Some horrible teenager has given my address to get out of paying for a train ticket

[Al991]

A have got a letter from the train company telling me that my son, whom I’ve never heard of, tried to dodge a ticket and now I need to pay for it. I want to ring them and tell them what’s happened but partner says we shouldn’t engage and should just write return to sender not at this address on the letter. Says if we appeal the fine that’s sort of like saying it’s our fine.

What would be the least ridiculous way to deal with this stupid situation 🙄

😆😆😆

Massive drama overdose.

Then just send it back saying “[Name] doesn’t exist”. Done.

Then you can bin it. The boy doesn’t exist. You can’t take a non-existent person to court.

"Horrible teenager"😂😅

Actually your husband is wrong if it's addressed to you and you don't appeal it your accepting the fact that it's you and it will go to court and you'll be charged . A friend had the same issue and ignore sit she ended duo with a £2000 fine a d a record for fair dodging even when she proved in court that she didn't know the person who had dodged. That they weren't her daughter as suggested. The judge found her guilty entirely based on the fact she ignored the letters and refused to consider any appeal after that. You need to appeal it in the correct manner and make it clear you don't have a son by that name. Inform the police and get crime number and send that in too. But please dont Ignore it.

@Al991
Ok, I've had a chat with a railway revenue fraud person who I know and they say to send an email (email address will be on the letter) or phone explaining that you do not know the person on the letter and why. That should then stop any further letters. When someone is stopped the address is checked as to whether it's genuine so if this person has used your address (giving false details is an offence anyway) fraudulently then a marker will be placed on it so that if they try it again then revenue protection will know that there's been an issue previously.
If you ignore the letter and don't make contact then it will in all likelihood go to court. Don't whatever you do RTS the letter as that can take 6 months to get back to the train company and will not stop court proceedings.

I had this. We returned the first one "Not Known at this Address" and when we got a follow-up replied that the guy had clearly given a false address as we'd never heard of him.

That seemed to end the matter.

I had this with a what I discovered was a fine for my ex tenants. I kept getting letters for them that I returned to sender moved address but they kept on coming. I opened one eventually and found they were fines for unpaid congestion charge and the tenants hadn't changed their registered keepers address on their vehicle. The letter I opened was a bailiff letter. So I called, explained, send documents proving I was the sole registered person at the address and they cancelled it. If I hadn't then I'd have been getting knocks on the door.

Don't put your head in the sand like your DH says just call and explain. It must happens a lot.

This didn’t happen.

If you ignore the letter and don't make contact then it will in all likelihood go to court. Don't whatever you do RTS the letter as that can take 6 months to get back to the train company and will not stop court proceedings.

Court proceedings against whom? The unnamed parent of a non existent child? I’d wish them luck with that.

And?!! are people no longer adults? Or do we all needs to ask and have a vote for every thing in life which is pretty easy to work out? Or do you also need your grown ass hand help for every life decision?! Sorry (not sorry!)

It would appear your “name” is quite accurate as it would appear you can’t read…. The person you are replying to is quite right and her husband did say to ignore it! May wish to re read before pointing your opinion on others about…. And educate yourself on the procedures on these things… 🤦‍♀️

From experience, ‘return to sender’ achieves nothing when there’s money to be paid.

You need to explain in full, preferably in writing. I once had to send a dozen explanatory letters when being chased for the debts of the former owner of a flat.

You’re being ridiculous. No judge is going to issue a £2000 fine for an unpaid penalty fare.

Of course I can fucking read.

😂 you really don’t know people do and have been taken to court, as far as train company is aware “their son” skipped a fair, until they contact them and make them aware the “teen” doesn't belong to them ie they gave fake name and address, they will try and prosecute… they are loosing money daily not everyone pays. The fact they have written to OP and are claiming it’s a child, unless they prove otherwise they will attempt to take to court. And they do! Do a little research yourself. 🤦‍♀️ and it would appear you didn’t read as what you said to the other poster was BS

In this case it’s not even addressed to the OP, they’ll struggle to take her to court.

I was thinking that - a Judge listened to all the evidence that proved the defendant wasn't in any way guity but petulantly found them guilty for not replying to letters - even the most twatty of judges would struggle to get away with that shit.

Bollocks. I work in revenue protection. No court is going to fine someone for not answering letters about someone they've never heard of.

For a train fine. Omg WHY

It’s because I “did a little research” that I know the maximum fine for fare evasion is £1000. The maximum. It took seconds to find this information. Yet you are claiming that the post I called bullshit on, in which the poster claims she personally knows someone who was fined £2000 - double said maximum - is absolutely accurate, and that I’m a dunce who can’t even read for not believing it.

You are actually trying to argue that a judge fined someone double the maximum amount allowed by law, even when he knew she wasn’t guilty. Just to teach her a lesson. He actually completely ignored the law he is employed to uphold and doubled the maximum allowable fine. Yeah, judges do that all the time, right? Especially in cases when the defendant can prove the offender is fictional. Happens every day!

You have made ridiculous statements about my so-called stupidity, my poor comprehension, my lack of research - yet you believed all that nonsense above was true. Where was YOUR research? How come I was able to find out within seconds that this claim could not possibly be true, while you remained in not-so-blissful ignorance? Poor old illiterate me managed to type “Maximum penalty for fare evasion” into Google easily enough. I managed to read the results too. You’ve managed none of that.

You have made an utter, utter fool of yourself. And I am enjoying every second.

The woman who lived in this property before me has a lot of unpaid fines. Few bailiffs have turned up for her. I just show my tenancy and proof of id. Then they apologise for wasting my time and then they go away.

I however, also by coincidence share the same very common surname with her. Which have made few off them raise their eyebrows and ask if we related. I say no, ask the landlord how they allocate their property. Its nothing but a coincidence.

It’s because I “did a little research” that I know the maximum fine for fare evasion is £1000.

It's worth noting that in addition to any fines (between 25% and 700% of the offender's weekly income, depending on the severity of the case) there would also be compensation to pay, generally to the value of the fares avoided, plus a Victim Surcharge of 40% of the value of the fine and prosecution costs (the latter is usually the biggest element). Neither of these are technically "fines" (neither is a Penalty Fare) but people often lump them in when talking about how much they had to pay.

But yeah, the PP is talking gibberish, no one is paying £2k for not answering a letter addressed to someone they'd never heard of.

Here's an example of what someone might pay. Fine of £220, compensation of £3.60 (the value of the fare avoided), £34 victim surcharge (it would be £88 now) and £180 costs. So he'll be telling anyone down the pub that he was "fined" £434.60, even though the fine itself is £220.
https://www.leaderlive.co.uk/news/20233874.man-fined-dodging-ruabon-wrexham-train-fare/

Have you contacted the company yet?

There's no need and no reason to.

Does the letter tell you what train service, route and time the alleged incident occurred? If not, it sounds like a scam so I would just ignore.

If its genuinely from the train company and you get more letters, I would email them but I wouldn't worry about it or fear debt collectors. They are writing to a non existent person and its so easy to prove that you have nothing to do with it. Its their problem to sort out.