Hello
I have just received a fine in the post from the county litter warden for 150euro.
The background to this is a few weeks ago I went to a local recycling glass and clothing amenity at 12.30 at night. It was beside the local tesco. I had a bag of clothing that I wanted to put in the recycle bin and also some jars, bottles etc for the bottle bank. I firstly unloaded the bag of clothes and went to the clothing bin but it was full. There was another sealed bag of clothes left in front of the bin, where obviously a previous punter had the same difficulty and had left it in front of the bin for collection. I then left my sealed bag of clothes beside this one.
I then went to put my bottles and jars in the bottle bank. There were roughly 10 bottle banks of which all were full almost full. I managed to squeeze a few of my bottles and jars into some of the banks, but after that they were all full. Again there was a box with some jars and bottles that were again obviously left for collection. I started to put some of my jars in here but after putting the third/fourth jar in I thought better of it and stopped, and realised it probably wasn't the smartest thing to do. At that point a loudspeaker on a pole with cctv cameras spoke at me and told me to remove my waste, that my car reg had been recorded etc.. etcc. I duly took out the ~three jars that I had placed in the box and frustrated returned them and all the other jars/bottles that I had to my car. I then drove a little distance to park closer to the door of tesco and went in and did some shopping.
When I was in shopping , I occurred to me that the voice might have meant the clothes bag that I had left. I did my shop within half an hour and drove past the site of the amenity again but already my clothes bag and the clothes bag that was already there had disappeared. Probably taken by the various groups that take clothes and sell them to trade.
I then went home and duly forgot about it until the fine this morning. I feel genuinely aggrieved. After trying my best to recycle, having the whole amenity unusable because of poor management by the council, genuinely trying to use the amenity as best as I could, and on recognition of a possible mistake returning shortly afterward to fix it...I feel I've been given this fine unjustly.
I'd like to challenge it, but getting a solicitor to go to court will cost far more than the fine and I risk a conviction for illegal dumping which could have an effect on my social standing and my job etc. I feel like I'm extortioned/blackmailed. Can you represent yourself in court on such a small matter? Has anyone on AAM been to court for a similar situation? Is there any way I can appeal the fine without going to court?
Thank you
Grindle.
I have just received a fine in the post from the county litter warden for 150euro.
The background to this is a few weeks ago I went to a local recycling glass and clothing amenity at 12.30 at night. It was beside the local tesco. I had a bag of clothing that I wanted to put in the recycle bin and also some jars, bottles etc for the bottle bank. I firstly unloaded the bag of clothes and went to the clothing bin but it was full. There was another sealed bag of clothes left in front of the bin, where obviously a previous punter had the same difficulty and had left it in front of the bin for collection. I then left my sealed bag of clothes beside this one.
I then went to put my bottles and jars in the bottle bank. There were roughly 10 bottle banks of which all were full almost full. I managed to squeeze a few of my bottles and jars into some of the banks, but after that they were all full. Again there was a box with some jars and bottles that were again obviously left for collection. I started to put some of my jars in here but after putting the third/fourth jar in I thought better of it and stopped, and realised it probably wasn't the smartest thing to do. At that point a loudspeaker on a pole with cctv cameras spoke at me and told me to remove my waste, that my car reg had been recorded etc.. etcc. I duly took out the ~three jars that I had placed in the box and frustrated returned them and all the other jars/bottles that I had to my car. I then drove a little distance to park closer to the door of tesco and went in and did some shopping.
When I was in shopping , I occurred to me that the voice might have meant the clothes bag that I had left. I did my shop within half an hour and drove past the site of the amenity again but already my clothes bag and the clothes bag that was already there had disappeared. Probably taken by the various groups that take clothes and sell them to trade.
I then went home and duly forgot about it until the fine this morning. I feel genuinely aggrieved. After trying my best to recycle, having the whole amenity unusable because of poor management by the council, genuinely trying to use the amenity as best as I could, and on recognition of a possible mistake returning shortly afterward to fix it...I feel I've been given this fine unjustly.
I'd like to challenge it, but getting a solicitor to go to court will cost far more than the fine and I risk a conviction for illegal dumping which could have an effect on my social standing and my job etc. I feel like I'm extortioned/blackmailed. Can you represent yourself in court on such a small matter? Has anyone on AAM been to court for a similar situation? Is there any way I can appeal the fine without going to court?
Thank you
Grindle.