I don't know the laws of Italy well enough to give firm advice, but in Denmark where I live, I can negotiate an agreement to pay in installments if I can persuade the police that I have troubles paying. I'm not confident enough that the authorities would ignore it. They did not honor my rental because I didnt bother getting the AAA international license (which NO company has ever asked me more). That is due to a change in regulations following a 2015 settlement between the credit bureaus and attorneys generals from over 30 states. For example, you would lose five points if you drive in Italy without a seat belt but three in Spain. I typically travel to Italy every year (until Covid hit). Better later than never, here. It's not the responsibility of the car rental agency to teach you. And if your appeal is rejected, the amount you pay will increase without considering the other expenses. In other worlds, they can't imagine there is a country where you can get a driving license without learning international signs. This site is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. We relax. I am a law-abiding person and my husband and I will pay our dues if they are legit, but I have no way to prove my innocence years after the fact, so my word against theirs. It is just a warning to notify you in advance of the infraction and avoid extra costs. Is the fine still your responsibility if the rental agency takes longer than 60 days to respond? You cant appeal if the issue is irrelevant or your rights are not being compromised. In the meantime, you will still be able to go to the Prefect or Giudice di Pace. Posted on Feb 20, 2010. 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/). They also read local papers that are allowed to publish the position of not-fixed speed traps in the following 7 days. The problem with not paying whether because of negligence or spite is that you can be black-balled by the rental companies. Legal proceedings are slow and costly, especially if the offender is a foreigner. Most likely the delivery was transmitted electronically when the postman used his handheld device to shoot the bar code. Also, you need to add around14,20for notification and assessment costs.if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[320,100],'italianviaggio_com-large-leaderboard-2','ezslot_29',671,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-italianviaggio_com-large-leaderboard-2-0'); Imagine that you are driving near a ZTL in Florence. during the three (3) days we had the Hertz rental car. If you are receiving a bill later than this, what is the appropriate action? We've had several good conversations with locals. Are you sure you got two separate tickets? Speed limits depend on the type of road, vehicle, and environmental conditions. My relatives in Europe tell me that the Italians are notorious for sending such notices and that I should ignore them. The Georgia Supreme Court reversed the Court of Appeals in February 2020 and held that even though the tolling features of OCGA Sec. There is also a reduction oftwodriving license points. Melloscher, I received 2 separate certified letters informing me of the violations. I'll update this once I find out what my options are and if this is likely to go away. I got the credit card bill from Hertz and confirmed that this was their administrative fee to give drivers information. 9-3-99 still apply to the statute of limitations of 2 years on injury and death cases in Georgia, ante litem requirements are different and are not tolled. However, this rule doesnt apply to fines for restricted zones. We somehow received 6 fines in 2 days driving in Italy last summer. The owners of the car, the rental company, must then respond within 60 days with the information on who was driving the car at that time. You will only have to pay the regular price of one fine.if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[250,250],'italianviaggio_com-leader-1','ezslot_30',672,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-italianviaggio_com-leader-1-0'); Usually, you can enter a restricted zone if your hotel is located near it. This makes me think that they have some way of getting out of traffic citations. Your request must be written in Italian and on plain paper. Makes me wonder if people who have posted about TransferWise are just trying to promote the service Transferwise is very trusted in the expat community when we want to transfer money between the home bank and the foreign bank. When the law says ascertainment, it relates to the day of the offense. In this case, it is possible to appeal to the Judge. The dreaded ZTL and the evolution of the Italian traffic ticket. I suspect they assume you have informed yourself about what you are undertaking to do, and do not want to insult you by telling you 'do not speed' and 'obey the signs'. I figure this money comes out of my vacation fund, because it was a vacation expense! A defendant or respondent can ask the court to . Italian lawsets a statute of limitations of five years for traffic fines. If you commit a violation in Italy, the Italian government will ask your country for your details. If the violation is contested immediately, the owner is still notified within 100 days.if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[250,250],'italianviaggio_com-square-1','ezslot_33',679,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-italianviaggio_com-square-1-0'); It is a little bit tricky to understand the notification terms. Couldn't pay it at the police station that day, so we followed the dispatcher's instructions and paid it in our next stop, Lecce, the next day. