Here is a new one, speeding tix question

so DW, bless her heart, got another speeding ticket last month.  Bring her total up to about 6 now.  As usual, I sent in a cheque for 60 GBP, the ticket, and a copy of her US drivers liscense.  I just got the ticket returned in the post today saying that because she has an American drivers liscense they cannot accept payment of the fixed penalty under DVLA guidlines.  Why the sudden change?  anyone know this?  This letter mentions something about a counterpart license or a provisional UK license.  But in the meantime, she has ring and schedule for a court hearing.  If she does not reply by the 8th of August, it will be an automatic hearing. 

of course, we leave on the 29th of July for the US for good.  But I don't know how I feel about leaving with an unpaid speeding ticket.  What if it comes back to haunt us somehow.

I'm not sure about any sudden change, but the only thing I can think of is this:  you mentioned that your wife has now received about six tickets.  Do any of them go back more than 12 months?  If so, then she is in violation of driving in the UK on her US license.  New residents are only permitted to drive on their foreign licenses for up to one year from the first day of residency.  This should allow them time to apply for and receive their full British driving licence.  Maybe that's why the DVLA is looking for British licence info from her?

that could be, but she got here on July 5th of 2005.  I'm pretty sure that she didn't get one for at least a month or two.  But I may be wrong and that would totally explain it.

so what do I do now?  I guess call them and explain that we are leaving and see if they can accept the cheque.  But then if they no we'll be forced to appear in court or something and we just don't have the time for that.  We are only 3 weeks away from leaving the country permanently

i know far too much about the UK speeding ticket system.  Questions:

your wife has six speeding tickets on her us licence, right?
they were acquired while she was driving on her US licence in the UK during her initial one year grace period, right?
each time you sent in a photocopy of her US licence, explaining that she doesn't have a UK licence, and they sent you an offer of fixed penalty notice, you paid £60, and that was the end of it, right?

well what SHOULD have happened each time was this:  your wife gets the notice of intended prosecution (NIP) stating that this car was going XX mph on this date etc.  And it asks, were you the driver?  She fills out the form, and attaches a photocopy of her US licence.  As she does not hold a UK licence, the matter should have been automatically referred to the court.  If she pleads not guilty, she doesn't need to appear in court, but can plead by post.  She will still have to pay £60.  However, as the UK cannot put points on a US licence these points do not go onto her US licence.  IMPORTANT BIT: These points are instead put onto a UK Ghost Licence for your wife. 

The problem will be that if she ever were to go for a UK licence.  The DVLA will attempt to transfer the points from her UK Ghost licence onto her UK licence.  And since she has 6 tickets x 3 points each = 18 points, that's a problem.

If I were you, and leaving the UK, I would call the court, tell them that you’re leaving the country, that you want to plead guilty by post, end of story.  These points expire after 3 years (although can’t be physically taken off a counterpart licence until 4 years).  Hopefully, if you and your wife ever move back to the UK those points would have expired. 

any idea what would happen if we did nothing?  Could they block our passports or something?  Just curious.

unfortunatly, or fortunatly, i've never been in that situation.  my GUESS is that nothing would happen and £60 would be forgotten about. 

If you fail to pay and fail to turn up to court then you will get a judgement against you, which may come and bite you in the @rse if you ever want to come back.

They can't do anything about your passports, no.

Vicky