PCN: paid for but not shown?

bibi_neko

Got 2 PCN because my brother forgot his parking permit ran out.

Paid for a parking permit at £70, at those One Stop Shops, because they closed the Parking Shop.

Also paid for the PCN there £40 each , the person at the counter said he could do it but his system is down so used another computer.

Paid with debit card, got the receipt, he wrote down the PCN No's on his receipt and gave me mine (no Notice No. only transaction details).

Got a mini printout at the cash machine today, saw they only took out the £70 permit transaction, the PCN transaction has not been taken. What do i do? I have a receipt saying i've paid, and i'm worried if i pay again they may take out twice of what is due (£160), also the 2 weeks of reduced charge is looming (tomorrow).

tickets by London Borough of Tower Hamlets.

Neil_B

well you've narrowed it down to about just 8 London Boroughs. now if you'd like to say who other people may have had a similar exprience?
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bibi_neko

Sorry I forgot to put that info down. It's Tower Hamlets.

Neil_B

Ah, Don't personally know of similar issues with them.

i do know someone who is still engaged in a nearly two year fight with next door Newham over exactly the same thing though.

I understand it is very worrying. Councils are so incompetent that they often don't know where this money goes. Councils have many different accounts for different matters but simply incapable of being able to confirm they've received something (No REALLY!).

first port of call - get on the phone to them and see what they say!
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bibi_neko

I called them, they said they have no record of me paying the fines and that i should just write in and make an appeal?

Should i just wait for my statement to come and then write them a letter that I was unaware the transaction did not get processed as I had been given a receipt and just send them a cheque for £80?

How long do they wait until they contact you about unpaid fines? Do they even contact you at all?

Neil_B

bibi_neko wrote: »

I called them, they said they have no record of me paying the fines and that i should just write in and make an appeal?

Should i just wait for my statement to come and then write them a letter that I was unaware the transaction did not get processed as I had been given a receipt and just send them a cheque for £80?

How long do they wait until they contact you about unpaid fines? Do they even contact you at all?

Exactly as I said - isn't it a bit worrying that we pay money to what is supposed to be a responsible government body and they - ermm 'lose' it? disgraceful.

can't tell you what is due to happen because I don't recall you referring to any dates or documents received so far? I don't have a crystal ball mate!

Tell me exact events and dates and also start pushing your bank for payment details - although they are likely to be equally useless as the Council.
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bibi_neko

Yeh the system is so unorganized, where the counter clerk thinks he can do something when in fact he's making it more troublesome.

The two PCN's are dated 29th and 30th January(Thurs & Fri). I attempted to pay and my receipt is dated 2nd Feb (Mon- the day the snow graced London). I got a mini statement printed out from the cashpoint a couple of days ago, which showed the transaction never happened (no money was deducted).

So the council lead me to thinking i paid when in actual fact they never took the money. So fines are still labelled as unpaid when i checked with them today.

I'm going out of my mind with worry that they'll increase the charges because "I haven't paid".

Neil_B

bibi_neko wrote: »

I'm going out of my mind with worry that they'll increase the charges because "I haven't paid".

You should be worried. You have gone past the discount deadline in the last couple of days.

Next step is they issue a Notice to Owner in approx two weeks, one for each PCN at full amount of £80-

Just from common sense point of view >>>> Write to them and explain as you have here. Firm but polite. Send a copy of the receipt (definitely NOT the original). See what they say. Phone as well if you can get through but always put it in writing as well.

Then I suggest tou go back to 'One Stop' and ask to make a complaint specifically against them/their systems. They will almost certainly try to redirect you to parking again. Insist that you want to make a formal complaint to them because of an incident at their office.

The Council has a policy and procedure for properly investigating complaints. Doing this gets something on record and using the One Stop as the complaint target sets the dogs against each other!

Let me know how you get on.

bibi_neko

Hi just an update.

Sent the letter off on 8th Feb finally got a letter from them today. But the dozy council have only just mentioned ONE of the tickets, "I regret the above PCN cannot be cancelled", I never asked for them to be cancelled only to be reduced.:rolleyes:

But I can pay one of them off within the 14 day period. While there is no mention of the other ticket.

Should I pay for the reduced one now while it's at £40 and wait for their correspondence for the other?

Again, many thanks for the help. :T

Neil_B

You still need to clarify further what documents you have. 2X Notice to Owner yet?

i don't want you to miss deadlines but it is important to know exacly the events. the responses are also important if you can show them.

You earlier mentioned sending them a cheque instead. yeah i sse the safety in that but the problem is Councils are so uselessly incompetent. Some auditor could stumble across your original payments and nick that suddenly out of your account as well.

i'd be harassing them for an explanation of the incompetence. what happened to the suggestion of a complaint?
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bibi_neko

They haven't sent me any "Notice to Owner". I sent them a letter just after the initial 2 week deadline.

I've just received a reply back which i can repay one of the tickets at the original £40 at a local payment point so i can get a receipt, no mention of the other ticket. So i've just written to them again.

I didn't go to complain as I thought if this can be sorted out with a letter and i can pay the fine at the intended amount then, i'm happy. Do you suggest i should go and complain about their incompetency now? Do i go to the staff working there and state i want to make a formal complaint?

edit: this is the letter i was sent
http://img21.imageshack.us/img21/3872/pcnreply.jpg
sorry for the size