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Glossary entry

French term or phrase:

Majorations

English translation:

penalties

Added to glossary by Lara Barnett
Nov 25, 2021 23:46
2 yrs ago
52 viewers *
French term

Majorations

French to English Bus/Financial General / Conversation / Greetings / Letters Press release on lockdown fines
32 jeunes d’Epinay-sous-Sénart (Essonne) ont reçu plus de 150 avis de contravention en trois mois pendant le premier confinement de 2020, quasi exclusivement sur la base d’images de vidéo-surveillance. Avec les majorations, ils cumulent plus de 50 000 euros d’amendes à payer.

Is the sense here simply "these charges amount do more than 50,000 euros to be paid" or does "majorations" suggest something else is involved, in addition to these basic 150 lockdown fines? I am unsure what is the best word to use here.
Proposed translations (English)
4 +4 penalties
3 +2 because of mandatory surcharges
3 +2 penalty surcharge

Discussion

Emmanuella Nov 26, 2021:
https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:62...
Conor McAuley Nov 26, 2021:
Fines for non-compliance with lockdown in France (EDIT, apologies.)

(Lockdown per se, as opposed to travel restrictions.)

https://www.weblex.fr/weblex-actualite/coronavirus-covid-19-...

(Page down a bit.)

Repeat offences constituted, well, new offences, so repeat-offence penalties applied, FAO Frank especially:

"Le non-respect du confinement entraîne :

en cas de première sanction : une amende de 135 €, majorée à 375 € (en cas de non-paiement ou de non-contestation dans le délai indiqué sur l'avis de contravention) ;

en cas de récidive dans les 15 jours : une amende de 200 €, majorée à 450 € (en cas de non-paiement ou de non-contestation dans le délai indiqué sur l'avis de contravention) ;

après 3 infractions en 30 jours : une amende de 3750 € et 6 mois d'emprisonnement."



The Divil is in the detail.
Lara Barnett (asker) Nov 26, 2021:
@ Tony I do not have a problem understanding the concept at all (as I explained earlier, London councils have the same delay procedure for parking fines) - I just wanted to check if the term itself was being used (here) to refer to the initial penalty or the final surcharge.
Conor McAuley Nov 26, 2021:
Instead of looking at it as fines and penalties... ...you could refer to the documents involved, fine notices and late payment (penalty) notices.

But personally, I believe the simpler, the better. And the simpler here (fines and penalties) is more idiomatic.
Tony M Nov 26, 2021:
@ Asker From the sheer amount, 50,000 / 150 = average €333, this must have included a number of second offences.
Tony M Nov 26, 2021:
@ Asker Obviously, yes — I really don't see what the problem is you are having in understanding this basic concept? Looking at it another way: what else could it be? The initial amounts + all the penalties that have been added onto them.
Lara Barnett (asker) Nov 26, 2021:
@ Tony Yes, I know, sorry, what I meant was while "avis de C,.." is the initial fine, then "majorations" refers to the DELAYED/LATE penalties OF those fines, rather than the initial fine itself/??
Tony M Nov 26, 2021:
@ Asker Obviously it refers back to 'avis', which are the notifications to pay the fines.
Lara Barnett (asker) Nov 26, 2021:
Surcharge So is the "majoration" referring back to the "avis di contravention" or is this obligatory late-surcharge something on top of the "avis de contravention" (I had originally translated this as penalty fine.
Everybody is explaining how the system works, which is helpful, but as I (thought had )put in my original question, are the two terms referring to the same part of the fine/payment system?
I mean is "Majoration" being used as another term for the "avis", or is the majoration the second process after the initial Avis de contr... ?
Conor McAuley Nov 26, 2021:
Tony is absolutely right, so I had to intervene. But there's nothing in the archives I can find that is suitable.
Lara Barnett (asker) Nov 26, 2021:
Late payments I get it thanks. We have them here in UK, when councils charge 60.00 GBP for parking tickets, which doubles in cost if not paid within two weeks or something.
Barbara Cochran, MFA Nov 26, 2021:
Hope no one over here comes up with such an oppressive idea. What happens if the fine gets so big you can't pay? Do they throw you in the clink?
Tony M Nov 26, 2021:
@ Asker Oh dear me no! We've had 'majorations' before, so you could try searching in the archive for various suggestions. In France, if you pay a fine in good time, you pay only the basic amount, but if you are late paying it, the price goes up quite steeply after a certain time, and continues to do so until the fine is paid. Hence why an initially small fine can become a huge one! There are also increases for repeat offences — particularly relevant in the context of Covid.

Proposed translations

+4
8 hrs
Selected

penalties

For late payment.

In the precise context:

https://www.service-public.fr/particuliers/vosdroits/F35249#...

"Si vous ne payez pas ou ne contestez pas dans le délai indiqué sur l'avis de contravention, l'*amende* est ***majorée*** et le montant passe à 450 €.

*Couvre-feu et confinement* : quelles sont les règles - Service ...

*Coronavirus* : jusqu'à 375 € d'amende pour non-respect du ...https://leparticulier.lefigaro.fr › article· Translate this page
Mar 18, 2020 — ... les mesures de confinement et sortent sans justificatif encourent désormais une amende de 135 euros qui peut être *majorée* à 375 euros.

