DVLA court summons - advice please!!!

megatron33

Hi All, here's my tale, any advice would be extremely helpful as i really dont know what to do?
The events were as follows:
01/07/2009 - Car tax expired. Awaiting scrap removal.
28/07/2009 - Car clamped.Rang DVLA, they advised I could do one of two things, either pay for the clamp removal and purchase a valid tax disk; or allow them to remove the vehicle and I will be billed for the period from the expiry date to when the car was removed. I advised the car was irreparable and agreed to allow it to be taken the following day.
29/07/2009 - Car removed
30/07/2009 - Rang DVLA to ask if I could come to the pound and remove the stereo. After consulting his supervisor I was advised that once removed, the vehicle, and all of the belongings became the property of the DVLA. Was told I would have to pay the release charge of approx £130 (I believe) and then I could have the car and stereo back. Decided against this as the stereo wasn’t worth the cost.
21/08/2009 - Received a fine for £46 which I rang and paid over the phone on 28/08/2009. I queried why the fine was so much as the annual rate was £125, but was told it was due to administration costs. Paid without issue.

29/08/2009 - Received 2 letters which I assumed was the administrative paperwork for the car being removed which were signed and returned.When asked for the owner of vehicle, as per conversation on 30/07, I noted on there as ‘DVLA’.
21/09/2009 - Court Summons received for offences committed on 28th & 29th July. Rang DVLA who advised the fine I paid was for a separate offence on 16/07/2009 but I had no knowledge of this offence prior to the car being removed, and a month after the offence took place! I was also told there were 2 outstanding offences, for which the summons applied.

My point though is my first knowledge of ANY offence being committed was on 28/07/2009 when I saw the clamp had been applied to the car. a month later they tell me a previous offence had been committed on 16th july!
What is there to stop the reporting officer returning hourly/daily and me being prosecuted countless times for the same offence? how do i know i'm not going to get 25 more prosecutions for days that the car wasn't taxed?

is there anything i can do or do i just have to accept they can fine me again upto £1000 per offence.

CHEERS FOLKS!

cyclonebri1

megatron33 wrote: »

Hi All, here's my tale, any advice would be extremely helpful as i really dont know what to do?
The events were as follows:
01/07/2009 - Car tax expired. Awaiting scrap removal.
28/07/2009 - Car clamped.Rang DVLA, they advised I could do one of two things, either pay for the clamp removal and purchase a valid tax disk; or allow them to remove the vehicle and I will be billed for the period from the expiry date to when the car was removed. I advised the car was irreparable and agreed to allow it to be taken the following day.
29/07/2009 - Car removed
30/07/2009 - Rang DVLA to ask if I could come to the pound and remove the stereo. After consulting his supervisor I was advised that once removed, the vehicle, and all of the belongings became the property of the DVLA. Was told I would have to pay the release charge of approx £130 (I believe) and then I could have the car and stereo back. Decided against this as the stereo wasn’t worth the cost.
21/08/2009 - Received a fine for £46 which I rang and paid over the phone on 28/08/2009. I queried why the fine was so much as the annual rate was £125, but was told it was due to administration costs. Paid without issue.

29/08/2009 - Received 2 letters which I assumed was the administrative paperwork for the car being removed which were signed and returned.When asked for the owner of vehicle, as per conversation on 30/07, I noted on there as ‘DVLA’.
21/09/2009 - Court Summons received for offences committed on 28th & 29th July. Rang DVLA who advised the fine I paid was for a separate offence on 16/07/2009 but I had no knowledge of this offence prior to the car being removed, and a month after the offence took place! I was also told there were 2 outstanding offences, for which the summons applied.

My point though is my first knowledge of ANY offence being committed was on 28/07/2009 when I saw the clamp had been applied to the car. a month later they tell me a previous offence had been committed on 16th july!
What is there to stop the reporting officer returning hourly/daily and me being prosecuted countless times for the same offence? how do i know i'm not going to get 25 more prosecutions for days that the car wasn't taxed?

is there anything i can do or do i just have to accept they can fine me again upto £1000 per offence.

CHEERS FOLKS!

Unfortunately if your car tax expired on the last day of June, which you admit to?, you must have left it on the road, ie, in a clampable position for 4 weeks before it actually got clamped. IE, you did know of the offence.

You simply cannot claim that the 1st you knew of the offence was on the 28/07/2009

I think it all depends on how many separate occaissions your car was seem on the road without tax, but accepted you would not expect to be fined every day.

I supose the analogy is being caught speeding many times on the M1 during a single long trip,

Sorry can't help on the limitation of the fines

megatron33

thanks for your help cyclone. I just assumed: my mistake, no problem - i paid the fine without issue as i know i was in the wrong, but being 'done' numerous times is ridiculous...especially as they told me to leave the car there after it was clamped!