I got EPC Parking and Vignette fines in Hungary. Can I avoid paying?

[TobyQuest]

In January I was in Budapest
1) asked the traffic warden can I park here, he said not on this side of the road but the other side is fine. Came back and had a parking ticket. Turns out there was a meter up the road and I was supposed to get a ticket. He never mentioned that!

2) Driving into Hungary from Austria, I was careful to avoid going on the Hungarian motorway because I didnt want to pay for the vignette, however as soon as i crossed into Hungary it put me on a motorway and i took the 1st exit right away but they had cameras on it and i got a fine for driving on the motorway with no vignette.

So fast-forward to now and a week or so ago I received 2 fines for a around £90 each for both of these incidents.
However I dont want to pay them. And I looked up on the net and some sites are saying if you received the notification about the fine more than 60 days after the incident then its invalid.

Anyone know if this is true, or have experience about this?
Anyone who has not paid Euro Parking Collection and what happens next?

The fact that UK is no longer in EU does this also mean they have no power to do anything?

 

[gus-lopez]

Having blamed the other parties for his predicament, which he caused now seeking others help to find a loophole to avoid the consequences.

What part of " if the speeding ticket is not served within 60 days it lapses" did you not understand.? It isn't the OP trying to avoid paying it is EPC Plc who are attempting to obtain a pecuniary advantage, attempting to obtain money under false pretences & committing fraud by scamming the OP for a "fine" that does not exist. the parking is a seperate matter.
If EPC cannot deliver the speeding fine ticket within 60 days there is nothing to pay.

I have to say I’m quite willing to see EPC in court for the late payment part of the demand.

& the same as I told them.

 

[Jonny1953]

The key thing here is that the authorities in Hungary have been able to gain access to vehicle keeper details from the DVLA in order to be able to trace the person to whom the tickets should be sent. All be it via. EPC.

This would suggest that any arrangements on cross border traffic offences that had been removed post Brexit have been reinstated with Hungary. Otherwise the DVLA wouldn't have provided the details to EPC.

Either that or the use of EPC, a UK based company, circumvents any need for any formal arrangement between both countries.

Therefore it would be unwise to completely ignore the tickets, especially if you plan to ever return to Hungary.

Appeal at least.

I received a speeding fine from DGT in Spain last summer and it states "You are registered in the Vehicle Register of Ireland, as the holder of the above referenced vehicle."

All I could assume from this is that Spain and Ireland are still in the EU and Ireland might have some arrangement with the UK. If that is the case then Hungary (or any EU country) can get details of UK vehicles.

I would just like to say that I was only doing 103 km/h in a 80 km/h and the camera was about 20 metres before the unlimited speed sign.

 

[Molly A]

I always wonder when reading threads like this how people would view motorhome owners from abroad flouting UK parking policies and emissions zones/ speed limits and refusing to pay the fine?

Indeed, a tad hypocritical, methinks.....

 

[The Wino]

I received a speeding fine from DGT in Spain last summer and it states "You are registered in the Vehicle Register of Ireland, as the holder of the above referenced vehicle."

All I could assume from this is that Spain and Ireland are still in the EU and Ireland might have some arrangement with the UK. If that is the case then Hungary (or any EU country) can get details of UK vehicles.

I would just like to say that I was only doing 103 km/h in a 80 km/h and the camera was about 20 metres before the unlimited speed sign.

On my speed awareness course it was pointed out that almost everyone slows after entering the 30 limit and starts to speed up before they leave it!

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[WESTY66]

On my speed awareness course it was pointed out that almost everyone slows after entering the 30 limit and starts to speed up before they leave it!

In which case they could adjust the signs to where they want them to slow/speed Not saying it’s right but a way of getting what they want!

I’ll get me coat

 

[Dogstoat]

I don't really understand the question. You (inadvertently) broke a couple of traffic rules, and just because it was in a foreign country, you think you can ignore these rules?

Could a Hungarian driver who did the same thing here in the UK, similarly flout our traffic regulations?

Yes they could and do. Do you really think our Police and Local Authorities have time to chase foreign nationals for what are either civil debts in terms of breach of contract (Parking offences) and minor summary only (traffic) offences? The answer is no.

 

[Rapido925M]

OFF TOPIC (but related to Hungary and the time limit).

Yesterday when leaving Asda in Norwich the alarm went off and the wheels on the trolley locked up, causing my 8y old granddaughter to crash into it. The security guard rushed over and asked for the till receipt: “You only have 5 minutes after paying to leave the store”.

Never heard of that before!

Gordon

 

[JRT]

OFF TOPIC (but related to Hungary and the time limit).

Yesterday when leaving Asda in Norwich the alarm went off and the wheels on the trolley locked up, causing my 8y old granddaughter to crash into it. The security guard rushed over and asked for the till receipt: “You only have 5 minutes after paying to leave the store”.

Never heard of that before!

Gordon

How do they know what time you paid?

