’m with the others – no sympathy. Is my family affected by the road toll and bogans in cars? you betcha!

While I have little sympathy for the number of fines the OP has racked up, having though about this thread a bit, I can’t help but think the original post might have some merit.

Many of the offences which the poster has been booked for involve the loss (or gaining, depending on how you think about it) of demerit points. Some would undoubtedly involve court imposed licence suspension. If he has served out the time of these suspensions, and the only reason for not being able to hold a valid ACT drivers licence is that he does not have the funds to pay off the fine, then there is a catch 22 where a licence would quite possibly allow him to earn more money and pay the fines quicker.

I could well imagine the benefit of instituting a payment plan whereby the fine will be paid off incrementally (however slowly) and the driver will have the use of a vehicle.

I also find interesting the suggestion that conditional work licences are only issued to people done for drunk driving not other offences, is this true?

neanderthalsis11:17 am 05 Jul 10

From the OP:
“I am a single father of 4 and finding it extreamly hard to manage with out being able to have access to a car.

What other options are there ? Who can i talk to? there has to be another way to get this sorted out?”

Well sunshine, here’s some practical advice for you: sell the ricer Skyline, give up any current vices and extravagances (drugs, alcohol, smoking, cheap hookers, pate foi gras etc) save some money, pay off the fine. Then try obeying the law and you’ll find that it wont happen again.

Wonder if the OP is any relation to Mully?

la mente torbida11:14 am 05 Jul 10

Sorry, didn’t realise that the law applied to the entire community except you.

So if you are an idiot from 18 to 29, all is forgiven when you turn 30?

Pay up…the whole point of penalties is that it is supposed to hurt…that way you may learn something from your behaviour – the fact you managed to postpone this until it caught you up in your late 20’s is immaterial.

A single father of four? … lead by example and teach your kids properly.

fgzk said :

Actually it may be an issue. Especially for people on low or no income.

90% of the time, the first offence is only a few hundred in fines, not $16k

he drove without a license and kept getting fines. The police recognise him because he keeps driving without a license.

no sympathy from me.

Hmmm… Pay the fines. You could fight on, probably racking up more fines, maybe giving us all a hilarious segment on ‘Today Tonight’ to bag out, but it’ll just drag you down. It’ll be a stone around your neck that you could just pay and move on.

So, I agree with the people who advise to get a loan and pay it off. Open a new bank account with no key card and get your work to automatically put x amount of money into this account each pay, then get the loan payments automatically taken out of this account. Think of it as a HECS type debt, hopefully you have learned something from the experience and now you’re paying for that knowledge. You just don’t have a degree to show for it all. In fact if you really want to do something maybe visit high schools and tell the students your story. Maybe you’ll save another young bloke the heartache you have to stress about each day.

Wouldn’t the skyline be worth $16000?

outdoormagoo said :

!!!!RANT!!!

You can’t win FOTW for a quote, or I’d vote for you. 🙂

Here is a site that can help:

http://www.action.act.gov.au/default.html

A monthly bus ticket is a bargain at just $92.50. Get one for the kids too and enjoy the sights of Canberra from your own chaffuer driven big green bus!!

Davo…..”if you didnt break the law, it wouldnt be an issue.
just pay the fine, and you can have your license back.”

Actually it may be an issue. Especially for people on low or no income. If you are don’t agree with a fine you have to go to court. You have to pay for a lawyer and court fees (no legal aid for traffic offences). This may be complicated if you have been stopped by a police officer informed that your licence has been cancelled and that he is now keeping your licence. No photo ID. No way to prove identity. No money. No flying. No licence. No where to go.

Sounds stupid doesn’t it. On a fixed low income this could take years to sort out. Some kind of payment system would at least provide a way out. It would also will cut down unlicensed driving.

Growling Ferret9:26 am 05 Jul 10

All of Us

Just be glad the ACT Govt is kind to shitbags such as yourself. You could have ended up like Jamie Partlic.

outdoormagoo8:01 am 05 Jul 10

This is the same ‘allofus’ 6that posted this comment adn the same ‘allofus’ who I am pretty sure was the ‘leader’ of the RushHour morons (who have hopefully all won Darwin Awards by now)

Sorry no sympathy for you my friend. You have bought this on yourself and now you need to pay the consequences. Stop driving, sell your car (which will give you some money to pay your fines) and man up. Time to pay for your mistakes like the rest of us.

