Lyonhead wrote:

Quite a while ago now, I used to drive a HGV across all of Europe and found that various countries police forces have certain attitudes to U.K. registered vehicles.

I was ALWAYS legal but whenever pulled over by the French, where they referred to me as Mr Johnnie Walker or Mr Embassy, depending on what they were after and when I refused to handover these items the threat of handcuffs and heavy fines I always requested the CRS to be called. Their demeanour used to change immediately and I never paid or handed over anything. The rule is make sure you are always within the law, and front it out.

One example was when driving a hazardous goods tanker and after visiting a weighbridge they tried to inform me that I was overweight on an axle, which obviously I wasn’t. But when refusing to pay a fine and requesting the CRS, even the CRS chap asked the local plod how I was supposed to move the liquid off the axle that was supposedly overweight. Let go with no fine paid.

CRS are a Special Mobile French Police Force, which have a CRS badge on their number plates ( motorcycles as well as cars). They are above the Gendarmerie and National Police Force. These fellas I have always found to be straight as long as you are straight with them and are not, corrupt, if you’ve done something wrong that’s it your done. Gendarmes will actually not even bother to follow you/ chase you, they rather sit at tolls smoking and just as you go through pull you over to check you out. You may have not done anything wrong but they 9 times out of 10 are after something.
Don’t get me wrong, not every Gendarme are like this but you do get the odd area where they are and I said before, if you are legal and have done nothing wrong, then hold your ground.

Thanks, Lyonhead. That’s a very useful tip - we do a lot of driving in France every year so will keep that info handy!

We may all benefit from reviewing the attached RAC guide to UK speeding fines

https://www.rac.co.uk/drive/advice/legal/speeding-fines/


Perhaps the French were / are lenient ?
 --------------------------------
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The French don't like us, however they do like the Scots, so you need a Scottish Flag / sticker on your vehicle. TIm will be along shortly to shoot me down  In Spain - 2018 F Pace - Frightened away from the Sports due to crank failures
Gone - A couple of RRS, A couple of Disco's. However thinking of another Sport.

I hadn't heard anything else regarding this since my original post until this morning. I received an email from the French police saying that they made a mistake with one of the forms and I need to countersign a revised attached version, send it back and I will receive a summons to the court in the town nearby to where I was stopped.

Had a friend's French wife look at this for me and....

This is what the original form I signed said:

“The contravener (that is me) has paid a fixed fine of seven hundred and fifty. He acknowledges having been informed of the provisions (rules) on the back of this document.”

This is what the replacement that they want me to sign and return says:

“The offender, by decision of the Public Prosecutor at the Saint Quentin High Court, paid a deposit of 750. He acknowledges having been informed of the provisions (rules) on the back of this document”

This sounds absurd and I don't know if I should just ignore it or seek legal advice....thoughts?

Jas Current RRS: MY18 SVR
Previous RRS: MY15 RRS 5.0L Autobiography

Why would you need to go back to the court if you've already paid the fine and by implication admitted your guilt? Robin
2008 Range Rover Sport TDV8
Gone:
Jaguar S-Type V8 4.2 Sport
MGZTT 190 2.5

I totally agree with Eaters,

If you have paid the fine then that’s the speeding issue dealt with. It is not your fault/problem that the Police made a mistake with one of the forms.

Personally I cannot see any reason why you should sign anything else and return it back to them, the speeding issue was dealt with and you have proof you paid the fine to the Police.

Obviously if you’re really concerned maybe seek legal advice but it clearly seems to be the French Police have dropped a in not completing their forms correctly but you can only do what they asked you to do and that was pay a fine and sign a form they presented to you. If that was not enough then they should have detained you and dealt with it before you left the Country not sign another revised form and then added to that a threat of being recalled to Court. No, something is not right there.
Just as a foot note, how fast were you going to receive a fine of €750

The only slight concern I can see is that, if you wish to return to France again, you don't want to find that you have an outstanding summons to court. Don't want you exiled to St Helena or anything Robin
2008 Range Rover Sport TDV8
Gone:
Jaguar S-Type V8 4.2 Sport
MGZTT 190 2.5

Violetpiano wrote:

This sounds absurd and I don't know if I should just ignore it or seek legal advice....thoughts?

Jas

The thing to note here is that the wording has changed from 750 EUR "fine" to 750 EUR "deposit". Means they are not done with penalising yet. As suggested above, I would seek legal advice.

I received a speeding fine from Austria by post a month (or two?) after our trip. It was 57kph in a temporary 50kph limit zone. I remembered the incident and the camera flashing so simply paid. Surprising to see that paying an on the spot fine may not be the end of the matter, especially due to their own mistake. Current: Volvo XC90 T8 Inscription Pro PHEV with some optionals on top
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And thinking out loud really, but I think the AA and RAC have legal depts that may be able to help members. You are probably with LR Assist. Do they have similar? Robin
2008 Range Rover Sport TDV8
Gone:
Jaguar S-Type V8 4.2 Sport
MGZTT 190 2.5

just call them or have them called by somebody who speaks sufficiently french.
A court decision could also be in your advantage. Maybe you do not need to appear in person. RRS 3.0 SDV6 HSE Lux
RRS 3.0 TDV6 gone
LR 3 HSE V8 gone
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Thanks for the comments and I think I will seek legal advice - will see what the AA and RAC has to say on the matter before forking out cash for advice.

As far as I am concerned though, I was issued with a fixed penalty that I paid (and have the receipt) and if they made a mistake that is their problem.

Jas Current RRS: MY18 SVR
Previous RRS: MY15 RRS 5.0L Autobiography

Maybe they've realised they've overcharged you and want to give you some back  Merc C220 estate Sport AMG
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