And, of course Europcar was charging a handling fee. The May 11th you are reading is likely the 5th of November, two days later. This is just reeeeeaaaaallllly ridiculous. With some fines, it is better to appeal to the Prefect and others to the Judge. Also, you need to attach a valid form of identification. There is a website for the small towns police department where I was able to look up the violation and see the photo they took of our rental car. PS Darius may be your favorite monkey character in Planet of The Apes. With all the horror stories around the web, anyone would think twice before hitting the road. The notification is not calculated from the day you receive the fine. Sorry you're dealing with traffic tickets. The count of these days starts when they receive your name and address from the rental agency. Also, you have to add the costs of the proceedings. I have enjoyed driving in several central European countries without incident. Less than 15% are issued to Florence residents. Without it, the fine would not be valid. The day you get the ticket in the mail? We were accompanied by our Airbnb host, just to make sure we knew what was happening. Nearly 50% of ZTL fines in Florence are issued to foreign visitors, almost 40% are issued to Italian visitors (not residing in Florence). This is because you kept on driving under the same ZTL camera. I figure this money comes out of my vacation fund, because it was a vacation expense! The Links Between Drunk Driving and Road Accidents - Guest Post He used his credit card for the rental car and he drove the entire trip. I also kept the letter from the police chief. Try the rental car company for help, but don't hold your breath, and get receipts and take notes for EVERYTHING. Since you are a foreigner, you dont lose anything by providing your driving license. Apart from the possible consequences, you may lose your peace of mind. We drink wine. Unfortunately, I have received a ticket 7 months after I visited there. That is an unlikely circumstance even for Italian residents. At most you will be harassed a bit by the collection agencies if the local authorities use international collection agencies to try to get paid. Hoping to get the 30% reduced rate, but I'm sure I've passed the deadline at this point. I'm an Italian-Dominican guy who loves to travel and explore the world. Prohibit the circulation of your vehicle. A few years ago my parents wired tuition fees to a school I was attending in Spain. But we would do it again. To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below. The silver lining is that you have to pay only 6 months a year, instead of 12. On a side note- a comment above comparing a ZTL tix to a speeding tix- two entirely different things, and Im sure no one wants to break the law on purpose - ZTLs can be confusing for tourists who may accidently drive thru one. What happens if you dont pay a fine in Italy? We will definitely think twice before renting a car in Italy. An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. In this case, it is possible to appeal to the Judge. 353 reviews. The time limit starts from the date the municipality outsources the agency. kmillard7, You may be misreading the date. The debt collector must notify the collection notice within2 years. Once the ticket (complaint) is filed, the statute of limitations becomes irrelevant. You must drive with your headlights on. My partner and I went to Italy in June. I entered the Limited Traffic area without paying the fee. Has anyone on here personally used TransferWise to wire money for a traffic violation? Seize your salary or pension, bank account, and other types of goods. We've had several good conversations with locals. You will lose the opportunity to get the price reduction. The short answer is you have been notified. I believe the long-standing policy of this Travel Forum, as desired by the Rick Steves Europe organization, is to avoid advising that local laws be flouted, for example by non-payment of traffic fines. It just applies to different things. They need to know who the real offender was in order to deduct the points. I would give serious consideration to a third party to pay a ticket in the future. A defendant or respondent can ask the court to . Then almost a year later (nearly at the 360 day limit) we (me) received another notice for a parking violation for not paying a parking meter. I just received two tickets from Pisa and just paid them - I was just BARELY under the 60 days. What scam? That should be a hit on your credit card with which you rented the car. I find ridiculous an adult checking his/her po box once every 6 months, to the point that I assume this adult could have Haaaaaaaaaapily ignored many more letters. That puts a little different light on the situation. Few days later, we got a follow-up letter from the police saying our time to pay without a fine was coming to an end. Besides, there is a 5-year statute of limitation for enforcing a traffic related fine. Ive emailed them about how to make these changes stop and for me to pay the tickets and havent heard back. But