Hi to Canberra. ITS ABOUT TIME WE HAVE OUR SAY ! AS THE “LOCAL CAR HOONS !” I know for a FACT that these “local CAR hoons” as you like to lable them are ACTUALLY DOING IT SAFE ! REGAURDLESS TO WHAT YOU THINK ! OR ARE GOING TO SAY ABOUT MY POST ! They are always in back streets well away from the general public, the areas they use, they are always safe smart, they make sure that there is no chance that any one can get hurt. no one stands in the way of any of it. AND I WILL MAKE THIS CLEAR ! NOW, THEY NEVER STREET RACE, Infact, these cars are never doing any more then 5kph.

I will explain the police report. ! they got to Phillip, Marties Food Van to be exact, and all the “hoons” where there. MEETING ! is that agianst the law ? for a CAR CLUB TO BE GETTING SOMETHING TO EAT ?
The “HOONS” then broke up to head to the NEXT meet spot ! all the way out in the middle of NO WHERE !
the cops never broke up anything, and if they followed them to “the spot” and there was anything against the law taking place dont you think that the cops would have taken cars ? or issued fines on those grounds? that whole story was MADE UP LIES !
and more then that. WHY WAS THERE 20 odd police cars, each with 2 officers ALL THE WAY OUT THERE??? why arnt they policing CANBERRA ! like they are PAID TO DO ! not to mention they are no better then the “hoons” there has been said to be VIDEO FOOTAGE OF SEVERAL POLICE CARS SPEEDING WITH NO REASON TO BE, AND SPINNING THERE OWN TYERS TURNING AROUND ! why is it leagle for them ??

Canberra should be thanking us that we are providing a SAFER way for this to happen, HAVE YOU NOT NOTICED THAT THERE HAS BEEN LESS “HOONS” ON THE STREETS ! they now have some where to go. AWAY FROM DANGER TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC. oh, wait, people only ever notice the BAD things in life,
Is it just me or is it a FACT that every time something GOOD comes to Canberra. that brings in money (that could have been used for repairs on canberra roads, and other things to better the place) some moron has to come out of there dark hole or closet they hide from the real world in to have a SOOK and put a stop to it ?? The V8 Super cars, the Drag way, SUMMERNATS ! (im surprised its still around and oh, they are soooo trying to close it ! GO CHICK ! )… ANYTHING to do with Cars.
Cant you see that these things make money for canberra, the hotels, the restaurants, the other attractions that Canberra has to offer, War memorial, Telstra Tower. etc. these events bring people to Canberra, thus bringing these kinds of places more visits then EVER !

Ill just say this. The “HOONS” are not gunna stop, take there cars, give them tickets, say what you like. there is always another $100 BURN OUT CAR around the corner ! PUT UP A DRAGWAY LIKE PROMISED AND IT WILL STOP ! THATS THE ONLY WAY THE GOVERNMENT IS GOING TO WIN THIS ONE !

OH YEAH, CANBERRA ! GET A LIFE !

P.S to all those who agree !
SPEAK UP !

This has to be a joke, yeah?

$16,000? Incredible. I could understand you arguing for some sort of leniency if we were talking a couple of hundred dollars… hell… even a thousand. But 16k? That’s either fifteen or so *substantial* fines, or a bucketload of smaller fines. Either way, I’d cancel your license on general principle.

Here’s a tip for you: Look up recidivism.

This clown has now set up a facebook group “Fighting the ACT Government for our rights” on the same issue. Why would anyone take this guy seriously when his personal Facebook display pic is a Skyline with what looks like 20″ rims (it must be good to take all the kids to school in while driving unlicensed??) and the url of his page “justwannadrift”.

Car crushing would be a great idea for this idiot.

From the OP:
Naturally i was pulled over for RBTs etc and i would get another fine for driving unlicenced, Note i have never been stupid enough to drink drive, never been in a car accident, never been in a chase, always co-operated with the law

Im sorry ALWAYS co-operated with the law ???? Being a f*ck-tard and driving unlicenced is breaking the law. Who cares if you didn’t have an accident, if you did and seriously injured someone you had no insurance or rego. They would have to sue you personally for costs.

How the hell did you even get a registered car to drive? You cant register a car without a licence anymore. I think whoever let you drive their car should also be fined.

I think your an idiot and suck sh!t i hope it takes you a long time to pay off those fines. Sounds like we are safer without you on the road.

