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Was meant to pay a criminal damage fine years ago and didn't


King Pitcos

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Just say something like you thought you sent a cheque in the post, moved house then thought nothing of it as it was paid....however when going through your belongings recently you found the cheque/letter which obviously means it never did get cashed in and ask if the bill is still outstanding (play stupid and say that you want to make sure the payment did go through and that you didn't write a cheque twice).

 

 

The moving house will kinda make it more believable as you can say you had so many payments during that time that you didn't actually realise the payment didn't come out of your account.

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Wouldn't that 6 year thing apply to this, where if they haven't followed it up within 6 years there's nothing they can do about it any more?

I don't think that's a real rule, is it? Or at least I don't think it applies to magistrates' fines.

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Wouldn't that 6 year thing apply to this, where if they haven't followed it up within 6 years there's nothing they can do about it any more?

I don't think that's a real rule, is it? Or at least I don't think it applies to magistrates' fines.

 

That rule does apply to debts as far as I know but not sure this would count, worth a quick google though.

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Wouldn't that 6 year thing apply to this, where if they haven't followed it up within 6 years there's nothing they can do about it any more?

I don't think that's a real rule, is it? Or at least I don't think it applies to magistrates' fines.

 

It doesnt.. 6 years removed from my fine they reminded me i hadnt paid it (was a genuine screw up, but totally my fault).. They really wont care why it wasnt paid, so dont worry about the story. If you try too hard it will only come over as bs anyhow.. Call, apologise, insert brief reason here, pay, forget.. And be sure to declare it on your visa application if required.

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truth, if you don't mind me asking, how did it take them six years to remind you?

 

I found myself out of work and had to sign on, they sent me a letter a few months after this telling me i hadnt paid my fine and they would be taking money from my benefit directly. I then called the office dealing with it and paid it in full for ease. I moved city a week or so after i was given the fine, then moved back a month or two later. So my fine was being dealt with by a court at the other end of the country where i wasnt. I guess thats why it took so long to track it back to me. There was no hassle for it not being paid, just the increase as it hadnt been paid on time.

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You only have to declare arrests if the crime was one of "Moral Turpitude" when entering the US. I'm not sure if what I'm saying would be null and void though, since you're going to have to apply for a B Visa anyways...

 

Crimes involving moral turpitude - Such offenses generally involve conduct which is inherently base, vile, or depraved and contrary to the accepted rules of morality and the duties owed to persons or society in general. There are factors, such as the age of the offender or the date of the offense, that may affect whether an offense will be considered a crime involving moral turpitude for purposes of the Immigration and Nationality Act.

For further information refer to

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Got arrested for ABH/Assault (the same night as the criminal damage). Was just a fistfight, so I don't think it'd count as moral turpitude either. Possibly not even as much as the criminal damage, which might count as malicious destruction of property.

 

Found not guilty of assault and thus served no prison time for it though. Do arrests count even if you're exonerated? What happens to lads who get falsely accused of rape and whatnot and are then acquitted? Are they fucked for going to America?

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Moral Turpitude is a loose term for anything they feel like.

 

In general if you got arrested and found not guilty I doubt they'll care. However, they do care when you lie on documentation regardless of what the lie is.

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What are the questions on the visa waiver form now? Is it still the same list with the "have you ever been a war criminal?" stuff? I don't think I'd need to lie on any of them, especially if moral turpitude is so open to interpretation, and I assume it comes down to whether one person at the immigration desk (if you're going visa waiver) or one person working for the consul (if you're applying for a visa) wants to let you through. The thing that gives me pause about the visa is that I've read the immigration people sometimes treat someone with a visa coming from a visa-waiver country with suspicion.

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