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. They say it isnt good enough, they need a receipt that should have been mailed to me. But if your appeal is rejected, the Prefect will notify an order for the payment within 150 days. Plus, you wont have to deal with Italian bureaucracy and complicate systems. I would get at least 1 ticket for either speeding or driving in a LTZ each time ( 4 of the last 5 trips). BUT..the registered mail receipt to be returned was still on the envelope; nobody completed it. I'd like to clarify that I did not intend to suggest that the enforcement of ZTLs is a scam directed at tourists. There is no statute of limitations or set date range by which the courts must issue an arrest warrant. if the 360 day limit is valid and the police have not followed the rules to send by 360 days is there any action to payment. statute of limitations on traffic tickets in new mexico. In this case, you must also send a copy of the payment receipt. We are not dopes. The Supreme Court of Cassation said that drivers must pay all the penalties. 7 CdS, a ZTL fine can range from84to335. Jonathon, the timer starts when you actually receive the ticket. So, you cant ignore a traffic fine from Italy. With theIBAN codeincluded on your ticket, you can send money directly to the municipalitys bank account. Lessons: (a) rental car companies are not customer-service oriented and looking to make a buck, and (b) Italian administration leaves a little to be desired. Also, the town hall may outsource a debt collection agency against you. Morally you agreed to their rules and choose to drive in their country, if you broke the rules you should pay the fine. Some people give up to the pressure and the empty threats, others dont. I created this blog to help people have the best experience in Italy and share unique tips and advice to travel here. I need to have a conversation with Avis as their paperwork at the time indicated they had taken care of the fines for Firenze and passed them on to me but now I am afraid that wasn't so. If you did not, it may help to know that some folks on this forum have been pleased with the low-cost service offered by TransferWise. What Types of Fines Can You Get in Italy? See answer (1) Best Answer. With some fines, it is better to appeal to the Prefect and others to the Judge. We and our partners use data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. In case you are in Italy, you have to fill out abollettino postale. According to Italian law, the municipality and the offender have separate terms. Prohibit the circulation of your vehicle. I did rent from Europcar and opted to get the telepass rental thing. Paul from Frozen Iowa The most popular speeding machine is calledAutovelox. Heres how it works: Essentially, it can take up to510 daysto notify a fine in Italy. So I have a question for some of the responders on this post. If the time between each infraction is just afew minutes, the Judge might consider it a single behavior. Usually, but not always, a ZTL keeps non residents' cars out of the historic center. Just noticed my email today, an email you can easily ignore (with unknown language title and content), I knew about ZTL and I was all the time trying to avoid it, I don't even know where is the location I got this ticket, only know it happened in Bologna, while in other city(Milan) I google every step and pay for so call area C ticket, and all the 20 days I travel in Italy trying to do everything right and follow the rules, the parking, the highway, the speed, still I manage to get this. 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. What does the law have to say about this? It is possible to contest the Prefects decision to the Judge. When you get a moving violation, after you hand the officer your driver's license and they hand you the ticket, they ask you to sign it. What do you think you are actually signing when you sign a contract? just received a ticket in the mail from last April, we are leaving for Italy again next weekend and have a car reserved. Evidently authorities decided that endeavoring to recover the amount of the tickets wasn't worth their effort, otherwise you would have heard from a collection agency by this time. Same deal every time, I get a ticket in Italian (which I cant read/speak) and English, and I generally ignore it. The short answer is you have been notified. Traffic Offenses That Have a Six Month Statute of Limitations. The hotelier will have to communicate to the police your license plate number in advance. So, I thought it was all part of the overall discussion. I also wonder how using network like TransferWise to send money abroad could ever be "a pain". Can anyone provide the website that shows the actual Italian laws for amount of time to notify you and pay etc.? It's the responsibility of tourists to comply with local laws and pay the fines