We represented a client today for two matters of not paying a train & bus fare.  The train ticket was £5.80 and the bus fare was £1.50.  The offences dated back to 2015.  The client ultimately ended up with a Court fine of £969.30 as she was convicted and sentenced in her absence based on a presumed income.  The client was a student who was completely unable to pay the fine.  We made an application to the Court to remit the fine.  Following our successful application, the Court remitted £720 of the penalty.  Following the remittal, the client said ‘I appreciate your help today… absolute magic, what you did for me…  Thank you so much..’

We represented a client who had total fines of £2,274.14 dating back to 2015.  Our client is now homeless, has very limited education with both alcohol and drug issues.  He also had a disability in that he had lost control of his facial muscles which resulted in him having communication difficulties.  His ability to communicate with the Court was very limited and without representation he would have been at a significant disadvantage.  We made an application for remittal based on his personal circumstances.  Following our successful application the Court agreed to remit £1,470 with the client paying the balance at £20 per month, to be deducted from his benefits.  Our client was extremely happy with the result.

We represented a client today who had accumulated driving fines dating back from 2009.  The client owed a total of £1,920.  Many of these fines were imposed in his absence based on a presumed income.  Our client now found himself in financial crises.  He had no employment, became homeless and his benefits had been suspended as he missed one appointment with the benefits agency.  He was now sleeping in a friend’s car at night and relied on charity for food.  We made an application for remittal of the financial penalties based on a change in his circumstances.  The Court agreed with our submissions and reduced the penalty to £100 with payment to be made by 31/01/19.  This would give our client time to reinstate his benefits claim.  At the end of the hearing our client began to cry with relief.  He was extremely grateful and we were pleased to be able to help him

September 2018 – This week we represented a client who was fined a total of £1,120 for two offences of driving without insurance.  The offences dated back to 2015.  At the time the original fines were imposed the client was working, however he lost his job around 6 months ago.  Due to the change in his financial circumstances we made an application for remittal. The Court agreed to remit the financial penalty to £205.  The applicant is in the process of making a claim for benefits and it was agreed that he would pay the balance at £20 per month, with the first payment on 30/11/18.  This would give him time for his benefits application to be processed.  The client was very happy with the result.

September 2018 – We represented a client for a variety of offences which included failure to pay a TV licence and a defective lamp.  Some of the offences dated back from 2011.  The fines had spiralled completely out of control totalling £3,495.67.  Our client was fined in his absence based on a presumed income, when in actuality he was in receipt of Universal Credit.  We made a successful application to remit the fines based on his current income and ability to pay.  The fines were reduced to £454.67, a saving of £3,041.  We agreed with the Court that our client should pay the balance at a comfortable £20 per month.  Yet another very happy client.

September 2018 –  We have been representing a client who was convicted on 27/03/18 for dangerous cycling & was ordered to pay £600 in compensation.  As required by legislation, before we can make an application for discharge,  the Court had contacted the victim who strongly requested that the compensation be paid in full.  Our client’s personal and financial circumstances had drastically changed and we made a successful application under s.133 of the Powers of Criminal Courts (Sentencing) Act 2000 to discharge the order.  The compensation was reduced to £0.

This week we also represented a client who has accumulated Tfl fines of £1,514.  These fines were imposed in his absence based on a presumed income which he never had.  We obtained a letter of support from his mother which we placed before the Court.  Following our applicant to remit, the Court remitted the fines from £1,514 to £0.  A great result and our client was very relieved.

This week we represented a client who had accumulated Tfl and other fines to the sum of £2,310.20 over a 5 year period.  Our client had a number of mental health issues and without representation he would have been significantly disadvantaged in his means enquiry hearing before the Court.  We had obtained medical evidence for him and a letter in support from his key worker.  We made an application to remit before the Court who remitted the fines from £2,310.20 to £0.  We worked hard for him with lots of background work and he received a fantastic result.  Another happy client;

We were referred a client from a homeless charity where the client was fined a total of £479.90 in their absence for not paying a £4.90 tfl fare. The LCCC (the fines enforcement department linked to the Court) had already deducted £45 from her benefits so there was a fine of £434.90 still outstanding. We made an application before the Court to reopen the case and following our representations at Court the financial penalty was reduced to £24.90 a reduction of £410. The LCCC were ordered to pay the client the £45 back they had deducted from her benefit. The client was asked to stay out of trouble for the next 6 months.

