Proper fines for people not paying their tolls

Brendan Burgess

Brendan Burgess

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The National Roads Authority had a good day in court yesterday.

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/cri...s-fines-of-130-000-for-toll-dodgers-1.3299500

People were fined €13,500 each for multiple passes of the M50 without paying any toll e.g.

Milk-van owner, Brian Fortune from Glenhill Drive, [broken link removed] East, Dublin, was fined €16,000. The NRA witness said that between May 22nd and May 24th last there were nine journeys made by his van and each toll would have cost €3.90 because of the classification of his vehicle.


Ms Kavanagh also said that in total his van had done 350 passages on the motorway and just two of the tolls had been paid in April.


Judge Brennan said the fact the defendant was a commercial enterprise was another aggravating factor.

These guys should also have had their cars seized.

Brendan
 
RTE outlined these offences on the news last night but didn't name those convicted. Why not?
 
Brendan Burgess said:

Milk-van owner, Brian Fortune from Glenhill Drive, [broken link removed] East, Dublin, was fined €16,000. The NRA witness said that between May 22nd and May 24th last there were nine journeys made by his van and each toll would have cost €3.90 because of the classification of his vehicle.
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What is the likelihood that the fine will ever be paid. Very small I suggest.
 
What are the chances this company is fully paid up for tax, insurance, NCT, and with Revenue commissioners?
 
The named individuals will presumably claim they didn't own the respective vehicles on the dates in question.
 
cremeegg said:
What is the likelihood that the fine will ever be paid. Very small I suggest.
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Given that these are court imposed fines I'd imagine there's a good chance they will be paid unless he's prepared to do some jail time. Almost 8.5k people were jailed here last year for non-payment of fines, and that's after the 2014 Fines Act that was supposed to cut down on the numbers being jailed by encouraging alternatives such as wage attachment orders or community service.
 
Leo said:
Almost 8.5k people were jailed here last year for non-payment of fines,
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Thats encouraging. However I would think that includes people who do a few hours or an overnight.

I would think that most people who live their lives like this, not paying toll fees for example, would hardly be deterred by a single night in jail.

Leo said:
the 2014 Fines Act that was supposed to cut down on the numbers being jailed by encouraging alternatives such as wage attachment orders or community service.
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Are attachment orders being issued now, I thought there was some hold up with these.
 
From listening to Paddy O'Gorman's coverage of the Courts on the Sean O'Rourke show every week, it appears that only a tiny minority are actually stupid enough to pay the fines imposed.
Most are driven to jail, registered, given a meal and a bus ticket back to whence they came. All on the same day. It's seen as a day out by many.
 
cremeegg said:
I would think that most people who live their lives like this, not paying toll fees for example, would hardly be deterred by a single night in jail.
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Sadly true I fear.

cremeegg said:
Are attachment orders being issued now, I thought there was some hold up with these.
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They're certainly issued in other areas, I hadn't heard there were problems relating to non-payment of fines, but I haven't really been following that.
 
A guy I work with was fined €600 for driving with no insurance. His insurance would have cost over €2000. Why would he not take the risk (ethical and moral arguments aside).
 
The 5 penalty points,the court appearance?The fact that if he's caught again it could be jail.
 
Hello,

That penalty for no insurance is a joke and would only encourage people to take a chance and drive without insurance - judge is at fault here, as much as the offender !

Getting back to the fines for the repeat offenders who didn't pay their tolls, I'm delighted for them and expect all of them to be pursued to ensure that payment is obtained from every single one of them (assuming none can actually prove they are innocent, but I doubt they can at this stage).
 
Well, if you hit someone and don't have insurance you can end up with a life-ruining bill!
 
MrEarl said:
Hello,
Getting back to the fines for the repeat offenders who didn't pay their tolls, I'm delighted for them and expect all of them to be pursued to ensure that payment is obtained from every single one of them (assuming none can actually prove they are innocent, but I doubt they can at this stage).
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Expect all you want but the likelihood is that few will pay anything
 
Then I hope the courts take further action against them.

Judgement mortgages, sherrifs calling to their doors to collect, prison terms (where they actually stay in and get to enjoy all of the "fringe benefits") - long past time we started dealing with all crime properly, so let there be no exceptions for those who don't pay their tolls :)
 
MrEarl said:
Then I hope the courts take further action against them.

Judgement mortgages, sherrifs calling to their doors to collect, prison terms (where they actually stay in and get to enjoy all of the "fringe benefits") - long past time we started dealing with all crime properly, so let there be no exceptions for those who don't pay their tolls :)
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System doesn't work like that. Wherever they assess that there is no or little chance of collecting anything worth talking about, sheriffs don't bother wasting resources in chasing debtors.
 
There is a key difference between can't pay and will not pay, as I'm sure you will appreciate.

My comment was posted in response to Delboy and I took his post to imply that people would not pay, rather than could not pay.

Anyway, if someone genuinely cannot pay, then they should not have been using the toll roads should they ?
 
MrEarl said:
There is a key difference between can't pay and will not pay, as I'm sure you will appreciate.
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That is fallacy that has done great damage to the secured lending business as well.

I can't pay because if I do I will have no money to feed my children.
You can't pay because if you do you will have no money to go skiing.


And then there is I can pay but I will say I can't and who will know the difference.
 
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