Claiming back fees after paying them..

[Miffed]

Hi everyone I'm new here, looking for a 'lil advice..
I went back to visit my parents recently avter a few years travelling and they told me that they had been saving my post for me Aww.. Anywayinbetween all the old birthday cards nd junk mail i found a letter recently dated (2months ago) informing me that collectica held a 'distress warrant' for an old train fine from my teens and that I had 7 days to pay 566.80.. I was quite shocked as I sincerely believed that I had paid it off completly years ago.. Obviously not :-(.
I went online and found this forum full of advice that made me feel better
I took the advice, 'phone up the court find how much the fine was and pay it there using the payment machine'
So of that 566.80 bill from collectica only 266.80 was the fine the rest was for their fees..
anyway I paid the 266.80 using the machine And sent collectica an email with a picture and some of a template off here telling them that they had to sort their fees out with hmcts and thought that was it.. Over..
I guess I was wrong..
I received a letter from hmcts telling me that although I had paid my fine off that the bailiffs were entitled to there fares and I better talk to collectica.
i received a letter this morning frrom collectica telling me that it was a pre removal notice and that I owed them 300.. I folded I've recently been to the bank and paid them..
whats the best way if any to see if I can get any of the money back.. I thought if I paid them I'd be in a better place to complain..


Thanks for any advice..

[ploddertom]

Re: Claiming back fees after paying them..

Unfortunately if you have paid them then I don't really think there is much you can do. You should have persevered with the Court as if you had been away you may have been avble to swear a Statutory Declaration to the efect you knew nothing of this until your return. If accepted it would have rolled back to the intial sum fined.

[Miffed]

Re: Claiming back fees after paying them..

So, do you mean no chance at all? I did know of the fine as i paid some of it off years ago. Could I not complain to hmcts? About the deceptive letter telling me I had to pay collectica the fees?

[pepsie]

Re: Claiming back fees after paying them..

As you were away can we assume you did not receive the Further Steps Notice from the Court, telling you to bring your account up to date etc? If that is the case then I believe you still have the right to make a stat dec to the Court as per PT's post #2

Pepsie

[Milo]

Re: Claiming back fees after paying them..

You can file a Statutory Declaration within 21 days of BECOMING AWARE of the matter.

This will cancel the conviction and warrant and you have to then be put back in the position that you would have been BEFORE the fine was imposed.

On the matter of a refund, I have a 2 page letter from a very senior member of staff at HMCTS CONFIRMING that in cases where a Statutory Declaration was made AFTER payment that a refund of the amount of the fine AND bailiff fees would be paid to the debtor.