if your appeal is rejected, the Judge will establish the amount you have to pay. Didnt even cross the street but figured we were getting a ticket. As American wine professionals have begun to travel to Italy again, it was inevitable that they would inadvertently commit a traffic infraction or two. Next, click on opposizione a sanzione amministrativa and enter your details. You need to memorize the "do not drive beyond this point" international sign: https://cdn-01.media-brady.com/store/stit/media/catalog/product/cache/8/image/85e4522595efc69f496374d01ef2bf13/1533602043/d/m/dmeu_tc40_03_1_std.lang.all.gif, It's used also for camera controlled bus lanes and other places where you are not supposed to drive a car without a permit. You can pay with Visa, MasterCard, and Paypal. I got 4 tickets each issues 8 minutes after the first. I would first contact the clerk's office in the . And my apologies for spelling your name wrong, Dario. What is the statute of limitations on a traffic ticket (moving violation) received in Italy? And here I was thinking we were safe since two years had passed since we drove in Italy. In this case, you have60 daysfrom the date of receipt to contest the ticket. The printout allows you to continue your road trip and pay for the highway later. Non residents dont vote. This cost is a service forhandlingyour traffic ticket. He found out his credit card was charged from Eurocar for providing information to police. If you dont pay an Italian traffic fine within 60 days, it will become an enforcement order. But occasionally, while driving on a country road in the dark, youll happen upon a small village where the speed limit is suddenly decreased and the signs arent so easy to discern. You are paying for its assistance to forward your details to the local authorities. Stop calling anything different (and better) a scam would also be appreciated. And when he leaves again next year, he knows the hassles ahead to settle all his accounts. If you dont pay a toll in Italy, you will receive a statement for non-payment. From the date of the decision, you have30 daysto make the payment. How do those people deal with the citations? But if your appeal is rejected, the Prefect will notify an order for the payment within 150 days. Afterward, the police will inform you of the Prefects decision. But it is recommended to communicate your transit within the following48 hours. In addition, they have never provided me with a photo radar image nor was there written notice given at the time of the alleged infraction. For example, you would pay 28.78 for a no parking ticket in the first five days. Usually, you first receive a charge from the rental car company, a fee for providing info to the police on who was renting/driving the car. What I find interesting is that we DID pay that meter and put more money in it over the hr that we were there. From Hertz. Waited for all of 2019 and nothing was received. And today, enforcement of speed limits comes via electronic cameras (like the one in the photo below). I lived in Italy for 2 years and get the exclusion zones. They did not honor my rental because I didnt bother getting the AAA international license (which NO company has ever asked me more). but the letter I received is almost 3 years after the violation. Trains dont go everywhere and neither do buses. And I still havent received a response from the email I sent them with my documentation (the receipt from the post office). You will still owe the debt, but the ticket will no longer be enforceable. Click here to get a template from Moduli (use a translator). However, it will be notified to your home at your expense. Thats about1802violations per day. Frankly it would be more logical to expect big US banks that make billions to enter the 21 st century. As stated in Art. It is not enough to send the money within the terms if it doesnt arrive on time. Statutes of limitations are laws which say how long, after certain events, a case may be started based on those events. I'm dealing with a debt collector out of California who is after me for a "traffic violation" in Italy in May of 2017 for which I received a notice from the Pisa Polizia roughly 18 months later but NEVER received any documentation as to what it was that I supposedly did to warrant a ticket. Traffic fines are not communicated to immigration authorities, therefore it wouldnt be a reason to deny you entry in the European Union or even Italy itself. Until a few years ago, the days for notifying a fine were not very clear. For a fine to be legit, it must have some requirements and characteristics. You and the rental company are agreeing on who is liable for what. "OK, we will walk out to the car with you and show you how to operate it. The last day is the deadline. The "no cars beyond this point" sign is like all the other signs to them, a ZTL is nothing special. The dreaded ZTL and the evolution of the Italian traffic ticket. While in Italy, you could go to an authorized retailer of Lottomatica Italia Servizi (Lis). By that time, its already long past the prompt payment period and youve