If you want some sympathy.. perhaps go take a break a the Monaro Hwy Hilton. They might care about your sob story.

Tetranitrate5:48 pm 04 Jul 10

Tooks said :

Tetranitrate said :

Err, actually it’s worth noting that your license can be canceled for not paying *parking* fines, the OP wasn’t necessarily speeding or driving dangerously.

Did you read the OP? He’s previously been charged with burnouts and speeding, as well as several times driving unlicenced.

BTW, you’re licence gets suspended for unpaid fines, the the suspension is lifted once the fine is paid.

It’s worth mentioning regardless.

georgesgenitals4:57 pm 04 Jul 10

Woody Mann-Caruso said :

This story made me feel all warm inside. The system works!

How so? It clearly didn’t stop the guy driving.

The usual lynch squad is out. This persons has done 2 things

1. Made a LOT of baaaaad decisions (the OP admits that)
2. Had the balls to come on here and throw their hands up to these

Whilst I do not have any great sympathy for these, the OP appears to have shown some remorse for those actions (Yes, probably because those actions concurrently, have impacted so heavily in later life)

The OP has raised a good point and I agree that there should be a payment system in place. However, this payment system should be a evidence based system where the defaulter is required to prove that they are complying with repayment and if they default again, this provision is then removed.

They should be given the chance to be able to get work to pay off those fines, otherwise they are on an indefinite suspension. Some people would say, “that’s fantastic” but I don’t think that is the answer.

I am aware that the NT has a fine recovery unit and do have this type of payment system in place. Form what I saw, it appeared to work. It encouraged people to regain their licence again. When you have massive fines, the defaulters go into a sense of helplessness and believe that they will never get the licence back, so they believe they have nothing to loose and drive illegally. I am not making excuses for them, but if you can have a system in place that may promote them becoming legal drivers again, well that has to be a good thing …. right ??

miz said :

I think Liability gave you a very big hint – if I’m not mistaken, if you were to declare bankruptcy, the debt would go away. Worth considering, given your circumstances.

Don’t do this, Bankruptcy does not work on fines and stuff…

Pay it off..

oops – link screwed up a little, sorry

Tetranitrate said :

Err, actually it’s worth noting that your license can be canceled for not paying *parking* fines, the OP wasn’t necessarily speeding or driving dangerously.

Did you read the OP? He’s previously been charged with burnouts and speeding, as well as several times driving unlicenced.

BTW, you’re licence gets suspended for unpaid fines, the the suspension is lifted once the fine is paid.

Felix the Cat said :

Can you move to another state (move to Queanbeyan?) and apply for a licence there.

Yeah, good on you..like we want him.

The OP was caught driving without a license. And having a public defender doesn’t that better, all it means is that tax payers have to foot the bill.

Wow, and I though the two tickets I have received for speeding on my bike was pretty reckless of me. But then I don’t have any kids. I know those two don’t have anything to do with each other….

You thumb your nose at the law and have driven around without a license for 11 years not bothering to pay your fines then expect the law to do you a favour and let you drive without paying the fines off completely? In my opinion you shouldn’t be given a license back at all if that has been your attitude, how you haven’t ended up in jail is also beyond me.

No doubt you have also been driving your kids around while unlicensed and are still probably driving today. Great role model for the kids there.

I hope you enjoy riding the bus for the next 10 years, it’s exactly what you deserve.

Man, I kinda like you. I think you sound like a fairly normal bloke who just made a few mistakes. We all do. I think that if you want to start again you should think NZ or maybe even Papua where you could start afresh.

Forget the ACT and it will forgive you when Stanhope doesn’t succeed.

thy_dungeonman9:25 pm 03 Jul 10

Ok unless this is a troll which is seriously looks like here is my comment:

Speeding and burn outs are forms of dangerous driving, this isn’t just some parking fine, these fines and rules exist for a reason, I’m confused as to why you feel so entitled to any sympathy let alone a driving license after so many offenses, a license is a privilege not a right, this issue isn’t simply about money but maintaining law and order. Frankly I’m glad your off the road just don’t sit next to me on the bus please.

screaming banshee9:13 pm 03 Jul 10

Please sir, can I have an easy way out.

So now you’re a 29 year old adult and last week you were a 28 year old child.

Now that you’re a grown-up, start acting like one. If its going to be 3 years until you can lawfully drive again then sell your car, this might reduce the payment time.

