University Halls Have Fined Me!
So I was vaping in my room (been such a stressful and emotional week). I had my windows wide open and I just thought I'd vape.
But it set of the fire alarm accidentally of course. So I was like, OK, my mistake.
So later on in the evening some halls person told me I have been fined £100.
The uni already knows I'm having financial problems and I told her straight I wasn't gonna pay it because of this reason. She said she will pass it on to her colleague/accommodation office to see what they will do about me not paying it. Then they'll make the decision whether I have to or not.
But is there any where I can not pay it. And it's not even "I don't want to" but it's more like "I literally can't" because I don't have that kind of money!
Should I go to the uni union or who shall I go to so I can present my case?
But it set of the fire alarm accidentally of course. So I was like, OK, my mistake.
So later on in the evening some halls person told me I have been fined £100.
The uni already knows I'm having financial problems and I told her straight I wasn't gonna pay it because of this reason. She said she will pass it on to her colleague/accommodation office to see what they will do about me not paying it. Then they'll make the decision whether I have to or not.
But is there any where I can not pay it. And it's not even "I don't want to" but it's more like "I literally can't" because I don't have that kind of money!
Should I go to the uni union or who shall I go to so I can present my case?
Original post by The Empire Odyssey
So I was vaping in my room (been such a stressful and emotional week). I had my windows wide open and I just thought I'd vape.
But it set of the fire alarm accidentally of course. So I was like, OK, my mistake.
So later on in the evening some halls person told me I have been fined £100.
The uni already knows I'm having financial problems and I told her straight I wasn't gonna pay it because of this reason. She said she will pass it on to her colleague/accommodation office to see what they will do about me not paying it. Then they'll make the decision whether I have to or not.
But is there any where I can not pay it. And it's not even "I don't want to" but it's more like "I literally can't" because I don't have that kind of money!
Should I go to the uni union or who shall I go to so I can present my case?
But it set of the fire alarm accidentally of course. So I was like, OK, my mistake.
So later on in the evening some halls person told me I have been fined £100.
The uni already knows I'm having financial problems and I told her straight I wasn't gonna pay it because of this reason. She said she will pass it on to her colleague/accommodation office to see what they will do about me not paying it. Then they'll make the decision whether I have to or not.
But is there any where I can not pay it. And it's not even "I don't want to" but it's more like "I literally can't" because I don't have that kind of money!
Should I go to the uni union or who shall I go to so I can present my case?
As above - speak to your student union and look in your halls contract to see if there is any process for deciding to fine if an alarm goes off (depending on the alarm system a lot of halls get charged £80-500 for a false alarm by the fire brigade - even if a call out is cancelled quickly). It isn't unreasonable for them to pass on the cost of a false alarm but if you're having financial problems then they're more likely to be reasonable. Usually that will mean you'll have to show proper contrition and promise it wont happen again though.
Get proper advice and don't just refuse to pay or ignore the issue - if you have outstanding debts with a university they can prevent you from progressing on your course or withhold your qualification (as long as the punishment is in the same scale as the debt involved - so something like £100 might not cause a problem). Generally universities are sympathetic IF you are willing to work with them and explain the situation and pay what you can. It might be that they could come up with a smaller instalment payment plan for you that you could afford.
Original post by The Empire Odyssey
So I was vaping in my room (been such a stressful and emotional week). I had my windows wide open and I just thought I'd vape.
But it set of the fire alarm accidentally of course. So I was like, OK, my mistake.
So later on in the evening some halls person told me I have been fined £100.
The uni already knows I'm having financial problems and I told her straight I wasn't gonna pay it because of this reason. She said she will pass it on to her colleague/accommodation office to see what they will do about me not paying it. Then they'll make the decision whether I have to or not.
But is there any where I can not pay it. And it's not even "I don't want to" but it's more like "I literally can't" because I don't have that kind of money!
Should I go to the uni union or who shall I go to so I can present my case?
But it set of the fire alarm accidentally of course. So I was like, OK, my mistake.
So later on in the evening some halls person told me I have been fined £100.
