£500 penalty for driving 24 in 20 zone - no letters received!

[sametimeandeplace]

I would really like advice on this please. I am not sure where next to go, but I feel very aggrieved.

In February a speed camera photographed me driving at 20mph on Park Lane - a 6 to 8 lane dual carriageway. That nonsense aside, I was driving my parent's car, so when they received the notification i duly sent it back with my details. I had no previous points, I took this as a learning lesson.

I received nothing back. Months afterwards a letter lands on my doormat asking me to confirm it was me. However rge letter must have been received by a neighbour because the postcode was wrong. I returned the form.It was late, i explained it was because I didn't receive it and gave my address AGAIN. Again, I heard nothing. Months later I get a court summons that is given to me by my neighbour. I returned it, stating I was guilty, as I was, but explaining I should never have received a court summons given I have always said I am guilty and that I should not receive up to 6 points and a fine determined by my income and also having to pay court costs. Today I receive the letter with the points, court costs and fine amounting to £500.

What can I do now?

This is wholly unfair because I was never given the opportunity to avoid court and say I'm guilty because of their repeated mistake with my address. This time CORRECT ADDRESS! It feels to me like Ive been had and this was done on purpose. They always had my correct address.

Sorry, I was driving at 24mph.

It does feel really unfair and I hope someone can advise what to do.

You can apply to the Court to reopen the case, you will have the opportunity to attend Court & explain what has happened. If the Court are satisfied with your explanation they may choose to deal with the original offence in a different way.

Is the conviction for speeding or have they gone for a different offence - failing to supply details, for example? If it was for another offence, you should definitely make a statutory declaration and get the conviction set aside. You have 21 days to do so. However, if it was for speeding you need to consider whether it is worth it given that you intend to plead guilty.

I did drive at 24mph, but £500 when I did all that I could to avoid it is not ok. £500 at a time when people cannot make ends meet for no reason other than an administrative error? More than £200 of that is for court fees which I did my utmost to avoid.

I sent my correct address to them originally, and then restated that twice and they still took me to court and fined me, charging me for court time when I said I was guilty all along. I It's not good to feel at someone's mercy like that, helpless to an outcome when you have done everything upright in the process.