No sympathy here, and perhaps take the time to explain to your kids why daddy doesn’t have a car and maybe you can gift them with the common sense apparently devoid from your genetics.

Anna Key said :

Can’t you exchange it in return for a week in the AMC

ProudTenant said :

Had to take a second look. Thought the OP username was Doofus.

Why didn’t you stop breaking the law? Is that a dumb question?

Wow. And I thought the $157 I copped for going 8 km over the limit last month was a lot.

That’s very judgemental of you PT…

I think after a while it will turn into a commitment warrant, at $100 a day, so that would be 160 days in remand…. Easy way to pay it off, if you don’t want a job or a home to come back to..

I think Liability gave you a very big hint – if I’m not mistaken, if you were to declare bankruptcy, the debt would go away. Worth considering, given your circumstances.

Anna Key said :

That’s very judgemental of you PT…

AK – we are in THIS thread now. Get over it. If you can’t stay OT, then why post?

So then, you don’t think that racking up $16,000 worth of fines is doofus-like behaviour AK?

Can’t you exchange it in return for a week in the AMC

ProudTenant said :

Had to take a second look. Thought the OP username was Doofus.

Why didn’t you stop breaking the law? Is that a dumb question?

Wow. And I thought the $157 I copped for going 8 km over the limit last month was a lot.

That’s very judgemental of you PT…

CanberraCreative6:12 pm 03 Jul 10

If you have so many infringements that you need a payment plan to pay them off, you should probably consider public transport.
You would need to be caught speeding low range over 80 times or parked illegally over 200 times.

Sorry mate but plenty of Canberran’s do not drive, either because they choose not to or can’t afford to. They hold down jobs and manage to not break the law. You f**ked up, live with it.

Tetranitrate5:50 pm 03 Jul 10

Err, actually it’s worth noting that your license can be canceled for not paying *parking* fines, the OP wasn’t necessarily speeding or driving dangerously.

Personally I find it a little concerning that the state acts as a debt collector for private entities, that is the owners of the parking station or surface parking. Why can’t it just be dealt with through small claims or magistrates court like any other debt? The government doesn’t butt in to help credit card companies or banks by holding peoples licenses over their heads.

Had to take a second look. Thought the OP username was Doofus.

Why didn’t you stop breaking the law? Is that a dumb question?

Wow. And I thought the $157 I copped for going 8 km over the limit last month was a lot.

dvaey – how the hell are ya? 😉 Hey. You don’t even go to jail here in the ACT for stabbing someone 52 times, so, to hope for jail-time for traffic fines is plain ridiculous. Tsk.

Felix the Cat5:06 pm 03 Jul 10

Can you move to another state (move to Queanbeyan?) and apply for a licence there.

Maybe the real question should be how did you rack up 16k in fines, and NOT end up in jail? Sounds like a benefit of living in the ACT, even if you cant cheat the system and get a licence while doing your time, at least be happy youre not incarcerated for being such a danger on the roads, and obviously having zero respect for road rules.

Not the case actually, in regards to injuries you caused to someone else while driving an unregistered vehicle [which means that you have no Compulsory Third Party insurance – which covers you for injuries caused to other people].

The ACT, and other jurisdictions, have a fund that is referred to as the Nominal Defendant. The “innocent” injured party can actually claim against this fund if you were driving an unregistered vehicle [i.e. no CTP insurance], and then the Nominal Defendant will try to recover the monies that they have paid out from you, the driver of the unregistered vehicle.

It happens all the time, quite a few people in Canberra have copped bills from the Nominal Defendant for very large amounts, some well over $1 million, for CTP claims that the Nominal Defendant has paid out. Most of them are what you could call “low lifes” and will either declare bankruptcy or simply “shoot through”.

Postalgeek said :

You accrued $16000 in fines which you can’t pay, and drove without license, and without TPI. If you had, through fault, seriously injured another person, you would’ve financially fucked up their life and that of their family as well as your own.

It’s a bit hard to find even a dreg of sympathy. Using a bus/bicycle means you’ll probably save $2000-$3000 a year in running costs. Put that in the piggybank.

Woody Mann-Caruso4:18 pm 03 Jul 10

This story made me feel all warm inside. The system works!

Sounds like someone fishing to me.

If not, get a bike!!

