That’s what Swede Krister Nylander is asking himself after receiving a fine of 1,211 SEK for illegally parking his snowmobile in Warwick in Central England in June. The fine was sent by Euro Parking Collection, which specializes in recovering cross-border traffic offences within the European Union.

Nylander lives in the northern Swedish town of Bollstrabruk, 330km north of Stockholm – and 1,200 kilometers from Warwick. He says his snowmobile has been parked in his barn all summer, along with another broken snowmobile, and that the last time he was in England, 16 years ago, “the conditions for snowmobiles didn’t seem particularly good”.

Nylander, who is refusing to pay the fine, is not the only Swede puzzled and not a little annoyed by demands from the London-based company.

Patrick Andersson, another northern Swede, received a demand for payment of 1,400 SEK for allegedly driving his green Skoda in a central London bus lane.

Andersson told his local newspaper that he “certainly wouldn’t mind going to London for a weekend trip” but that neither he, nor his car, were anywhere near the capital city when the offense allegedly took place.

The Swedish Consumer Association says it has received 37 complaints about invoices sent to Swedes by the collection agency over the past two years. The complaints include another snowmobile allegedly illegally parked, as well a tractor that violated the rules of the road.

Euro Parking Collection has not commented on the complaints, but consumer rights organization Konsumet Europe recommends that anyone receiving an incorrect fine should write to Euro Parking to correct the error.

Judi Lembke