Hon Rick Barker
Minister for Courts

22 March 2007

New Zealanders pay up for unpaid fines

New Zealanders have paid nearly three million dollars in overdue fines in three weeks, Courts Minister Rick Barker says.

Rick Barker said a concerted campaign began on 5 March aimed at hitting home to New Zealanders that the only way of making fines go away was to pay them.

“Since that time New Zealanders have either paid in full or are paying off a total of $2.98 million fines outstanding,” said Rick Barker.

“What’s more, Court bailiffs have seized 164 cars – an excellent result in just three weeks. It’s a strong indication that we mean business – if a fine isn’t paid we will seize property and that includes cars.

“We’ve written to thousands of people warning them to pay their fines and it’s pleasing that many have got in touch to pay their fines,” said Rick Barker.

Rick Barker said the campaign would run for several more months, and would roll from district to district so that bailiffs could move around the country to target particular areas at certain times.

Rick Barker said people with unpaid fines on the Justice system have had plenty of opportunities to pay up. This especially applied to people with traffic infringement fines such as speeding tickets. They would have had several months of polite notices and reminders from NZ Police or the relevant local authority before reaching the courts system.

ENDS

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