# Lockdown Fine



## AC53 (Mar 11, 2021)

On April 3rd 2020, I drove to a supermarket 5 minutes away to buy food. I was stopped by CNP officers and was told that I was only allowed to go to the nearest supermarket, even though it was small and did not have all the things I wanted to buy. My understanding was going out to buy food was allowed, and I had not left my town. 

Today, more than 11 months later, I have received a fine by registered post for breaking the lockdown. In the letter it seems to state that I had been previously warned, but this is NOT the case. Perhaps I have misunderstood the wording.

1) As the fine has been notified so long after the incident, is it valid? I wonder if there is a time limit for notifying such a fine.

2) Was it actually a violation of lockdown to drive alone within your town to buy food, even if there is a nearer supermarket?

3) Are there grounds for appeal, and if so, how? Will the authority need to prove they issued a prior warning?

Note that the fine doubles if I pay after 15 days.

Any help you can offer will be gratefully received.


----------



## kaipa (Aug 3, 2013)

Presumably you were told at the time that you had broken the rules as they must have noted your details to be able to contact you. Simple rule is if GC issued pay it and then have a stiff drink!


----------



## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

During lockdown we were only allowed to use the nearest supermarket & only for essentials. 


In my town police were checking people leaving supermarkets & also checking IDs & that people were indeed sticking to their nearest one. 

At one point our mayor put out a plea to everyone to not pop out for 'a bottle of wine & a bar of chocolate'. While it was fine to include those items in a bigger shop, going out for just that wasn't considered to be 'essential'. 



You must have been stopped & spoken to at the time, or else how did they know where to send the fine? That would have been the warning.


----------



## Overandout (Nov 10, 2012)

The time for fomally prosecuting in Spain depends on the category of the offence, so without seeing what they have sent you we cannot know. 

That said, less than a year would suggest that if you are hoping to get away on a technicality, you'll be struggling.

The appeal process will also be detailed in the documents you have received, but again, wthout knowing which court is imposing the fine and under what law, we cannot know.

As far as I am aware, there are no Spanish qualified lawyers posting regularly on here, and you are essentially asking for legal advice without giving very much detail at all. I'm sure you´ll get a lot of opinions though!

If you really feel unfairly treated you need to see a lawyer, quickly.


----------



## AC53 (Mar 11, 2021)

Thanks to those of you who have taken the trouble to contribute. So far, the opinion seems to be pay up and don't waste your time, and don't risk paying bad money as well as good. You are probably right. 

I have heard back from my motor insurers and they have told me there is a one year time limit to be notified of this kind of fine, so I imagine the police have decided to send the fine now so that I will have lost any mitigating evidence such as till receipts. I can't think of another reason to wait until now. My card statement shows only the date of my purchases and not the time, and apparently the time would be considered important. So the government wins again! 

It's interesting that in the UK, I would have been given full details of my right to appeal, but here they don't really want you to do this, and if you do, I suspect your chances are infinitessimal. It seems the main job of the police here is to fine decent citizens (and especially foreigners) in order to raise government funds and compensate for the huge black market in most businesses and the horrific corruption in all public services and government itself both regionally and centrally.

There. I've got that off my chest. Now it just remains to take Kaipa's advice. Cheers!


----------

