Speeding fine and points on North Cyprus driving licence when in UK

joanie1


Joined: 25/07/2008
Posts: 164

Message Posted:
15/10/2010 20:13

When this happened to a friend I couldn't believe it but today it happened to me. A young man arrived on a motorbike handed me a speeding fine dated 1st September last - I was in UK then. - my daughter and son in law were staying in my house here and with my consent had the use of my car. I went to the police station in Girne to show proof that I was not the driver. Police very polite but said that because I was the owner I had to pay the fine and have points on my licence. My son in law is mortified (doing 80km in 65km limit by Escape Beach) offered to fax his licence (British) and have the points but no - it has to be mine. We can sort out the fine - no problem - but unjust points irritate me - also what would have happened if he had injured somebody - would I be guilty even though not here. I think the implications are really worrying - have not paid yet as police said wait until paperwork redelivered (refused to accept it as I had not done it! Advice welcome



Thanks

AlsancakJack



Joined: 14/08/2008
Posts: 5762

Message Posted:
15/10/2010 20:31

Unfortunately they are correct.

How can they add points to a British driving licence? As the car is registered in your name and unless any driver you authorise has a TRNC licence then as you are the registered owner then it is your responsibility.

AJ

Navek



Joined: 01/06/2008
Posts: 2656

Message Posted:
15/10/2010 20:57

Hi joanie1,

A similar thing happened to my wife, as she was the 1st name in log book.

Police arrived at our house with paperwork for a speeding offence.

When we checked it, the offence had occured before we had even arrived in The TRNC,

or even purchased the car.

The police that came to our house were quite insistant that she sign the paperwork, she refused.

We agreed to call into Girne Police Station with our passports, in's & outs etc.

When we visited the Police Station, and they checked all the paperwork, charges were dropped.

I know it's a different situation for you.

They should have a photo taken at the time of the offence, that will also prove you were not driving.

In that case, how can they charge you?

Good luck,

Navek

Woodspeckie


Joined: 25/01/2009
Posts: 2263

Message Posted:
15/10/2010 21:29

joanie1. "What would have happened if he had injured someone" was the insurance in your name or had he take his own insurance out?

yorgozlu



Joined: 16/06/2009
Posts: 4437

Message Posted:
15/10/2010 21:36

In TRNC you do NOT insure yourself to drive the vehicle but the vehicle itself.Work out the rest for yourself.

AlsancakJack



Joined: 14/08/2008
Posts: 5762

Message Posted:
15/10/2010 21:44

Apparently you can go to Lefkosa police station and request to see the photo that the camera took but I think it may cost in the region of 70Tl for the privilege and you cannot be guaranteed to see the face of the driver.

Some one else may be able to expand or clarify this as I was told 'second hand'

Brinsley


Joined: 04/04/2009
Posts: 6858

Message Posted:
15/10/2010 21:51

Work this one out. Had a phone call from Girne Police some years ago to ask me to attend the Police Station and explain why I was involved, as a driver, in a RTA on the Girne/Lapta road and disappeared. I told them that I'd been at home all evening, don't have a car and don't drive in TRNC, told them to come around and pick me up. My phone registers numbers of incoming calls and on checking, it was the Police Stations' number. Guess what, they never turned up!



Richard

elko2



Joined: 24/07/2007
Posts: 4400

Message Posted:
15/10/2010 22:25

The police are taking the easy way out. If you went to the police station with the person who admits to speeding, they get the fine and the points. Otherwise if you say it was somebody else who was using the car but they are not there to admit it they don't know what to do. So the easy way out is to force you to pay the fine and accept the points.



It is not your problem. You simply hand them a signed paper and tell them the truth and make it quite clear to them that you are not paying anything. Let them bring charges to you if they dare. I can assure you that they will not do anything. It is not illegal to refuse to pay the traffic fine without a court order.

ismet

joanie1


Joined: 25/07/2008
Posts: 164

Message Posted:
15/10/2010 22:37

Thank you for all your helpful answers - my insurance covers any other driver - AJ I agree that the responsibility for insuring the car is mine but when my ins and outs (backed up by the police computer) prove that I was not in the country at the time why should they assume it was me driving. I know you can't put points on a British licence here - but my son in law did not know that. Can we not allow our family members (rare precious holidaymakers who help the local economy here) to use our cars unless they have TRNC driving licences? As a family we are quite happy to pay the fine- as I have said before its just me having to take the points that I object to. After all lots of people using hire cars get fined for speeding etc but because they have British or other driving licences they don't have their licences endorsed. Elko if you are around I'd love your input.



Thanks



Joan

elko2



Joined: 24/07/2007
Posts: 4400

Message Posted:
15/10/2010 22:48

Joan,

I am around and I beat you to it. BTW, points are not written on the licences but are recorded on the computer against your name. Car hire firms regularly go to the police station with their paperwork to prove who was driving the vehicle at the time. Of course they have to produce hire forms filled in properly and signed. Next time they enter the country they are clobbered so to speak.

ismet

AlsancakJack



Joined: 14/08/2008
Posts: 5762

Message Posted:
15/10/2010 22:54

Hi Joan

One other aspect to bear in mind is that obviously the car only is insured but for anyone that is not mentioned in the log book should have a letter of authority from the owner giving them permission to drive the car. So therefore if you want to take it further then please make sure that you can provide that letter (or at least a copy of it).

That is my understanding of the situation but I am willing to be educated by those with far more experience than me.

AJ

AlsancakJack



Joined: 14/08/2008
Posts: 5762

Message Posted:
15/10/2010 23:00

Ismet

Re message 10

'Car hire firms regularly go to the police station with their paperwork to prove who was driving the vehicle at the time. Of course they have to produce hire forms filled in properly and signed. Next time they enter the country they are clobbered so to speak.'



