930 seized for speeding in france - any advice appreciated

[sjd]

Just got back from Le Mans last night (unfortunately minus my 930 efi!).

Caught doing 157kph on a 90kph road. Had to pay Euro1300 cash on the spot fine (thank god I had 9 mates with me that could help out), had licence taken away....and then the rozzers took the car and handed over a notice to attend a hearing on 16 September.

Very aware that the French are taking a strict line and I risk having the car confiscated where the speed is in excess of 50kph of the limit.

Happy to take my medicine, but we had been deliberately minding ourselves and it is sods law that I am the front car of 5 when deciding to overtake a lorry that we had been following for ages....right into the path of the speed trap. Great timing, but there you go.

In short, I need legal representation and a translator to help me in Argentan. Any advice/contacts appreciated.

930 RIP?

 

[911 Turbo LE]

You should post this on the www.PistonHeads.com Forum Speed Plod and the Law section
I'm sure i have seen this posted before, Lots of people over there willing to help.
Hope everything turns out OK for you.

 

[jdpef356]

Bit of bad luck - not going to help now but warnings were being posted on on this forum see:-

http://www.porscheclubgbforum.com/tm.asp?m=458166&mpage=1&key=speeding%2Cfrench&#458180

 

[jdpef356]

Simon

Sorry I had not read the link I gave above - please dont - it will spoil your day[X(]

 

[TISPKJ]

I thought normal set up was that they took away your license (efectively a ban in france) for a month, impounded the car until you can get someone else to drive the car for you ? One of the problems of driving alone as had a mate with similar situation a few years ago who had to phone ahead and get someone to come back for him and the car.
Not sure they can keep the car, unless it was because of the ammount of excess speed over the limit, but I thought that was determined by the size of the fine.
Get the car back, and apply for a new license in the UK.

Hope you get sorted.

 

[John_Ward]

Sorry to hear that Simon...... are you sure your wife didn't have a hand in Stella being confiscated?!
I hope that it is all resolved without too much financial damage, and most certainly without any extreme measures being taken with either you or the car.
ATB
John

 

[burrow01]

Hi

You weren't in company with an Orange Lambo were you?

Pete

 

[Rodney Naghar]

ORIGINAL: burrow01

Hi

You weren't in company with an Orange Lambo were you?

Pete

Not the orange Murcielago that stayed at our campsite (last year's PCGB area) , dumped all its rubbish and drove off?[8|]

 

[sjd]

Thanks for your (mostly!) good wishes and advice.

Seems my next step is to get good local representation. There is plenty of chat about cars being confiscated, but initial research show that these are around extreme circumstances (e.g. Ferrari California 257kph etc) and where either there is a repeated offence or "major" speed.

I remain hopeful and will post updates: and in response to questions:

1. No my wife did not organise the taking of my beloved Stella...and is very supportive having been assured by the group that it was nothing but bad timing/luck

2. No I was not travelling with the Ornage Lambo, but I see the car every year on the Thursday travelling down from the same train (there was a very nice black G reg 930 LE with him this year, so maybe someone else knows the car...)

cheers Simon

 

[kevinkjse]

Hi SJD

Sorry to hear about your misfortune.

I think it must be me! I was with the orange Lambo but we was not on the Porsche camp site last year, we did go to the clasic but was in the DDK camp site, Karting Nord and did clean up! so the rubish mut be someone elses.

A mate of mine Nigel was caught doing 220 KPH in a 360 a few years back and had to pay up £ 800.00 and had his licence taken away. The police kept asking him if the car belonged to him which it did not (it also belonged to the Lambo owner sitting next to him, who he said was in England) they did do check somehow, it would appear that maybe they cannot confiscate the vehicle if the owner is not present! He was bailed to return.

