English Lesson #1 - Winning Letter

Dear Sir or Madam:

RE: Appeal Against Notice of Traffic Offence (Ref: xxxxxxxxxx)

I am writing in as an appeal against the above-mentioned Notice of Traffic Offence for vehicle number xxxxxxx. I am appealing against the amount of SGD70 that I now have to pay (add in some wicked sense of sarcasm but don't go overboard).

In the morning of 4 May 2005 at 0825h, I had driven past the ERP gantry on the PIE (toward Changi) after Adam Road exit, with insufficient value in my ERP card unknowingly (this is probably the only 100% real fact).

However, I have also subsequently been traveling on business trips to the U.S.A. (Portland, Oregon) for a few weeks in the month of May/June (just two weeks actually, but always remember to exaggerate decently). I did not receive the first notice before I had left Singapore; it must have been delivered to my mailbox after I had left (actually I might've received it before I left but I might've also just chucked it one corner... hiak). No one took notice of the first notice, until the 2nd registered letter from LTA arrived (this is true, Pop freaks out at every registered letter I receive, especially from traffic authorities). But by then, the offence amount (which, I believe, would originally have been only SGD11 or SGD11.50 if I had been aware of the first notice and paid on time) had already been compounded to SGD70.

I saw the second notice only after I had returned to Singapore on 9 June (the other fact).

I would appreciate much if amount payable could be re-looked into and reduced to the original amount, as I believe this is a true mistiming between my business travel plans and the receipt of the 2 traffic notices (always assert your point of view succinctly but not curtly).

You may contact me at xxxxxxxxx.

Thank you very much for your time (ah... sweet).

Yours sincerely..



So, this is the winning formula for writing successful appeal letters to higher authorities:

Be forceful.
Be sure of your facts (twist it slightly but not outrageously, if need to, to save your ass).
Be assertive, but not too bitchy.
Be sweet and thank nicely.

Hey, it works for me. Not the first time.

Now I only have to pay $11.50. Ha.

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