 

[Lenny HB]

I would just like to say that I was only doing 103 km/h in a 80 km/h

How can you say "only" you were 29% over the limit.

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[Two on Tour]

How do they know what time you paid?

It will be on the till receipt, but will the shopping trolley know that.

 

[JRT]

It will be on the till receipt.

So how does that stop the trolley in order to check the till receipt.????

I can only imagine the staff were observing and timing the departure and then activated something to stop the trolley. All sounds a bit intrusive to me if so.

 

[Jonny1953]

On my speed awareness course it was pointed out that almost everyone slows after entering the 30 limit and starts to speed up before they leave it!

I didn't do that, I was already doing 103 km/h as I didn't see any signs earlier saying that the limit dropped to 80 km/h

 

[Jonny1953]

How can you say "only" you were 29% over the limit.

I can say it because I can, anyway, it was a continuous dual carriageway and, it's not an excuse, but I didn't see the signs saying the limit had dropped to 80.

My point was actually about how EU countries can get information about UK vehicles, maybe I shouldn't have said anything about my extreme speed of 64 mph

 

[David and Sally]

More and more, here and in the EU it seems that revenue raising is outweighing safety and dubious practices are used to screw the motorist.

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[TobyQuest]

I feel just the same it's their country if you choose to go you operate by their laws. If they had the parking restrictions in every language from around the world apart from English it would still be anti English speakers around the world not anti brit! Some people do seem to have a persecution complex.

Its not that at all. If youve never travelled outside the UK you may not be aware but English is the international language of the world. In a European capital city with a large tourism industry it is reasonable to expect signage in English

 

[TobyQuest]

I'm curious as to why people leave it until they are in Hungary to purchase a vignette, is it not possible to buy one (on line) before you cross the border?

You wouldnt know a vignette existed unless someone had told you about it. Same reason you might not take out covid insurance for a visit to dubai until arriving and finding out it was a legal requirement

 

[JRT]

You wouldnt know a vignette existed unless someone had told you about it. Same reason you might not take out covid insurance for a visit to dubai until arriving and finding out it was a legal requirement

Sorry but I simply cannot agree with this at all.

As tourists its entirely our responsibility to check out the requirements of travelling in another country. The only motorway vignette I have ever paid was for travelling in Switzerland and I knew about it well in advance and how to pay it (though when I paid it you couldn't do it on line and had to do it immediately on entry.)

Same as needing a Crit' Air sticker for certain areas of France, I could go on.....

Get your Hungarian e-vignette immediately - www.hu-vignette.com

Order your Hungarian e-vignette directly from vintrica online. The fully digital Hungarian e-vignette means you don’t need a sticker on your windscreen and you can avoid congestion at the tolls.

www.hu-vignette.com

 

[Northernraider]

Sorry but I simply cannot agree with this at all.

As tourists its entirely our responsibility to check out the requirements of travelling in another country. The only motorway vignette I have ever paid was for travelling in Switzerland and I knew about it well in advance and how to pay it (though when I paid it you couldn't do it on line and had to do it immediately on entry.)

Same as needing a Crit' Air sticker for certain areas of France, I could go on.....

Get your Hungarian e-vignette immediately - www.hu-vignette.com

Order your Hungarian e-vignette directly from vintrica online. The fully digital Hungarian e-vignette means you don’t need a sticker on your windscreen and you can avoid congestion at the tolls.

www.hu-vignette.com

I've never had a crit air sticker , and I never bought a vignette the last time I went through Hungary either.

I generally don't think about this stuff either until I'm entering the country. I do very little online if it can be done physically at the border. Force of habit. So yes there are folk like the op who don't do everything online and to be honest I wish the world would stop insisting everyone does.

 

[The Wino]

Its not that at all. If youve never travelled outside the UK you may not be aware but English is the international language of the world. In a European capital city with a large tourism industry it is reasonable to expect signage in English

The language of international diplomacy I think is still French just checked it isn't it was until ww1!. France is our nearest neighbour too. How many parking restrictions in London have a French translation on?

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[gus-lopez]

It will be on the till receipt, but will the shopping trolley know that.

AI

I can say it because I can, anyway, it was a continuous dual carriageway and, it's not an excuse, but I didn't see the signs saying the limit had dropped to 80.

My point was actually about how EU countries can get information about UK vehicles, maybe I shouldn't have said anything about my extreme speed of 64 mph

There are ways of obtaining anything about anything & on anyone whatever country they are in or have been in.

 

[David and Sally]

As tourists its entirely our responsibility to check out the requirements of travelling in another country.

HHmm.

In Lichtenstein I chose a route on our motorbike of normal roads and avoiding motorways.
Got to a town, road closed, detour.....onto a motorway.
Only one junction but there was a cop doing a motorist on the offslip and we managed to avoid being stopped.
Could we have complained, argued the toss? I don't speak Lichensteinese so I don't reckon on my chances. Might have been an on-the-spot for all I know or a trip to the police station. I often wonder.