Nigel contracted the services of a French Lawyer who had the case thrown out on a technicality but the final bill was as nearly much as the fine! I will get the Lawyer's details and post so maybe you can have a chat to him, good luck mate.

kev

 

[marlin]

Absolutely gutted for you, considering you did not exceed the limit by twice , I consider the confiscation a over reaction by the French, do you think they do not like us[&:]

 

[kevinkjse]

Hi SJD

The guy Nigel used was

DUHAMEL STANISLAS

[*]
18 RUE BELVALETTE
62200 BOULOGNE SUR MER , PAS DE CALAIS

Tél : 03 21 31 57 00
Fax : 03 21 31 96 36[/LIST]
kev

 

[sjd]

Kev

This is great thanks - also have a name of a lawyer through a guy on piston heads that has gone through the same process (202kph in a 130 limit). Seems the advice is to have a lawyer and attend the hearing to eat some humble pie!

Will hook up with the lawyers and get this sorted.

all the best
Simon

(at least I can focus on getting my 72 hotrod sorted in the meantime.........)

 

[kevinkjse]

Hi SJD

Best of luck for today, will be thinking of you

kev

 

[sjd]

Kev

Thanks - an interesting experience to say the least.

Just before me was a fellow Le Mans guy who was caught at 199kph. He was sent home with the maximum Euro1500 fine and a 6 month ban (plus car back despite a well rehearsed call for confiscation by the prosecutor).

I followed his case immediately thinking that I may be treated with some equality with my 157kph. However, the judge thought that I could too easily pay the maximum Euro 1500 fine, so decided that he would make me wait another 2 months for his decision. That way they keep the car for another 2 months and rack up some more storage fees. Lawyer is certain the car is not at risk, just a way of them piling on the pain.

So; best advice is not speed, but should you find yourself the wrong side of the "law" do turn up in Court in rags with some borrowed beggar children and lie about your income - sorted!

Will send an update when I get the car back in December.....hope they are keeping polished!!

best Simon

 

[carreracat]

what was the guy caught at 199kph driving? if he lied about his income, surely his car might give the game away if it's an exotic?!

whenn's your 2 months up? the wait must be unbearable!

 

[sjd]

The other car was a Lexus.

Interestingly the prosecutor made a play on the fact that a Porsche is little more than a "car for pleasure". Cannot disagree with that!

Quite sanguine about the whole thing - gives me time to focus on my 1972 project and to be quite honest "stuff 'em" - will not be going back to France any time soon....

Happy to arrange a Turbo get together in the spring to reflect on the story and perhaps a rolling road session?

Simon

 

[kevinkjse]

Hi Simon

A Turbo get together sounds good, will be like the old days with Mike Connell we did a few good trips back then, Bob Watson's, McClaren in Woking, A weekend in Lincoln with lunch at the Petworh Hotel (home of the Dambusters during WW2) would love to go back there for a weekend, Strasse and Ruf Eng now GT one I think

Its about time I put a few miles on the old girl!
I do hope you have your car back by then and stiil have some money left to fill the tank!

Are you going to Le Mans next year? thought I would do the clasic, won't go back for the full Le Mans again in a hurry!

kev

 

[sjd]

Kev

The good news is I will have a car for a get together! (found out last Friday)

Final verdict is Euro1,500 fine (less the Euro 1,300 paid on the spot)
18 month ban from driving in France (so no Le Mans next year: and possibly not for some time)
5 months storage fees -amount TBC (but bank on another Euro1,000)

So with French legal fees, two trips down, bank on circa £5,000 all in (bl**dy expensive overtake!, but live and learn)

Plan to go down to Argentan in the next couple of weeks to get the old girl back, sort out 5 months of neglect and have her ready to go in the New Year.

Will hook up with Bob Watson and will start a new thread to see the level on interest.

all the best Simon

PS Next years boys trip will be the Nurburgring.....(will get a friend to get me across from France to Belgium!!!)

 

[Dylan1]

well done on getting the car back at last and i agree with you after my 3 experienceswith les flics[](yep i am a slow learner!)

annoying thing is the last two stoppages i wasnt even speeding over limit but they stooped us anyway and got in an even bigger strop when i argued in french why they were only stopping british cars!!

result is i now avoid all french roads especially motorways(too expensive and boring anyway)where most of the flics are and take the long way round to italy via germany-much more friendly sort in my experience!!