Penalty notice from NSW

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beenz

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#179368 5-Sep-2015 20:07

Has anyone had experience of receiving a penalty notice from the NSW Goverment.

We have a $248.00 fine(sent to my home address) and want to know if they chase them up to New Zealand.

Thanks

gzt

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#1380390 5-Sep-2015 20:18

You could have some problems next time in NSW. I would pay it.

richms

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#1380403 5-Sep-2015 20:36

What did you do? Have you confirmed that it is a real notice and not just someone phishing for you to pay the "fine"?

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beenz

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#1380417 5-Sep-2015 20:45

richms: What did you do? Have you confirmed that it is a real notice and not just someone phishing for you to pay the "fine"?

It's as real as they come.
My wife remembers the time and date of the incident.
This is a snail mail letter 100% not a scam wish it was 😊

Brumfondl

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#1380422 5-Sep-2015 20:53

Then pay it if you ever want to go back at a guess.

Kyanar

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#1380431 5-Sep-2015 21:06

As far as I'm aware, the current laws give the State Debt Recovery Office bugger all power to pursue interstate debts, let alone international ones. While they cannot chase it, having an unpaid penalty does mean that you aren't entitled to drive on NSW roads as the Australian system is for the state's enforcement office to suspend your drivers license for unpaid penalties (including, ironically, for offences such as jaywalking). I don't know how they actually enforce it.

Were you driving a rental car? If so, if you don't pay the fine then the rental company will be hit with a fine five times higher, which they will probably just charge your credit card for.

Batman

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#1380452 5-Sep-2015 22:46

Australia debt collectors like to charge interest. If it does after a good few years it would have compounded enough to bankrupt you.

Kyanar

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#1380464 6-Sep-2015 00:08

joker97: Australia debt collectors like to charge interest. If it does after a good few years it would have compounded enough to bankrupt you.

The SDRO is not a debt collector. Nor does it have the power to sell debts to debt collectors. If they do send debt collectors after you, it will be to harass you into paying SDRO directly. As it's a fine though, they can't enforce the debt in NZ courts. If you have Australian assets though, they can seize them.

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mattwnz

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#1380465 6-Sep-2015 00:39

If it was me, I would just pay it and get it off your back if it is legit. The amount isn't worth future stress. But do they make it easy to pay?

Kyanar

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#1380466 6-Sep-2015 01:39

mattwnz: If it was me, I would just pay it and get it off your back if it is legit. The amount isn't worth future stress. But do they make it easy to pay?

Super easy. Obviously you can't BPay, but you can pay by credit card or cheque.

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#1380481 6-Sep-2015 08:28

From the above link, they can send you "enforcement orders" at AUD65 a pop

Kyanar

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#1380555 6-Sep-2015 12:20

No, it's a graduated system. Penalty Notice, Enforcement Order, Enforcement Action (in that order). I don't believe they're likely to issue an Enforcement Order to an overseas resident either, as they have no power to actually commence enforcement action (i.e. they can't send a bailiff after your stuff since you're overseas, they cant get RMS to suspend your NSW license as you don't have one, and they can't garnish your bank account as it's in NZ).

raytaylor

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#1380732 6-Sep-2015 18:49

If they refer it to debt collectors, and their choice of debt collector happens to have a cross-tasman database such as baycorp, it may make it difficult for you to obtain credit in new zealand.

Things are going to get interesting with the orcon incident and privacy though

Ray Taylor

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jamesrt

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#1380768 6-Sep-2015 20:56

raytaylor:Things are going to get interesting with the orcon incident and privacy though

"the orcon incident" ??

raytaylor

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#1380783 6-Sep-2015 21:18

Basically orcon screwed up providing someone with internet.
Orcon helpdesk said the subscriber would get a credit and the account would be settled.

Orcon didnt apply the credit, and through bad backoffice practices, sent the account to the debt collectors when the subscriber continued to dispute it.

The client then complained to the privacy commissioner which slammed orcon with a large fine and compensation ($25,000) for passing the customers details on to a 3rd party (debt collection agency) without the subscribers permission.

Any company that uses a debt collection agency with regards to disputed accounts, or where you have not actually agreed for your details to be passed to a debt collection agency in NZ now risks violating your privacy rights.

Of course this is not entirely related to the OPs question - as the australian authority may pass their details on to a debt collector under the australian legal framework, and that debt collector may place the OP in a shared deliquency database. My point was a little off topic and related to NZ companies and debt collection rules only.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/better-business/68702228/Caution-urged-on-debt-collectors-after-Orcon-ordered-to-pay-25k

Ray Taylor

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Kyanar

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#1380785 6-Sep-2015 21:19

jamesrt:
raytaylor:Things are going to get interesting with the orcon incident and privacy though

"the orcon incident" ??

http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/better-business/68702228/Caution-urged-on-debt-collectors-after-Orcon-ordered-to-pay-25k

Apparently a fellow disputed a bill and Orcon sent it to Baycorp anyway while it was under dispute. He then got rejected for a rental because of a default on his credit record, so the courts ordered Orcon to pay him $25,000.

I don't see how that's even tangentially related to this issue however.