 

[JRT]

I've never had a crit air sticker , and I never bought a vignette the last time I went through Hungary either.

I generally don't think about this stuff either until I'm entering the country. I do very little online if it can be done physically at the border. Force of habit. So yes there are folk like the op who don't do everything online and to be honest I wish the world would stop insisting everyone does.

Then I wish you good luck. I much prefer to know what I need to do and where possible avoid a situation like the OP has found themselves in.

 

[JRT]

HHmm.

In Lichtenstein I chose a route on our motorbike of normal roads and avoiding motorways.
Got to a town, road closed, detour.....onto a motorway.
Only one junction but there was a cop doing a motorist on the offslip and we managed to avoid being stopped.
Could we have complained, argued the toss? I don't speak Lichensteinese so I don't reckon on my chances. Might have been an on-the-spot for all I know or a trip to the police station. I often wonder.

But presumably you knew that a vignette was required in advance? (this was my point) other wise I'm guessing you wouldn't have planned a route that avoided the need to pay for one.

Ending up in a situation where you were forced onto a motorway is a different issue.

(The only reason I have a Crit'Air sticker is in case I am ever diverted into an area that requires one.)

 

[David and Sally]

But presumably you knew that a vignette was required in advance? (this was my point) other wise I'm guessing you wouldn't have planned a route that avoided the need to pay for one.

Ending up in a situation where you were forced onto a motorway is a different issue.

Yes, we knew. Didn’t want one for 1/2 day of travel. Robin Barstewards

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[JRT]

Yes, we knew. Didn’t want one for 1/2 day of travel. Robin Barstewards

Aye, we had to stump up about 80 quid for two days in Switzerland to get to and from Italy (can't recall the exact amount) because you need one for the car and the ruddy caravan. Begrudged every penny.

 

[dunnah01]

I think there's too many people nowadays that want to bleat if they get caught out. If you can't do the time don't do the crime, and ignorance is no excuse

 

[weejocky]

I think there's too many people nowadays that want to bleat if they get caught out. If you can't do the time don't do the crime, and ignorance is no excuse

STOP - Stand Still!

 

[Northernraider]

The language of international diplomacy I think is still French just checked it isn't it was until ww1!. France is our nearest neighbour too. How many parking restrictions in London have a French translation on?

You seem to be missing the point intentionally there was no sign with any restrictions in any language where the vehicle was parked.

 

[Brains]

From an earlier discussion on the same subject......


First rules with dealing with parking companies.
You ONLY EVER deal with written letters. no phone calls, no emails.
Remember they are Evil, there are no rules of decency or deceit.

It costs the companies several pounds to deal with a letter, as they have to be opened, sorted, scanned, sent to the correct department, and they can not be searched on.

It helps if you use blue paper to write your letter on, as you can not scan blue paper letters.

To further 'assist' the company actually hand write the letter (on blue paper), it then becomes impossible to deal with except by a total manual operation, which as these companies outsource work, is impossible.

Always leave replies to the last moment, this ensures lack of continuity as the letters are weeks apart, ensure they are dated correctly though.

The company will try, very hard, to contact you by land line, email, and mobile.
They will even use tricks to confirm it's you.
They will also try contacting family members.
Claim it's a wrong number every time.

All letters are to be in hand written envelopes, addressed to the CEO by name, and marked personal.
This ensures you are wasting the time of the most expensive person in the company, and his secretary, and the person who has to deliver the letter internally, and then deal with it internally.

Be creepy, very creepy. As in stalker creepy.
Refer to the CEO by his first name, ask how the kids are (by name), like the dog etc.

Every letter is to have a standard 'E&OE' on the top
Every letter is to have a standard 'Charges clause' Ideally use their own wording, to say you charge £60 per hour or part thereof to deal with their issues.

If you have several points to make as to why you should not pay, never use more than one issue on a letter at a time.
Use the least important first.

They then have to deal with the first minor issue, before they then have to deal with the next issue as a separate letter, all extra time and money.

Always refer back to previous letters, especially if they do not exist.
It means the person dealing with the issue has to search back to find the (non-existent) letter.
This is all extra time and money

At some point they will refer this to a debt collection agency.
Immediately contact the debt collection agency (Letter, blue paper, same rules) and tell them that you are in dispute with the parking company and are currently taking them to the small claims court.
The debt collection agency will drop a hot potato

The bottom line is even if you end up having to pay the idea is for it to be a Pyrrhic Victory, where the cost is greater than the gain.

If you do end up having to pay, ensure you pay the original company (by cheque, as they cost money to process, and make it 1p more than asked, as this messes up the accounts system).

Payment then causes a problem for the debt collection agency who own the debt.
The Parking company have to buy the debt back, or pay the debt collection agency.
All more costs and trouble.

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[dunnah01]

STOP - Stand Still!

Or run like fu....