if they don't. I guess times have changed. It has not been sent registered post and there was no marking on the envelope to suggest it is sent registered post and no one has signed for it. Same as before, I smirked, and tossed in in the trash. The signature of the offender is not necessary. Will never use Hertz and drive in Italy again. So, under the circumstances as described, any thoughts from anybody as to whether I'd be safe in not paying it? In most cases, it will be no more than an administrative sanction. Authorities may wait for your return to Italy if legal proceedings dont take place. It is usually a good option if the amount of the fine is high. One of them was one minute apart from another. Authorities will send the fine to the actual offender or vehicle owner. that have zones in which tourist rental cars must not drive. You will know whether they notified the ticket on time or not. The inheritance transfer process is pretty cheap and seamless in Italy. I will share all the things you should know as a foreigner to make your trip easier. In order to register online, you have to select the city of the Judge. For the same reason they do not tell US tourists about one way signs. There is no statute of limitations for traffic tickets, and they don't expire. Thats not necessarily true. In this case,Art. I have enjoyed driving in several central European countries without incident. Safe travels! I would first contact the clerk's office in the . We take trains. And here I was thinking we were safe since two years had passed since we drove in Italy. Ive emailed them about how to make these changes stop and for me to pay the tickets and havent heard back. Each letter was from the local police authority in the two different cities where the violations occurred. Maybe you drove in Florence before they installed the bilingual traffic lights to mark the ZTL limits, so I can somehow understand those fines. In fact, what matters is the shipping date of the envelope. You both did the crime, so split the fine. https://lnkd.in/gcU-VUyr For example, if they sent the envelope on the359thday but you received ittwo monthslater, it is still on the rule. TransferWise to pay fines for a Traffic violation is easy and quick. Any expense will be borne by the debtor (Art. What if it has taken almost 5 years before they send the ticket. Even so, we found we were entering one during a trip to Firenze. If you receive a collection notice after 60 months from the notification date, you dont have to pay it. Waited for all of 2019 and nothing was received. If you do live in America and choose not to pay, the credit collection agency will simply contact you and possibly make empty threats until you pay. But I really don't want to drive in Italy again! Sorry, but there must be a downside in ignoring treaties, car rental agencies do not make training courses Called "Things US drivers are not used to". According to a1996 Decret, you can drive and park in ZTLs if you are disabled. If you dont pay the collection agency, they wont likely be able to have that debt enforced in a US court of law, but I dont know if they will try to report you to a credit agency regardless. The statute of limitations traffic ticket laws are the same as the statute of limitation speeding ticket laws. A fine that can be appealed is "frozen" for 60 days and it can't have Practical effects on the offender. How would I know which part of the process was delayed beyond its limit, whether it is the authorities who are at fault or someone else? Sisal betting shops work similarly to Lottomatica.if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'italianviaggio_com-square-2','ezslot_34',684,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-italianviaggio_com-square-2-0'); The best way to pay for Italian traffic tickets online is by wire transfer. One of them I was able to pay via credit card but the other one only accepted a money order, which cost me an additional $45 to send. However, any fee for international transactions is determined by your local bank. While the contractual limitation period is 10 years, a period of 5 years normally applies to penalties regulated by the Road Traffic Code. From the 6th to the 60th day you can either file an appeal via registered letter or pay the full fine. Frankly it would be more logical to expect big US banks that make billions to enter the 21 st century. These minimums include: $5,000 property damage liability. Cops do not stop cars anymore, it's all made by cameras. Don't ignore it. You have to write almost the same information in the letter as the Prefect. The one we left Talamone so early in the morning for to stay on schedule to be in Venice that afternoon. Maybe in your never-ending need to correct the rest of us, you can find an article. It seems these are ZTL fines, not speed traps. It is possible to bring it to the prefectures office as well. It also said this: The service is not able to automatically determine the amount to be paid as the notification date of the fine has not yet been recorded. The website is supposed to tell you what you currently owe, but they dont know weve received the letter, and were just gonna pay the lower rate. Additionally, I have never logged into the their mickey moose websites