The uni already knows I'm having financial problems and I told her straight I wasn't gonna pay it because of this reason. She said she will pass it on to her colleague/accommodation office to see what they will do about me not paying it. Then they'll make the decision whether I have to or not.
But is there any where I can not pay it. And it's not even "I don't want to" but it's more like "I literally can't" because I don't have that kind of money!
Should I go to the uni union or who shall I go to so I can present my case?
You don't really have a case tbh. My flatmate was fined for smoking in his room and setting off the fire alarm. You just have to hope for the best.
Why didn't you go outside to vape?
Thanks guys. She came to me today with a physical copy of the fine. She said if I wanted to dispute this, I have to pay the fine and then give them reasons as to why I should not have been fined.
I said to her, I can't and won't pay it. I have had to fork out £1500+ for my next year's house rent and also had to pay off my student accommodation so I'm like literally broke. The uni had to help cover some money for the student accommodation too.
I have written to my union via email I might have to attach a CC to the accommodation bureau just to tell them what is going out.
It is most annoying as I leave the accommodation tomorrow anyway and out of Oxford. So it's quite annoying to be quite honest! I just don't need this kind of stress right now!
I said to her, I can't and won't pay it. I have had to fork out £1500+ for my next year's house rent and also had to pay off my student accommodation so I'm like literally broke. The uni had to help cover some money for the student accommodation too.
I have written to my union via email I might have to attach a CC to the accommodation bureau just to tell them what is going out.
It is most annoying as I leave the accommodation tomorrow anyway and out of Oxford. So it's quite annoying to be quite honest! I just don't need this kind of stress right now!
Original post by cherryred90s
You don't really have a case tbh. My flatmate was fined for smoking in his room and setting off the fire alarm. You just have to hope for the best.
Why didn't you go outside to vape?
Why didn't you go outside to vape?
Im not gonna get into an argument of whether I have a case or not as each individual is taken into account and each case is different as well with most unis.
I wasn't even vaping/smoking. I was merely testing the wattage. That is clearly different from smoking and it does not say it prohibits such behaviour in the contract.
And it was raining cats and dogs. I have no vaped in my room since and I always do it outside now.
But, whatever, I'll see how it goes.
Original post by The Empire Odyssey
Thanks guys. She came to me today with a physical copy of the fine. She said if I wanted to dispute this, I have to pay the fine and then give them reasons as to why I should not have been fined.
I said to her, I can't and won't pay it. I have had to fork out £1500+ for my next year's house rent and also had to pay off my student accommodation so I'm like literally broke. The uni had to help cover some money for the student accommodation too.
I have written to my union via email I might have to attach a CC to the accommodation bureau just to tell them what is going out.
It is most annoying as I leave the accommodation tomorrow anyway and out of Oxford. So it's quite annoying to be quite honest! I just don't need this kind of stress right now!
I said to her, I can't and won't pay it. I have had to fork out £1500+ for my next year's house rent and also had to pay off my student accommodation so I'm like literally broke. The uni had to help cover some money for the student accommodation too.
I have written to my union via email I might have to attach a CC to the accommodation bureau just to tell them what is going out.
It is most annoying as I leave the accommodation tomorrow anyway and out of Oxford. So it's quite annoying to be quite honest! I just don't need this kind of stress right now!
It's unfortunate, but you broke a clearly-stated rule and have been given a clearly-stated penalty. Keep talking to the accommodation managers - you may be able to agree a gradual repayment plan (presumably you have plans for a holiday job if you're in dire financial straits). Maybe £5 or £10 a week would be less painful and you might have it paid off and out of the way by the start of the next academic year.
As above though, please don't just refuse to pay as you have no grounds for doing that and you will get even more stressed - they won't back down. At my uni, you are prevented from graduating if you owe the uni *any* amount - even an outstanding library fine could cost you your degree. That would honestly be far more stressful than figuring out how to pay a perfectly legitimate fine for vaping in your room when you shouldn't have been.
you shouldn't have vaped in your room if you couldn't deal with consequences, you should accept it now and find a way to pay, sell stuff if you need to
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