"135 € [...] ett peut même être portée à 375 euros avec la ***majoration*** qui s’applique *en cas d’oubli de paiement ou de non-respect du délai de 45 jours ou à 300 € en cas de règlement sous 30 jours*."




https://www.service-public.fr/particuliers/vosdroits/F34440#...

"Le montant est ***majoré*** si vous payez *avec retard*."
Si vous dépassez le délai de 3 mois, le montant du FPS est majoré d'au moins 50 €. Un titre exécutoire : Titre établi par une administration lui permettant d'obtenir le recouvrement forcé des sommes dues est émis et vous recevez un avertissement.Sep 1, 2021

Forfait post-stationnement en cas de stationnement non payé


In EN:

What is ***penalty for late tax payment***?
There is no penalty at all if the taxpayer pays the tax late but within 15 days of the due date. ... If there is any tax left unpaid 30 days after the due date it is set at 2% of the outstanding amount at day 15 plus 2% of the outstanding amount at day 30.Oct 12, 2021

Interest harmonisation and penalties for late payment and late ...


--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 8 hrs (2021-11-26 08:17:01 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

So, in the context of Covid and lockdowns in France, the initial fine was €135, and the rest of the amount paid in the end constituted a penalty.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 9 hrs (2021-11-26 09:14:41 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Fines and penalties, UK, for Steve:

Traffic *fines and penalties* | Your Options | West Midlands Policehttps://www.west-midlands.police.uk › ...
Traduire cette page
How do I pay a traffic fine? The Central Ticket Office deals with the processing of all fixed penalty notices, speeding offences, penalty notices for disorder ...

Parking Laws in the UK | West Midlands - Brindley Garages ...https://www.brindley.co.uk › parkin...
Traduire cette page
In this extensive guide, we'll take a closer look at where you can and can't park and highlight the *fines and penalties* for breaking the rules in forbidden ...

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 9 hrs (2021-11-26 09:45:25 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

penalties in addition to/on top of the initial fines

To make the language absolutely crystal clear, explicit.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 12 hrs (2021-11-26 11:50:40 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Lara: precisely! Late payment penalties, as I was just thinking, and as Tony has just posted below, if you really want to make it very clear.

I suppose "late-payment notices" also fits in the "majorations"-shaped hole!
Note from asker:
Thanks. So the "avis de C,.." is the initial fine, while the "majorations" refers to the DELAYED/LATE penalties.?
Peer comment(s):
agree ph-b (X) : Agree (late payment) "penalty" (for late payment) is what you would say in the UK.
48 mins
Thanks ph-b!
neutral Steve Robbie : A fine (unlike tax) is itself a penalty, so this is just confusing. You'd have to say "additional penalties" or something. // Your additional links prove my point, they lump "fines and penalties" together as a single category.
50 mins
See Note added at 9 hrs / There's nothing more idiomatic. A single category, perhaps, but one explained using two words. // "A fine...is itself a penalty": I think you are confusing the word "penalty" as used in criminal law, with the plainer sense here.
agree Tony M : Given the clear context, I believe this is all that is needed here. Add 'late payment penalties' if really considered necessary.
3 hrs
Thanks very much Tony! This one was getting a bit frustrating, to be honest.
agree Frank Foley : Although I'd prefer "additional penalties", since that would cover both late payment and recidivism.
6 hrs
Thanks Frank! But see my Discussion entry at 16:35 for clarification of the details.
agree AllegroTrans : I'd also prefer "additional penalties"
1 day 7 hrs
Thanks Chris! But as I suggested to Steve, I believe that you're thinking about the word "penalties" in the sense it's used in criminal law, not in the -- more ordinary sense -- it's used by the police for minor offences.
Something went wrong...
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
+2
45 mins

because of mandatory surcharges

https://ww2.nycourts.gov/courts/6jd/tompkins/ithaca/crimpaym...

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 46 mins (2021-11-26 00:32:44 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

"with the mandatory surcharges", if you want to be more literal
Peer comment(s):
agree Daryo
1 hr
Thanks, Daryo.
agree MoiraB : it's a surcharge/additional charge due for late payment or because you're a repeat offender (fine increases each time you break the rules)
6 hrs
Thanks, MoiraB.
agree Anton Konashenok
8 hrs
Thanks, Anton.
disagree SafeTex : Mandatory makes it sound like they apply in all circumstances, and all connection with "late payment" has been lost.
8 hrs
A mandatory surcharge doesn't necessarily mean that at all, and "late payment" does not appear as part of the question.
Something went wrong...
+2
9 hrs
French term (edited): majoration

penalty surcharge

I think this is a natural way to word it for a British reader.
"Penalty" alone isn't quite enough, because a fine is a penalty, too.
"Surcharge" alone is arguably not quite enough, because it's not obvious why it's being levied.
Peer comment(s):
agree Adrian MM. : I was going to post plain: surcharges but had been waiting for other answers to confirm or otherwise.
2 hrs
agree AllegroTrans : plain "surcharges" imo
3 hrs
Something went wrong...
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