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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To pay a fine issued to me by mistake for an easier life

107 replies

Scuttlingherbert · 04/03/2023 11:57

I received a letter saying I had to pay a fine for using a toll road without paying. There's a photo of what looks like my car on the letter.

Initially I completely assumed it was right but did think it was strange, as I didn't think I'd ever used the road in question. Showed it to my husband because he also drives my car.

We did a bit of detective work. Looked up where this road is on a map and we've definitely never been there! (Although it's in our city so it's feasible.)
Went back through various phone apps and my diary to figure out what we were doing at that time. It was a Sunday morning and I was in bed as I'd been up all night with the baby. My husband was out with her on a long walk. My called me 1 minute before the photo was taken, saying he was about to go into Sainsbury's. He never uses the phone whilst driving.

When I looked at the photo more closely, it's hard to tell as it's black and white but the car in the photo looks red whereas my car is silver. The car in the photo is also really clean! Mine is approaching it's annual wash.
Then I remembered my car has one wing mirror that is the wrong colour (the casing) because the previous owner broke it and replaced it with a black one. In the photo it looks like both wing mirrors are the same colour.
Looking at the number plate, it looks like mine but the last letter looks a bit weird. It's not this but say it's meant to be an R, this looks like a P with a mark on.

I put my number plate into the MOT checker but with a P instead of an R and the car that came up was the same make and model as mine but red, like in the photo.

The fine is £75 but if I pay it really soon I only have to pay £2.50, which was the original toll.

My husband thinks we should dispute it and he knows quite a bit about ANPR from his job. I'm tempted to pay the £2.50 for an easy life because I'm not sure how much hassle it will be to dispute it?
I'm crap at life admin and it feels like it's endless at the moment as we've just moved and are planning to move again. I have a full time job which is very full on emotionally, in healthcare and just got a promotion, plus I've started doing some extra hours of teaching on a healthcare course, plus we have a 1 year old. My husband has just had a promotion as well.
In the teaching job, there's about to be loads of extra life admin as the employer has just changed so I have to do all the ID check, occ health, DBS bollocks again.

I expect someone's number plate just looks like mine because of a bit of dirt or something and it's not deliberate. But it could be deliberate so that makes me think I should pursue it. The wing mirror thing makes it quite easy to prove I think.

What would you do?

YABU = don't pay it
YANBU = pay it

OP posts:
Merryoldgoat · 04/03/2023 13:09

Fuck that - just pay it.

SeaSnakes · 04/03/2023 13:12

How odd you would post this

BaroldBalonz · 04/03/2023 13:13

Absolutely appeal. If you could guarantee it's a one off I can understand the easy option of paying £2.50, but it may become a regular occurrence.

SleepingStandingUp · 04/03/2023 13:13

SeaSnakes · 04/03/2023 13:12

How odd you would post this

Welcome to MN where people post random stuff to see other people's opinions on it.

Oblomov23 · 04/03/2023 13:19

I wouldn't pay it, and appeal, out of principal, because it's wrong, because I love a good fight, an appeal. But for you, with everything you've got on, for £2.50 I'd just pay it.

Rainbowshit · 04/03/2023 13:20

For £2.50 I'd pay and then appeal.

Siennahh · 04/03/2023 13:22

To be honest I'd have never and sat and typed all of that, I'd have just paid the £2.50 instead. But your DH is right, it's only because the value is so low why I'd pay it. I've never heard of a fine being the same amount as the toll though! That's not a fine that's a bill.

Walkaround · 04/03/2023 13:23

You can’t pay then appeal, as paying is admitting guilt, so they won’t let you appeal. If you appeal because you can prove you don’t have to pay, then you won’t have to pay. As this is a clear cut case from the evidence you have, you will not have to pay. Don’t pay.

YellowDaffodillie · 04/03/2023 13:25

Definitely appeal and don’t pay it.

It seems highly likely that a similar car to yours has caused this fine to be sent to you but if the other driver thinks they’ve got away without paying, how often are they going to continue to use that route and clock up more penalty notices that come winging their way to your address? Also, if you’re moving house again, there’s the small additional risk of the mail going astray and you might miss the initial letter next time.

Surely it’s not that much work to provide the evidence that it wasn’t you as you’ve already done most of it?

Lockedinforwinter · 04/03/2023 13:30

For the sake of £2.50 I'd pay it, but also send them your evidence in case the same happens again.

ifonly4 · 04/03/2023 13:31

Take a screenshot of the time of the call. Also, if your DH made a purchase in Sainsburys, does he have a receipt showing the time?

Ionlydrinkondaysendinginy · 04/03/2023 13:33

I wouldn't pay it but I'm extremely petty and would literally fight it all the way to court just to be proven right

SoupDragon · 04/03/2023 13:34

SeaSnakes · 04/03/2023 13:12

How odd you would post this

More or less odd than you posting that?

PicturesOfDogs · 04/03/2023 13:36

Ionlydrinkondaysendinginy · 04/03/2023 13:33

I wouldn't pay it but I'm extremely petty and would literally fight it all the way to court just to be proven right

This is me.
I’d argue it on principle.

Not sure what other posters are going on about ‘the hassle’ of appealing? It won’t take that long to write an email, outlying the issue and attaching the photos surely?

TheySeeMeRowling · 04/03/2023 13:39

I’d pay it to avoid any potential repercussions for not paying it. If after you pause the £2.50 you want to challenge it then go for it. Let your husband do it as he thinks his free time is worth less that £2.50.

Stardustkid · 04/03/2023 13:41

I haven’t read the thread, but if it’s dart definitively call them they are helpful I had the same problem and they cancelled it

Pseudonamed · 04/03/2023 13:56

I would go to prison rather than pay it but I am stubborn when I know I am in the right.

holesinmyknitting · 04/03/2023 13:58

I wouldn't read any more responses! Helpful though we are trying to be, I would use the time saved to quickly put together the proof it wasn't your car, screen shot etc and send it with as brief as possible explanation, keep proof it has been received and I doubt you will hear anything more.

user1477249785 · 04/03/2023 14:06

Who are all these crazy people saying pay it and then dispute it? The whole point of paying it would be to not have to spend another minute thinking about it. For £2.50, I'd do that in a heartbeat.

Unsure33 · 04/03/2023 14:12

Personally I would not pay it , what if that car was doing something else dodgy and you get fined for that , by paying you are admitting you are somewhere when you never were .

ProfessorSlocombe · 04/03/2023 14:35

For various reasons, it's not a great idea to admit to being somewhere you weren't. The most obvious being you have no idea what else may have occurred around that time and place.

ThinWomansBrain · 04/03/2023 15:00

surely its like a parking fine, that if you dispute it within the time limit,
although its only a small amount, appeal (or let DH)- you've done the research - if everyone simply pays up, whoever is running the system will be unaware of the tech failings. (or able to say they weren't aware if challenged).

ThinWomansBrain · 04/03/2023 15:02

== challenged within the time limit, the penalty will remain fixed at level pending the outcome of your challenge/appeal.

mast0650 · 04/03/2023 15:04

I'd do whatever is easiest. If it easy to pay the 2.50 then I'd just do that. If that is a bit of hassle in itself then I'd try a quick phonecall to explain.

mast0650 · 04/03/2023 15:05

I would go to prison rather than pay it but I am stubborn when I know I am in the right.

Seriously???? Surely not!