to verify if it was me or not. There are many substantial defects for every type of infraction, but these are the most common ones: Also, you need to prove in front of the Judge the substantial defect. Statute of limitations for criminal offenses. Remember to bring cash with you. Hell yes! This one only will let us wire the money). And my apologies for spelling your name wrong, Dario. They have 365 days to issue their tickets - you will have one year of total frustration after your fabulous Italian holiday. One of the bridges was closed for construction so the navigation took us on a slight detour. And before Darius piles the "you should have reported your merge to Hertz so they could alert the authorities", why would I do that when the Comune di Modena was the entity that placed merge signs for regular motorists? You are listed as driver. I did tons of research to help you solve your problem. Now the notification terms start from the day authoritiesknowyour details. As for Italian residents, the time limit is 30 days. I finally wrote a letter in Italian (I speak enough to be understood, but am by no means fluent) to back off and insisting they get in touch with the authorities in Lecce. You have to follow all the instructions given in the fine. You probably received the notification from an international collection agency. There are times and places where renting a car makes sense. Make sure to not spend too much time on it.if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[250,250],'italianviaggio_com-mobile-leaderboard-2','ezslot_12',694,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-italianviaggio_com-mobile-leaderboard-2-0'); Another way to appeal is to go to the Prefect. The issue is my son was not in Italy on those dates. As American wine professionals have begun to travel to Italy again, it was inevitable that they would inadvertently commit a traffic infraction or two. 2. However, it must be at least 5 km/h. No further actions will be taken if you make the payment within15 days. You should be posting your own question because OP will be notified every time someone responds to your question. They are only justified if it is too difficult to identify the vehicle owner. Thankfully, you have2 extra dayswhen you pay online. The statute of limitations to enforce aticket is five years from the day of the traffic violation (Art. An international wire transfer can easily cost you between$30 to $50. Non residents dont vote. How much the City actually collects from foreigners is a totally different story. We stay on the outskirts and take public transportation into town. The time limit runs from the notification date and doesnt suspend the days to appeal. Someday this will probably rise from the dead and start again. There are some good suggestions for handling your fine in the comments here. The worse is that the computerized photography only showed licenses plate. If the time between each infraction is just a few minutes, the Judge might consider it asinglebehavior. Most of the time, tourists confuse it with a payment receipt. I don't even remember being in that area. I got Milan ZTL fine today in the mail. We paid with a credit card and got a receipt both from the post office where we paid (host said it was official, not to worry), and the receipt from the credit card. But if you ignore it, you will never know what it could have been. We are very careful to follow all the laws no matter what. The silver lining is that you have to pay only 6 months a year, instead of 12. You have30 daysfrom the decision to pay or go to court. The notice of payment was received in UK yesterday which is dated end of February 2020. In some cases, they can be more expensive than the ticket itself. While in Italy, you could go to an authorized retailer of Lottomatica Italia Servizi (Lis). Dont get me wrong; Im not saying to pay with your eyes closed. Yes, a two month billing cycle is the norm for Italian utilities, from electricity to gas to land line telephone. You will never be right in most cases. Avis claimed I caused the damaged. This is just reeeeeaaaaallllly ridiculous. Frank, ah, I see what you mean by "hyjacking". If it's true, you can easily file an appeal by registered mail an win. There is no connection between motorway tolls that can be paid by Telepass and an historic district where Only residents are allowed to drive into. Almost all counties in Florida use collection agencies to collect unpaid money owed on citations. Or can you pay the fine in any Italian post office? However, each one of them has its advantages and disadvantages. When you break a traffic rule, authorities have to inform you about it. kmillard7, You may be misreading the date. You always have to count from thelatest notificationor enforcement order. So, the European Council implemented the directive2015/413. (This assumes you were in a rental car, not your own car.). That should be a hit on your credit card with which you rented the car. We were so busy trying to follow the gps that we did not pay much attention to the signs. You agree to be guilty of committing the violation if you pay. I was told by one of the residents the morning after that I was illegally parked and would likely get a ticket. No more for me! Currently, he's