The report also shows that since July there has been a 25% increase in the number of benefit deduction orders issued. When offenders fail to pay fines, the SCS has a variety of powers to enforce payment including arresting wages or bank accounts, deducting benefits and seizing cars.
The success of these orders has ensured a continuing high collection rate of fines across Scotland. Over the last three years, the rate for Sheriff Court fines reached an overwhelming 93 percent.
One 32-year-old defaulter, who failed to pay a speeding fine imposed at Dumfries Justice of the Peace Court, had his honeymoon plans interrupted when police stopped him at Manchester airport. He had failed to pay a £350 fine issued two years ago for speeding at 99 mph on the M74 southbound Glasgow to Carlisle motorway. Police, who had note of his failure to pay, detained him at the airport and contacted a Dumfries fines enforcement officer. The honeymooner handed the money over in cash to officers in order to catch his flight.
To date, 21 cars have also been clamped nationwide which has led to the majority of defaulters paying both their original fines in addition to clamping costs. In Falkirk and Grangemouth this week two cars were impounded for non-payment and a third clamped and released on payment.
“Defaulters cannot escape their fines and those who continue to neglect their penalties will only face increasing costs,” said SCS Executive Director of Field Service, Eric McQueen.
He added: “Since the first Fines Report released last year by the SCS, collection rates have risen steadily. We have very robust enforcement measures in place and have sent strong messages to offenders that fines will be collected. Enforcement orders are helping to drive that message home to fine defaulters. People with outstanding fines are recognising more and more that there is nowhere to hide and they could be next.”
Other enforcement measures include tracing facilities to ensure that defaulters are identified quickly to speed up enforcement action by providing information on aliases, employment history, bank accounts and credit cards; the use of sheriff officers to target persistent defaulters who are ignoring payment demands; and working closely with the Department of Work and Pensions to speed up benefit deductions.
For more information about fines visit this link
Notes:
Sheriff Court fines collection rates are calculated over a three financial year period as instalment arrangements can mean some fines will take up to three years to be paid. In our second quarterly fines report, published in December 2009, the collection rate for Sheriff Court fines imposed in the full financial years 2006/07, 2007/08 and 2008/09 was 88%. In our fifth quarterly fines report in August 2010, the collection rate for Sheriff Court fines imposed in the same three financial years was 91%.
For this sixth report the 2006/07 data have been discarded and replaced by data on Sheriff Court fines imposed during the financial year 2009/10. The three full financial years are therefore 2007/08, 2008/09 and 2009/10, and the collection rate for Sheriff Court fines imposed in this period is 87%. This shows that collection rates are on target to match or exceed 91% during the course of the next year.
Please note that the percentages have been rounded up or down to the nearest whole number.
A copy of the SCS Quarterly Fines Report No 6 is available at this link.