Not necessarily true and I am sure you know what I mean. There are certain car hire firms that for some unknown reason do not have a problem. Anyway that is pure conjecture.

wanderer


Joined: 05/02/2009
Posts: 1653

Message Posted:
15/10/2010 23:19

Aj I hired a car an 4 times after I had been in and out of the TRNC I entered and was told Girni police station traffic

I wanted to know which way the car was going to or from Ercan To Ercan hire car company from Ercan me

I went to Lefkosa police station to see the picture that the camera took showed the wife in the passenger seat and my arms driving my fine they had previously tried to charge the hire car company I saw the hire papers and details

Daughter in law borrows our car whilst staying here we are in the UK I write to her allowing her to drive and have a copy of her licence so if the police want to charge me for her offence I have the proof and she gets the points and fine

joanie1


Joined: 25/07/2008
Posts: 164

Message Posted:
15/10/2010 23:33

Thanks again to all of you - my understanding of insurance cover from my agent is that anyone else can drive the car with my permission but I was not told I had to give written permission. I'll check that out on Monday. Elko I'll take your advice but I'm sure you understand that all of us with temporary residency are a little bit nervous of the law here. I'll keep you posted on what happens. Wanderer as AJ said previously your daughter in law could not get points on a non TRNC licence.



Goodnight all



Joan

apc2010


Joined: 28/07/2010
Posts: 1689

Message Posted:
16/10/2010 02:00

do not pay anything , a helpful member............



http://www.cyprus44.com/forums/42764.asp

Hippo


Joined: 02/02/2007
Posts: 2070

Message Posted:
16/10/2010 06:38

AJ another load of post drinking crap you are spouting again,

Repeat after me' You cant have a TRNC license without a residency permit'

wanderer


Joined: 05/02/2009
Posts: 1653

Message Posted:
16/10/2010 08:21

hippo you may not have the physical licence but if you go over the points total in the TRNC for the given period you are illegal if you drive

swyflot


Joined: 07/11/2008
Posts: 916

Message Posted:
16/10/2010 10:39

In the UK, if the same happened,you as the registered owner, have to proove that you were not driving the car at the time, if you can`t then you are held responsible.

AlsancakJack



Joined: 14/08/2008
Posts: 5762

Message Posted:
16/10/2010 10:43

Hipps

Ref message 16:



'AJ another load of post drinking crap you are spouting again,



Repeat after me' You cant have a TRNC license without a residency permit'



Dear me Hipps I am well aware of that fact. I cannot see anywhere in my postings where I stated otherwise.

You really did get out of the wrong side of the bed this morning.

joanie1


Joined: 25/07/2008
Posts: 164

Message Posted:
16/10/2010 20:06

Message 18 - yes I do realise that but the border controls here are very thorough and efficient (and rightly so) so my point is that my in and out record should show that I was not here at the time. Also we are happy to pay the fine (if we don't I'll probably be stopped at the border next time I go abroad) - I need to find out how to pay the fine without the points. According to the police in Girne I cannot do one without the other.



Joan

AlsancakJack



Joined: 14/08/2008
Posts: 5762

Message Posted:
16/10/2010 20:30

Joan

Unfortunately the 'border' controls are not as strict as they should be. It only needs one person to get out of the car and present passports for every one else in the car (or maybe not in the car). shall we just say that some people make money out of getting visas renewed for those that cannot be bothered to do it themselves.

elko2



Joined: 24/07/2007
Posts: 4400

Message Posted:
16/10/2010 20:54

Joan,

If you pay the fine it means that you accept the points. I have 15 unpaid tickets and nobody asks me why when I go through the customs. You are no different. They stop you if they cannot find you to serve the ticket. Most people think that they are stopped because they did not pay the fine. This is not true. If you do not pay the fine, you should sit tight and wait for the charge but for some reason they have not brought charges against anybody due to speed cameras.

ismet

joanie1


Joined: 25/07/2008
Posts: 164

Message Posted:
16/10/2010 23:26

Thanks AJ and Ismet - I am being educated by the hour here - you know what - I am going to the Lefkosa police station - pay the 70 lira to see the photo - believe me my very handsome son in law looks nothing like me! - and then I'll offer to pay the fine on his behalf but not accept the points - hopefully my very limited Turkish might help - Ismet do you mind my asking but how often do you leave the country either through ercan or Metahan or Locmaci. Also how they did find me - the man on the motorbike turned up at my door - because this was the address where my car and my driving licence was registered. Also they had my passport number - no problem with any of this - as an honest person I have nothing to hide. My friend who lent his car at Xmas to someone was speeding (camera)- my friend was told could not go over border without paying fine even though computer showed he was not in TRNC at the time. Yes honestly - they paid up and took the points - fair yes or no!!



Joan

elko2



Joined: 24/07/2007
Posts: 4400

Message Posted:
17/10/2010 08:13

Joan,

Last time I went through Ercan was in September this year.

Look at it this way: you are not guilty until the judge says so. You have the choice to pay the fine (and accept the points) as a convenience and avoid going to court. Believe me nobody is doing me any favours and I am not the type to beg or even ask for favours. I always manage under the strength of my own steam

ismet

PS: the chap who gives out the tickets occasionally call on me for a chat even if he has nothing to serve on me. He tells me that I am not his best customer. I am not giving his name to you lot but he is a young minister in the cabinet

Groucho



Joined: 26/04/2008
Posts: 7993

Message Posted:
17/10/2010 08:26

You might be his worst customer!