Unannounced PCN arrival

BillTheHat

Not the best start to the weekend, got home and found got a call from a parent letting me know I'd obtained a £70 fine for parking in a designated no parking area outside allowed times (Car is still registered at their address).

Apparently this happened early November and it's only just been delivered. I'd parked my car behind 2 others on a sensible looking area covered with leaves; I can only assume there is a single yellow line running under the leaves, leading to a sign somewhere. There was certainly no clearly visible sign, although It's undoubtedly my fault for not checking more thoroughly.

My main concern is the possibility I might have more than one of these, since I've used that same spot at least 3 times:
My car had nothing attached to it to indicate that I'd done anything wrong - Is that the done thing these days? If it turns out I have another one of these incoming, is there any way I can contest it on the grounds that had I been informed much sooner, I wouldn't have parked there again?

I haven't got the PCN to hand yet so I can't scan it, but the it's Cornwall County Council. Any advice is greatly appreciated.

Edit: I gather it's £70 because I'm outside the discounted 14 day period, but I never had anything attached to the car, so how was I to know?

Thanks.

biscuitdunker

What it sounds like you have is a Notice to Owner and not a PCN. Someone may have taken the original PCN off your car, but the council should be able to provide you with a photo of your car with the PCN on it. You are also entitled to a copy of the original PCN and the CEO's notes. You should request all of this in your appeal. Also, it's worth scanning and posting up the paperwork they've sent you, with any personal info blanked out. There are often problems with Notice to Owners which make them invalid.

BillTheHat

Cheers guv, and props for being up patrolling the boards at this hour. I'll get hold of all the info as soon as I can, and go inspecting the area where I parked.

Thanks again.

Coupon-mad

BillTheHat wrote: »

Cheers guv, and props for being up patrolling the boards at this hour. I'll get hold of all the info as soon as I can, and go inspecting the area where I parked.

Thanks again.

Do make sure you take some photos when you go to inspect the area!

You need to check there are correct lines & signs (including the end markings of any bay you parked in). Take photos of both, including the end markings. Or if it's a single yellow line, then is it properly and clearly marked and signed? Is it still covered in leaves which obscure the line on a daily basis (take photos)?

Then post your pics up here plus a scan of front AND back of the PCN (car ID removed but everything else, dates etc all still shown).

Maybe there will be some solid basis for an appeal. Most PCNs referred on the pepipoo.com forum are successfully challenged, even when the driver is - on the face of it - bang to rights!

BillTheHat

Righties,

I have confirmed, sadly that there are correct signs a fair bit further down the line than where I parked. However... The yellow line is covered in Leaves where I parked and still is invisible in many places (you can see parts of it but I'm sure there were more 1 month ago). I've thrown up some to !!!!!!!.

Because the car is still registered to my parents I have been unable to get the PCN to scan it, but they're going to send a scan my way as soon as they can find the means to do so. From the description it seems to be the case that something should have been attached to my car (The standard fine in Cornwall is £35 "discounted" apparently).

Further along the road the line is broken in some places, but I assume that in itself isn't cause for an appeal.

My questions are these:
Since the car is not registered to this address, is there any way I can make the council aware of that so future correspondance comes directly to me?

Whilst the fact that the line is covered makes me feel less daft, it doesn't help the fact I still parked there. As before my concern is that I might have another fine that has also "Vanished" from my car. If what you say is correct and I ask for the CEO notes/pictures of my car with the PCN on, is it grounds for cancelling the charge if they cannt provide that proof?

Thanks for your help gents, I'll try and get the actual scan up ASAP.
Pictures of the area below, but not embedded (Had to scribble on some guys car, seems to have parked near where I was as well).

I'll compose something on pepipoo as well.
Thanks again

Pics (Can't post links as a new user apparently):
i50.tinypic.com/34zg289.jpg
i46.tinypic.com/2zh2kut.jpg
i48.tinypic.com/r8b28k.jpg
i47.tinypic.com/2pynd5y.jpg
i48.tinypic.com/281udk3.jpg

peter_the_piper

Good pics but a few more with longer range showing the side you parked. The ones you have are a bit too close and do not give an overall view. The broken lines, in themselves, are not enough to get you off however pics of the pcn/nto are often quite illuminating. Remove vrm and names, leave dates.
The links you provided work perfectly just as they are on Firefox.

BillTheHat

Hi again,

just received the scans. as biscuitdunker said it is indeed an NTO I have, presumably because I never saw the original PCN, nowt on car. I've posted up the front page with IDs etc blanked out in case it's any help. The last two pages are standard looking gumpf.

Is my next step requesting some proof of the contravention, i.e original PCN and pictures?

Thanks all.

i47.tinypic.com/n4efsn.jpg
i47.tinypic.com/6zvxih.jpg
i48.tinypic.com/2q1bhv9.jpg

computershack

You could do but you're flogging a bit of a dead horse. Just think...if you'd changed the car details AS YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO, you'd have got the notice and saved some money.

BillTheHat

I appreciate the reply, and of course I should have changed the details. I don't see how that would have helped anything other than NTO being sent directly to me though, as this is first and only piece of documentation indicating a fine that has been recieved.

peter_the_piper

On back of NTO
Only allowed to pick one reason to appeal, (tick one box)
that's usually a winner but always nice to get others to add to the mix.

BillTheHat

Ta, I'll get on that sharpish.