paullong

Hi
We received a parking fine in June while on holiday. Our car was clamped and we had no choice but to pay €99. It took 3 police officers to issue the fine on a road where there were no parking restrictions. They tried to claim I was obstructing the road, but I wasn't - it was at the end of a cul-de-sac and plenty of space for vehicles to pass.

I tried appealing in the proper manner in Portuguese and to the address within the time limits. I didn't receive any reply or acknowledgement. I've since emailed but again no reply.

Am I resigned to losing €99 to over-zealous police or is there a higher authority to whom I can appeal please?

Thanks, Paul

MikeJ

I think that the only higher authority the police recognise will be the big G - and I'm not sure he/she will get involved with a parking ticket !

GeniB

OOPS How long were you there? Seems harsh for just the usual couple of hours. It's very unusual for the police to clamp a car here. Only ever seen it once in Lisbon. You say it was at the end of a cul.de sac ? Outside anyone's home perchance? Like the mayor's'
Only thing I can think of...altho.. Did you look carefully to see if there were remnants of yellow lines? your just supposed to know .resident or tourist.

paullong

It was in Albufeira not far from the beach. When we returned and saw the problem, there were very very faint remnants of a yellow line, but even when taking a photo we could hardly see them. The policeman told us it was nothing to do with the yellow line but because we were causing an obstruction. He did a silly stunt where he got a car to pull along side our car and then get another car to go up the pavement, even though there was space. We were in a hire car so can imagine we're an easy target.

macliam

I'd go with the "outside someone's home" scenario. The police are particulartly efficient at keeping you away from certain houses, which is a lottery because they don't actually tell you who lives there.......

However, I'd not expect to see the fine waived any time soon - wrong place, wrong time.

Jonny22

Doubt you've got any chance unless you want to spend the next few years chasing rainbows. It's only €99 so get over it and put it down to experience...

GeniB

Putting it together... Cul-de-sac, yellow line(however faint) and three policemen!! You hit the jackpot,obviously outside the house of someone important. Bad luck.

macliam

€99 would buy a few things, but I guess we should be grateful that the police in Portugal are not as trigger-happy (or well-resourced) as elsewhere. A few years back a colleague broke down in Strasbourg. He put a note on the dash and made off to phone his insurance company (no mobile phones....).

On his return, there were several police vehicles and his car was scratched and dented all down one side with a big hole in the driver's door, care of a "robot". When he said about the note, he was told that the police "don't converse with terrorists!!" No other explanation.

Even in those days, the damage cost him a lot more than €99 (or equivalent) - then he was fined (about £25, IIRC) but the capper was when he received a bill for the use of the robot!!

Cavaco used to have a house in Albufeira.......

liveaboard

I was fined 250 for an inspection 2 days late.

Another 250 for ice on the windshield [driving my Portuguese reg car in northern Europe].
They asked why I didn't have an ice scraper in the car; "I live in Portugal." I said. Cut no ice with them.

A local man, working for E6 per hour, was fined 250 for having his tractor parked illegally while loading. That's a week's wages if he managed to get that many hours.

My sympathy for the unfair massive fine; it happens.

Ingles

What you must realise is that Traffic Fines have helped for years the various PT Governments try to balance the book's.
So far this year the Police Forces have only pulled in 34 Million €'s, & as the present Government has the idea that for 2017 the Fines should bring in 83.1 Million €'s the intensity off the pressure on the Police to issue fine's will only increase


Multas de trânsito renderam 34 milhões no primeiro semestre – O Jornal Económico

007Steve

... erm... anyone know how the Port Authority Police react to people parking in their reserved spaces???
I parked my hired car in a space at a ferry crossing which apparently is reserved for the PSR, and when I returned later in the day a gentle mannered man informed me that I had parked in the wrong place, pointed to a sign, smiled (the really scary bit) and then wandered off....... No paper, ticket-on-car or verbal warning....
Then, out of the corner of my eye I spied 2 uniformed police who had been lurking. No approach, again no paperwork or ticking-off.
So, am I likely to get something via the car hire firm - or what happens next?
Should I just surrender now?

Red Eric

I'm pretty certain you'd already know if any action was going to be taken - those sorts of signs often have a tow-truck symbol beneath them but failing being immediately removed, the usual would be a penalty notice or a clamp.

What's PSR?

007Steve

Thanks Eric,
That's what I can't understand; - first a polite civilian from the office (his sort-of-knowing-smile really spooked me);- then he walks off. Then I see 2 GNR guys with their police car on the dock, dealing with something else, but also looking round.
No ticket, no waving of arms or any rant about stupid Brits. The signs had no tow-truck symbol, but at the end was a blue sign with Lugar 1 & 2 policia. Evidently that meant my square too! Then there was another plate with PSR on it which I took for something like Policia-of-the-port....?
I guess the thing is to watch the charges from the hire co..... Or maybe next time I fly out/in they'll arrest me (with full-flags waving) over un-paid parking fine/s I know nothing about....

Ingles

More or Less about Parking Fines !
As the local elections are due this Sunday, as usual over the last few weeks the Junta's & Câmara's seem to get there collective -rses into gear & panic mode takes over, as they realise they have not carried out a lot off the "work's" they promised to do before the last elections

On Monday 18th off this month, a "white line crew" appeared in the local village, & promptly sprayed solid white line's literally everywhere
Tend to think they where all ex army ,because if it didn't move they painted it white

All the traditional parking areas in front off the various shops & medical centre + the church where now off limit's & the locals where damn right angry .

But it get's better , 2 day's later 2 guy's arrived in a Alcobaça's Câmara pick up , & as one measured a 1 meter space ever other meter , the other painted over the white with black paint , so that now we have broken white lines

Right hand - Left hand comes to mind

007Steve

...Junta's, Ingles?? You've got Junta's where you are?? Which part...
I thought they'd all transformed themselves into EU democrats now...
If they only gave a 1m space to park in, that'll only allow bicycles.