systematic1

Hello all,
I'm wondering if anyone can help me with this....

During a surfing holiday in Lanzarote back in may I parked at a beach within the National Park. It's a popular place, beach goers park along either side of a narrow road, and we did the same. Yesterday I received a 17 page dossier (in Spanish) accusing me of raping the environment.

Its from Guardia Civil, Medioambiente. They produced photo's of my hire car parked with 2 wheels on the sand. This constitutes an infingement of their environmental laws and carries a fine of between 600 & 6000 euros, my fine being at the former end of the scale.

If this was in the UK I'd know how to fight it, there was zero signage for example. But it's not in the Uk.

So should I.....Pay up (20% reduction), contest (losing 20% reduction and probably requiring a lawyer and a trip to lanzarote) or ingnore and never set foot on Spanish soil again????

From what I can translate my letter contains: an initial charge from Guardia Civil to the hire company, a document naming me as the driver from the hire company, and minutes from court proceedings decreeing that I am liable.

It's definitely genuine before anyone suggests otherwise, but scams are harder to ignore when they are run by the government....

Any experts on Spanish law out there?!?!?!
Quick Reply Thanks 0

Rosemary

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missile

I would pay up :-)

mikelincs

+1

see this thread for possible problems.

http://britishexpats.com/forum/spain...-spain-907355/

spouse of scouse

Ouch! 600 euros for parking where there aren't any signs saying you can't? 'Raping the environment'?

What a rip off But I'd pay it, just in case I wanted/needed to travel to Spain in the future.

lurchio

As it would cost you more than the discounted fine to defend it even if you win, flights, fees, legal fees etc. , its either pay up now or ignore it. Depends on your attitude and if you plan to visit again. Pay it. Are you sure there wasn't a fixed penalty ticket (with a lesser fine) on the car when you got back to it? Seems a bit heavy to proceed in your absence if there hasn't been some form of prior notice. Anyway, its done, I would pay it with the discount.

lurchio

No doubt the great Avocado will be along with some Sage advice soon, good luck.

spouse of scouse

Loafing Along

Could not agree more and do so quickly to get the discount. We had a similar experience on a slip road to a Costa del Sol beach on a Sunday afternoon. Local police systematically worked their way along a line of cars ,of which we were one, slapping €200,- parking tickets on every one. Grit your teeth and get it done.

systematic1

Great! thanks to everyone for their responses, it seems consensus is unanimous.

Guess i'll pay up, but I won't be going back to Lanzarote in a hurry.

Before we left that day we filled to boot of the car with rubbish collected from the beach. We do this when and wherever we can. To then be saddled with a huge, unwarrented and disproportionate fine, for placing two wheels on glass and plastic ladened strip of sand....it makes me a little angry.

My only (and completely unlikely) hope is that the money I will now send them goes toward actually looking after the national park, because from what I saw they are doing a piss poor job as things stand.

Thanks again to all posters.

systematic1

previous post nearly two hours ago...been trying to pay it ever since...still don't know how.

ned flanders

You didn't leave the rubbish in the boot of the hired car did you?

systematic1

no. I'd expect a 600 euro fine for that.

tebo53

Yes, for goodness sake Man up and pay the fine!! We've just had a long thread about a similar story.

missile

No sign, doesn't mean you have any right to park on the grass / pavement / spaces marked for disabled / wild camp etc.