Please sign in to post.

Got auto ticket over 1 year after trip to Puglia. Can I ignore? Not fair.

I just got a ticket from city of LECCE in Puglia--- 1-1/2 years after my trip in 2024. It says it was a video/says we drove through an area where you needed a permit to drive through. (or park ?). But it cannot be. We parked in public lot where the staff of city showed us how to pay & manage parking process. We know we never parked in restricted area. Seems crazy. It says its now (with time penalty) a whole $200 Euros but that its been reduced for us to $107 including admin. fee. I have no intention of paying, and no intention of renting again in Italy . I will never return to Lecce. Am I safe to just ignore it?

On same trip, we got a different parking ticket in a different village in Puglia. We paid the parking ticket the same day we got it (30 euros). Six or 8 months later we got a bill from car rental company saying we owed them $60 Euros just because they had to read the letter they received from that village with this information. (their admin. fee). (the ticket had been paid already...I paid the $60). Original ticket was only $30 euros so ..... felt unfair . Now almost 2 years later---- I get this new ticket from Lecce.

Posted by
8981 posts

Whether you try to pay or ignore is up to you. You may be outside some limit of notification, or they may have now engaged a US based debt collection agency. Hard to say.

It likely is legitimate, you drove in a ZTL, most towns have them, likely on your way to park, or on your way out. Most all of the center of Lecce is a ZTL.

Posted by
23980 posts

I am sure that it is legal. Surprised that you did get a charge again your credit card company. Whether you pay or not is your decision. I think ---- the worst thing that can happen is that is is turned over to a collection agency. It is my understanding is that they cannot get a judgement against you for a foreign traffic ticket. -- BUT. -- they can record a non-payment claim with the credit reporting agencies. it will not stick but you have to fight it to get it removed and it is a super pain in the butt to deal with the credit agencies.

You really should repost your question in the appropriate section. You might get better and more responses.

Posted by
811 posts

While this can be turned over to a US based collection agency and that means you may receive threatening collection letters and even calls, for a single ticket it is very unlikely to be more than an annoyance-- no real worry of being refused entry to Italy or hurting your credit rating.

While I understand and I sympathize with your feelings that it is unfair to receive a stale and potentially erroneous ticket, personally I'd just pay it-- even though I'd be unhappy about it. If you are certain you are completely in the right, dispute it.

On the positive side, Italy is wonderful!

Happy travels.