already accrued a second fine for late payment. My question is will we be able to rent our car as planned or will there be a problem getting it? Never, ever pass on the right. You can only dispute the collection notice for formal defects. You could also pay a deposit if you dont want to lose the chance of appealing.if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'italianviaggio_com-sky-3','ezslot_21',683,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-italianviaggio_com-sky-3-0'); If the police issued the fine, you could pay it directly at PosteItaliane. Remember to bring cash with you. While in Italy in 2016 we did incur a toll violation as we lost our ticket on exit paid as soon as we got it. I didn't pay it since I couldn't do it without jumping through hoops. There is no way to anticipate Italian traffic tickets. It is a pain, but that is part of the downside to renting cars in Italy. The notification will take longer if you get a fine with a rented car in Italy. We are not dopes. The purpose of a statute of limitations does not apply to traffic violations. Admissibility Declared admissible on 8 June 2012. In 2018, the Cassation clarified that any device authorized for ZTLs could work in reserved lanes without prior consent. Has anyone wondered why it is that the rental car agencies, who know what the laws are and what the complications can be, NEVER tell you about the "no go zones" in Italy. It sounds like Riverside County protected the statute of limitations by filing. Traffic fines are just a regressive tax measure everywhere, that in some highly visited Italian cities hit tourists more than residents, mostly because tourists are more likely to get lost, but Italians get hit a lot too, especially by the ubiquitous Autovelox machines (speed cameras). I tried getting a map, after getting home and discovering the problem, but map was entirely in Italian and difficult to read!!! Sign not visible or unclear due to vegetation, vandalism, bad placement, or other. What the rental company says about it means zero. As stated inArt. It was all wonderful until 3 months after the trip - the first "ticket" notification arrived along with the Europcar $50 handling fee. Be sure to sport your fashionable reflective vest (if you must get out of your car on the roadway for any reason). You cant turn a blind eye to something like this. So, people only go to the Prefect when the problem is clear or to contest a formal defect. The same daughter who gave me bad advice that she thought we could get to her student apartment to pick her up after eight weeks and not cross the ZTR line in Florence. If you know that you are right, dont let anyone scare you and go for it. Italy has speed limits and loves speed cameras. It is more difficult to locate a foreign address. Most likely after an attempt to contact you is made, the location will sell the debt to a debt collector who will try and hassle you for the money with a bunch of extra fees added by this time. Even if the vehicle is not yours, you are always liable for any infraction. 7 CdS, a ZTL fine can range from84to335. Cops have 360 days to send the first registered letter to foreigners driving a rental car. So I have a question for some of the responders on this post. All New Jersey drivers are required to carry a minimum amount of car insurance. Yes, therefore pay. The municipality will no longer have the right to collect the fine. Regarding the practices of cities enforcing these ZTL laws or car rentals charging exorbitant fees for communicating your name to authorities, Italian traffic laws and the rental agreement you sign allow them to do so. In response to people who are unsure about when the 5 days starts or what they are being charged withIm pretty sure it starts from when you receive the letter. ZTLs- a great reason NOT to rent a car and drive in Italy- and thank you Roberto da Firenze for your respectful, honest comments on ZTLs- being a Italian citizen you know of what you speak.. I felt that I had to drive super fast there just to keep up with traffic. Criminal statutes of limitations set limits for how long a prosecutor can wait to file criminal charges against a suspect. Although the ticket seemed extremely high, over 75 euros, I acknowledged that I had violated their restriction and paid the fine. Then, your vehicle will appear in the database as authorized. $15,000 bodily injury per person/accident. Thanks for your understanding. Most of the time, you will see the instructions to view the photo in your fine. Why is it called pepperoni pizza (when peppers [seemingly] have nothing to do with it)? Ask a Lawyer 5319 S. Lewis Ave, Suite 120 918-743-2233 We are also 67 and 70. Post where it happened, I bet google news is full of links about it, with the Mayor apologies and so on. I don't even remember being in that area. Until they can prove that I violated one of "their" traffic codes, I'm going to just dispute their claim and see where this goes (see: https://thecreditbureau.com/2016/07/credit-agencies-stop-reporting-unpaid-tickets/).
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