returned to Italy, with the attitude that some things are great in Italy, and some things remain chaotic. It usually takes from 3-5 business days for the funds to be credited. Here's where to find it in Bologna. Thanks. Many travelers here have noticed the rigorousness with which some countries enforce traffic violations, Italy would be just one of these countries. Has anyone had experience with this situation? A few years ago my parents wired tuition fees to a school I was attending in Spain. I am actually feeling pretty fortunate that I didn't receive more tickets than I did, since this was my first time driving abroad. Administrative appeals are faster than judicial ones. So all Italians fined on the same day at the same place in Modena appealed and won? Ridiculous - don't rent a car - it just isn't worth the angst afterwards. I had a heck of a time just translating what the violation was never mind trying to find another way to make the payment from the information on the ticket. I'm guilty and can't prove my innocence? The printout allows you to continue your road trip and pay for the highway later. DougMac I have to agree with. 353 reviews. But debts arising from fines (even those issued by US jurisdictions) are not reported to the credit bureaus and US Courts do not enforce foreign judgements relating to fines, penalties, tax judgements, child support, spousal alimony, therefore the collection agency cannot take you to court. Put simply; you can contest a ticket if authorities dont fill it correctly. According toArt. Write down the following information: Usually, you will find a completed form attached to your ticket. Or maybe you werent home at the time of delivery. You can use more than one sheet as long as you staple them. He used his credit card for the rental car and he drove the entire trip. I received a ticket in the mail due to driving in a zone during a time that was for buses only, wth. You can choose to pay traffic fines on the municipality website. Firstly, you have to go to the website of the municipality. The purpose of a statute of limitations does not apply to traffic violations. So, we drive less and less on trips. What is the statute of limitations on traffic tickets in commercial vehicle in Arizona? There is a 30% discount if you confess and pay within 5 days from the day you sign the letter receipt. The registered letter must be sent without an envelope. I was charged for additional tolls a few months after hope that included driving in the ZTL, as I know I made a few wrong turns in Florence! 142of the Italian Highway Code (CdS). It is a good idea to notify your hotel before arriving. Authorities will check if youve respected the terms by looking at the shipping date of the envelope. But if the offense is too serious, you may suffer additional charges. I paid it via wire transfer (as that was the only option available according to this particular police department). The terms are counted from thedate of the infringement. The police cant subtract them even if the car rental company communicates your details. The many many posts in this stream are a clear demonstration of the general bad idea of car rental. I am sure what some including myself may advise on an Internet forum may be different than what I might actually do in a similar situation. There wasn't any indication that we went somewhere we weren't supposed to. Im not trying to intimidate you, but these are the facts. My question is will we be able to rent our car as planned or will there be a problem getting it? I have learned my lesson the hard way about driving in Italy. Now several days later, I have received a 2nd ticket for a separate offense. Will The Car Rental Company Pay Your Fine? But with the sentencen. 7066, the Cassation finally clarified them. You are penalised for the offences by those who drove a car under your responsibility. That is not good practice either. You have to compile it with your data, request, and the details of the infraction. Contest it. Ive rented vehicles from different companies each time to avoid the awkward conversation is the ticket ever comes up. This is because you kept on driving under the same ZTL camera. Several weeks later I received a similar notice from the the city of Bologna followed soon after by a notice from the city of Milan. Except for the severe heat that early June 2015 we had a beautiful week in Tuscany and then a beautiful week in Slovenia but that Saturday I am literally still paying for! Also, remember thata man reaps what he sows.. If you live in the US nothing happens if you dont pay. To avoid the fine, this must inform the infractors data to authorities within60 days. petanokona, more and more cities sell unpaid fines to international collection agencies. Usually, you will find a form on its website. Really? But from the moment authoritieshand overthe ticket to the post office for delivery. Why is it called pepperoni pizza (when peppers [seemingly] have nothing to do with it)? If you want to keep your Italian license points, you can choose to stay anonymous and pay. The most recent one I got was from Bologna (from my May-2019 visit).
Dixie Stampede Children's Menu,
Walter Henry James Musk Father,
Native American Last Name Ray,
Frank Mecum Age,
Articles S