We represented a client today who has accumulated a fine of £165.09 for failing to pay a £1.50 Tfl fare. Our client was a single mother with a 3 month old baby. We had the case listed before the Court for an application for remittal. Following our representation in Court we successfully argued that the fine should be remitted given her financial and personal circumstances and the Court remitted the financial penalty to £0. Our client was very happy.

Our client had fines totaling £3,250.55 made up of numerous non payment of TFL fares.  Our client is both physically and mentally impaired and could not represent herself or afford to pay.  Following our representations we successfully argued before the Court for the penalty to be remitted to £0 on condition that the client spend 3 hours in the precinct of the Court.  This application was successful.

The client received a total financial penalty of £861 following two convictions for driving without insurance. We represented the client and had this reduced to £307 with the client being able to pay this at a comfortable £10 per fortnight, first payment within two weeks of the Court attendance. That’s a £554 reduction.

Client did not pay his train fare of £1.50. The Court ultimately increased this penalty to £546.50. Following our representation we had the total fine remitted to £0 on the proviso that the client spend until 4pm in the precinct of the Court.

Client convicted of possession of drugs and fined £250 in total. We had the fine reduced to £50 with the costs and victims surcharge
reduced to £0;

Tfl fine for numerous occasions of not paying bus or train fares. The fines added up to £479.90, We had this reduced to £194.90;

Managed to get a speeding fine of £639 reduced to £370;

Tfl fine of £476.50. Got the enforcement action put on hold for 2
months. Client to make a statutory declaration to have the whole
matter reopened;

Client convicted of possession of drugs and fined £145. Fine remitted to £0 if the client agreed to spend 3 hours in the precinct of the Court;

Client convicted for possession of drugs and fined £291.70. Got this remitted to £0;

Client failed to pay bus fare and ignored all enforcement action. Worked out a manageable payment plan for the client which was agreed by the Court;

Client did not pay his TV licence. Fine ultimately increased to £250. Following representations the Court reduced the penalty to £0 on the proviso that the client spend 3 hours in the precinct of the Court.

Client did not pay a bus fare of £1.50. Due to non-payment the Court increased this ultimately to £476.50. Following my representation I have the fine reduced to £20;

We represented a client who was initially fined £370 for non payment of a TV licence.  The fine had originally been imposed in her absence.  Following our representation at Court, we managed to reduce the liability to £75, a reduction of £295.

My client was sentenced in September 2016 for the offence of no insurance. She was fined £307 and ordered to pay £85 costs and £30 victim surcharge. She was ordered to  pay a total of £422.

In November 2017 the Court made an attachment of earnings order to take the money directly from her wages. The client believed money was being deducted as there were miscellaneous deductions being taken out of her wages and she believed one of these was her court fine.

The reality was that because she was on statutory maternity leave, no money was actually being taken. In February 2018 the Court ordered a warrant of control and the Bailiffs attended her address to enforce the debt. This was the first time she realised that she still owed the full amount.

I asked for the £422 to be reduced or remitted as this was an old matter that the client genuinely believed had been addressed and taking into consideration the two occasions she had attended court to deal with the case.

The Court agreed remit £157 of the fine, leaving £150 to pay and deemed the £85 costs paid by virtue of the time she spent in the precincts of the court.

That left a total of £180 left to pay which the client agreed to pay at £10 per fortnight, first payment when she got paid her wages in 14 days time.

We represented a client today who had numerous tfl and other fines dating back to 2009 with the most recent penalty imposed in 2016.  The remaining fine was £1,365.75.  She was a single mother with 4 children all under the age of 10.  We made an application to remit the fine.  Through our representation we had the fine reduced to £292.75, a reduction of £1,073.  This outstanding balance is now to be paid at a comfortable £10 per fortnight with the first payment to be made within 2 weeks.

This week we represented a student, who had a number of health issues, with a £476.50 tfl fine.  Our client had not paid a £1.50 bus fare which eventually spiralled out of control.  She had been fined by the Court in her absence based on a presumed income.  The matter was brought back before the Court & we made an application for remittal.  Following our successful application the total fine & compensation was reduced to £41.50 a reduction of £435.  Our client was extremely happy and relieved at the result.