Paying reparation
How the process works
Making payments
If you don’t pay
If you want to appeal the decision
How the process works
If the Judge has ordered you to pay reparation you will be sent a Notice of Fine detailing the reparation amount and any other fines or Court costs you have been ordered to pay. This notice also contains details on ways to pay.
In some cases a Judge will include instructions during sentencing on how the reparation is to be paid, for example ordering that you pay by instalment at set amounts, or order that you pay the reparation by a set date. If no date or time for payment is specified by the Judge, you have 28 days from the day you were fined to pay in full or request a time to pay arrangement from the Court.
You pay the Court, and once the payment has cleared, the Court forwards your payment to the person. If you are paying by instalment, the reparation is forwarded to the person as each payment clears.
Making payments
All reparation payments should be made to the Court. If you make any payment directly to the person you need to let the Court know and provide evidence of this so we can update our records. Otherwise we will continue to seek payment from you.
There are several ways you can make payment to the Court and they are listed on our ways to pay page.
If you don’t pay
If you fail to make payment within 28 days or according to the Judge’s instructions the Court can take enforcement action against you to collect the outstanding amount. The Court can:
- Make compulsory deductions from your wages, benefit or bank account.
- Seize and sell your property
- Stop you from travelling overseas
- Arrest you
If any of the above enforcement actions are started, the Court adds an enforcement fee to each fine or reparation being enforced. From 1 October 2010 this fee is $102.22.
If you are having trouble making your payments you should call us on 0800 4 FINES to discuss your situation. Don’t wait for the Court to come to you.
If you want to appeal the decision
You can appeal your reparation sentence within 28 days from the day you were sentenced. Appeals have to be made in writing to the Court. You can get an appeal form from the Court were you were sentenced.
