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Hi,
I am a UK citizen, on the electoral roll here, but I am legally a resident overseas (I have all documentation for this).
In July, I was visiting the UK and I got a notice for dropping a cigarette butt. I didn’t really understand what was going on, as I was pretty ill that day, and I told the wardens this, but anyway, I gave them my ID with my address overseas. I thought I would receive something through the post about paying. One of the wardens even asked me where I had stayed the night before.
I just came back to the UK for Christmas and visited the house where I am on the electoral roll and there has been a letter from August telling me I have 7 more days to pay, and another from December, giving me 21 days to plead guilty or not guilty, because I haven’t responded in time to the previous letter.
Obviously I couldn’t respond if they didn’t send them to my correct address, that I gave them.
The 21 days will expire while the council office is closed and then I will return home, overseas.
What can I do? I am not complaining about a fine for dropping a cigarette butt (I don’t normally drop them, I don’t like littering, but I was ill and there was no bin…. whatever, my bad luck that day) but it is not fair that I should go to court and pay more and have a criminal record when thye sent the mail to the wrong address, and they are not open for me to contact them.
Thank you for your help.
I am a UK citizen, on the electoral roll here, but I am legally a resident overseas (I have all documentation for this).
In July, I was visiting the UK and I got a notice for dropping a cigarette butt. I didn’t really understand what was going on, as I was pretty ill that day, and I told the wardens this, but anyway, I gave them my ID with my address overseas. I thought I would receive something through the post about paying. One of the wardens even asked me where I had stayed the night before.
I just came back to the UK for Christmas and visited the house where I am on the electoral roll and there has been a letter from August telling me I have 7 more days to pay, and another from December, giving me 21 days to plead guilty or not guilty, because I haven’t responded in time to the previous letter.
Obviously I couldn’t respond if they didn’t send them to my correct address, that I gave them.
The 21 days will expire while the council office is closed and then I will return home, overseas.
What can I do? I am not complaining about a fine for dropping a cigarette butt (I don’t normally drop them, I don’t like littering, but I was ill and there was no bin…. whatever, my bad luck that day) but it is not fair that I should go to court and pay more and have a criminal record when thye sent the mail to the wrong address, and they are not open for me to contact them.
Thank you for your help.
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