Being taken to court but we didn’t receive a fine?!

[bluebellbow]

We took our kids out of school for ten days before Xmas to go to Florida. At the time we had a letter saying the absence wasn’t unauthorised and we may get fined. Heard no more. Just opened the post box to find a letter saying the fine that we were issued on January 1st hasn’t been paid and now we’re being taken to magistrates court and I’ll be notified the date of my court appearance! I’ve tried to phone to explain we’ve had no fine but they shut at 4.30pm. I can’t prove I didn’t get the fine can I? Has anyone had this situation?

Was the fine sent so you needed to sign for it? If not, how can they prove you got it?

unless It was recorded delivery they also can’t prove you received it. Call them explain and offer to pay now.

That’s Royal Mail for you,we have missed hospital appointments because the letters arrived after the appointment!

Don't panic. You can go to court on the day it tells you to. Make a 'statutory declaration' (swear you're telling the truth) that you didn't receive it. The whole thing can start again and you'll pay the fine.

What id do is ring up/write back say I didn't get the original letter and ask for the details of how to pay the fine

You can go to court any time before that.

You will need to contact the people who issued the fine and ask them for the relevant form to attach with a statutory declaration.

Then go to the court and get them to stamp your statutory declaration. There’s normally a fee for this, When this happened to me I didn’t need to make an appointment. I just went to the court, paid a fiver and the clerk stamped the declaration for me. I then emailed it as well as sending it recorded delivery.

Thanks for all the advice, I’ve just phoned and explained I didn’t receive the fine and they’ve let me pay over the phone thank goodness! 😅