This story is hilarious and I don’t feel sorry for you in the slightest. You’re trying to make this a sob story about how you’re doing it so tough and you’ve always been good. You are obviously not going to do the right thing and forego your squandered privilege to drive, and instead you just want a quick fix that will result in no pain for yourself.

But I could give you some advice. If you’ve got only 16K of fines in 11 years, that’s only $1500 per year. Pretty good interest rate on a “loan” for 16K I would think. Pay off $3000/yr, and if your fine rate don’t go up significantly, then you’ll have it paid off in another 11 years.

Also, you’re a single father of 4 finding it extremely hard to manage? What, do you have to make their beds and take them to maccas every second weekend when you see them? What are their names? Jayden, Browdyn, Huntah, Dhakota, am I getting close?

We’re talking about voluntary taxation, again, right?

You accrued $16000 in fines which you can’t pay, and drove without license, and without TPI. If you had, through fault, seriously injured another person, you would’ve financially fucked up their life and that of their family as well as your own.

It’s a bit hard to find even a dreg of sympathy. Using a bus/bicycle means you’ll probably save $2000-$3000 a year in running costs. Put that in the piggybank.

georgesgenitals12:59 pm 03 Jul 10

Unfortunately you can’t just press reset when you’ve had enough. What you need to do is stop driving until you have the license, and pay off the fines.

Depending on how badly you believe you need the license, you might consider getting a personal loan, paying the fines, and the getting your license.

“always co-operated with the law”

lol hardly or you wouldn’t have racked up 16k in fines!

Move to another country and start a new life abiding by the law.

so you drove recklessly and racked up fines resulting in the loss of your license. then you drove without a license and racked up more fines. then you decided, screw it why should i have to play by the same rules as everyone else, i will just keep driving without a license and to hell with you all.

now you are in a deep pile of poo–and you are surprised at this? what part of this was not preventible? actions have consequences. suck it up.

get used to riding busses and bicycles.

and there is nothing dignified in hiding behind your kids when pleading for special treatment. if you want to teach your kids something, man up and take responsibility for your actions.

if you didnt break the law, it wouldnt be an issue.

just pay the fine, and you can have your license back

$16 grand? That’s a nice effort. I look forward to a couple of potholes being fixed by your payments.

Dear OP

Can’t do the time….don’t do the crime.

Sympathy for you equals 0.

Wow, what a story.

Kudos to you for having the fortitude to admit your mistakes and recognise that what you did was stupid.

“but officer I was only breaking the law a little bit!”

Sounds like your life has been one long series of very, very poor decisions. What happened to learning from your mistakes? To be frank, I’m rather surprised that you haven’t earned a Darwin award yet.

Also, how is your being a single parent relevant, other than a lame sympathy grab?

Okay,just so that we understand exactly what the situation is, are the fines you are talking about Court imposed fines or infringement notices?

If they are unpaid infringement notices, for either traffic or parking offences, the ACT Motor Registry will suspend or cancel you licence and/or rego. This is also the practice in all other jurisdictions as far as I am aware. Your licence and/or rego will stay suspended until you pay the fines. I note what you are saying about other jurisdictions allowing you to make payment arrangements and allowing your licence back in the interim, but as you say, this is not the case in the ACT.

If they are Court imposed fines, that is a different matter. The Court will generally, particular for offences such as driving whilst suspended or disqualified, impose a fine and a period of disqualification from driving. These are two separate things, the disqualification period has nothing to do with you paying off the Court imposed fine. The disqualification period remains in force for the Court specified time irregardless of how quickly or slowly you pay the Court imposed fine. The Courts are usually pretty good at coming to payment arrangements for the fine if you ask them nicely.

$16,000 is an awful lot of money to have racked up in unpaid infringement notices. Given the information in your story I suspect that you might have been caught a few times driving whilst disqualified or suspended, which will normally result in you being charged or summonsed to appear in Court. Driving whilst suspended or disqualified is a much more serious offence than driving whilst unlicenced and will usually incur a much larger Court imposed fine.

If you can provide a bit more detail someone on here might be able to offers some useful advice. Exactly what is the current state of your licence? Has your licence just been suspended for non payment of infringement notices, or has it been suspended or disqualified by the Court?

Well you see the problem is, they’d make that agreement and people still wouldn’t pay it off, then the government has given them a licence on false pretenses.

Your story is not uncommon – Your just gonna have to crack down and pay off your fines.

Sorry, just the way it is.

Crime does have it’s punishment.

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