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Failure to purchase notice from Nothern

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allyds

New Member
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5 Apr 2016
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Hi all,

Last year I was caught for fare evasion by Northern Rail. The matter was dealt with out of court and I paid the £80 fixed penalty notice. Since then I've been very careful to always buy tickets. However today, I boarded a train at Gatley without a ticket, having mistakenly believed the ticket office wasn't open, as it usually isn't and I generally buy my tickets on the train or at Piccadilly. I realised my mistake as the train pulled into the station, and as I spoke to the Northern Rail officer on the platform and asked if it would be okay to buy my ticket on the train as usual. He said it would be fine, and as such I boarded the train. When I arrived at Piccadilly I went and stood in line to buy my ticket as I've done many times before. As I got to the front I asked for a ticket from Gatley and explained my mistake. I was asked to step aside and speak to a revenue protection officer. He issued a failure to purchase notice, and assured me that I would just have to pay the outstanding fine and that would be the end of the matter, unless I was a repeat offender. This is the detail which is making me anxious. My details didn't appear to be flagged up when the officer rang them in, nor when I paid the outstanding fare via the IRCAS website around half an hour after being issued the notice. Will this be the end of the matter or am I likely to receive a letter in a few weeks summoning me to court as a repeat offender? I'm hoping as it was a different notice and a different process/offence for each incident, and as none of my details were flagged up, this will be the end of the matter, however any advice would be appreciated as I'm unsure whether I would class as a recurring offender under these circumstances.

I feel very anxious about the prospect of going to court, and I know how long it takes them to send out their letters, so I think I would feel better if I knew if I should expect a letter or not.

Thanks in advance to anyone who might have advice or guidance in this matter.
 
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bb21

Emeritus Moderator
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4 Feb 2010
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24,151
If they are just asking you to pay the outstanding fare and you have paid that, keep the payment confirmation and that should be that.

My question is how you managed to pay just half an hour after the incident? The details wouldn't have been processed yet. When you made the payment online, did the website automatically retrieve your record and the amount due?
 

gray1404

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3 Mar 2014
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6,574
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Could you argue that you'd never had any dealings with Arriva Rail North before and any former notices were with a company that no longer exists.
 

allyds

New Member
Joined
5 Apr 2016
Messages
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My question is how you managed to pay just half an hour after the incident? The details wouldn't have been processed yet. When you made the payment online, did the website automatically retrieve your record and the amount due?

Thanks for your response, it makes me feel much more at ease. Yes I just put in the FTP reference number and my postcode and all my details and the amount due came up and I paid with my card! The man who issued the notice said to check in around half an hour and it worked. I'm not sure why it was processed so quickly.
 

andy90870

Member
Joined
19 Feb 2014
Messages
16
If I am correct in thinking. You was informed by the officer that you had NO previous. Bare in mind the new franchise and FTP notices are a different matter than the one you committed a while ago.

When we verify your details we are told if there are any previous's against your name and if there are we will inform you that it may be £80 plus the fare.

My answer to bb12 if the notice is issues via the electronic printers that are carried then it's very possible to pay the notice 20 minutes later because it's served there and then and does not need to be processed
 

swt_passenger

Veteran Member
Joined
7 Apr 2010
Messages
31,263
Could you argue that you'd never had any dealings with Arriva Rail North before and any former notices were with a company that no longer exists.

No you couldn't. Someone nearly always suggests this when franchises change hands, and carrying on the revenue protection processes that are already underway is clearly part of the handover requirements.
 

najaB

Veteran Member
Joined
28 Aug 2011
Messages
30,691
Location
Scotland
No you couldn't. Someone nearly always suggests this when franchises change hands, and carrying on the revenue protection processes that are already underway is clearly part of the handover requirements.
Well, you *could* make the argument. It wouldn't get very far though - as you say, in a franchise handover all the legals (contracts, prosecutions, etc.) are all novated over to the new company.
 

bb21

Emeritus Moderator
Joined
4 Feb 2010
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24,151
Thanks for your response, it makes me feel much more at ease. Yes I just put in the FTP reference number and my postcode and all my details and the amount due came up and I paid with my card! The man who issued the notice said to check in around half an hour and it worked. I'm not sure why it was processed so quickly.

Sounds like you won't have anything to worry about in that case.

If I am correct in thinking. You was informed by the officer that you had NO previous. Bare in mind the new franchise and FTP notices are a different matter than the one you committed a while ago.

When we verify your details we are told if there are any previous's against your name and if there are we will inform you that it may be £80 plus the fare.

My answer to bb12 if the notice is issues via the electronic printers that are carried then it's very possible to pay the notice 20 minutes later because it's served there and then and does not need to be processed

Do you have insider knowledge? That is most interesting to know.
 

arabianights

Member
Joined
1 Jun 2011
Messages
150
Well, you *could* make the argument.

You *could* make the argument that red is um bongo therefore monkey. Indeed in the predicate calculus, a falsehood implies anything is true, so in that sense it is a valid argument (but sadly false).

Or in plain English, it's irrelevant what argument you *could* make. When normal people who are not pedants like thee and me (which is why I offer this advice in a friendly & brotherly* way, a word to the wise you might say) say couldn't they are talking in the practical sense, not the logical sense. And so swt_passenger is correct...


*and somewhat slurred
 

RPI

Established Member
Joined
6 Dec 2010
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2,742
If the OP has paid the fare then that is the end of the matter as the offence has been disposed of in that manner.
 
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