Court Service Targets Non-Payment of Fines

The Scottish Courts and Tribunal Service (SCTS) recently published details of action taken against drivers who had failed to pay their fines. 

Clamping vehicles is one of a number of measures available to the SCTS for recovering unpaid fines. Other measures include freezing bank accounts, arresting wages, taking money directly from benefits and even arresting non-payers when they are travelling through ports and airports for business or holiday trips.

A new electronic interface between the SCTS and the DVLA vehicle database has enhanced the ability to track down drivers with unpaid fines.

In one example given by the SCTS, nine drivers in the Glasgow area settled outstanding fines totalling almost £2,000 after finding their vehicles clamped. A Porsche owner who had failed to settle a £150 fiscal fine for having no insurance finally paid up after finding his Cayman luxury sports car immobilised when a seizure order was issued by Dumbarton JP Court.

In Edinburgh, a Musselburgh man who dodged fines totalling £910 for six offences, including assault and road traffic infringements dating back to 2014, settled the sum within hours when his Ford was clamped after an order was issued at Edinburgh JP Court. Another city driver who owed £320 in fiscal fines for having an unlicensed vehicle paid up within 24 hours after his Citroen was immobilised.

“The fines enforcement teams continue to be highly effective in securing unpaid fines – ignoring your fine and not speaking to an enforcement officer if you are having difficulty paying is very unwise,” said SCTS Chief Operations Officer David Fraser. “Failure to pay, or to engage with our officers, will result in strong sanctions being taken including arrestment of wages, bank accounts, your car being clamped or inconvenience and embarrassment by being arrested when travelling abroad.”

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Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v2.0.