Council destroyed my car full of belongings

JimmyTheWig

Forwandert wrote: »

Not exactly that sentimental to you if you left them in a box in a car.

I don't think that's fair. We've got sentimental things in a box in our shed. I'd imagine that a locked car would be a safer place to put them.

visidigi

mummyplus3 wrote: »

Oh and above poster was right the district and the county council's have now started blaming eachother..

Thought they might - what happens when they all have thier own budgets - and this could come out of budgets, I can't see an insurance company too willing to payout in this circumstance...

mummyplus3 wrote: »

Well the county council have told me to "tell them what I want" in writing and then they will write back to me, So im now totting up the costs of everything I can think that was in the moving boxes in the car, plus the cost of the car and the cancellation fee's its currently £1791.89 for material things but I cant put a cost on the important things like the photos I can't replace, the letters and cards etc so I am not sure what to do? can you value sentiment?!

So they have made no offer, but what you to ask hoping its less than they expect? I would tell them to put an offer in writing - if you have to do one tell them it will come from your lawyer and will have thier fees associated with it.

Really boils my blood when someone makes a mistake and then expects you to make the first move to resolve it.

Failing that, just tell them you want 10k and if they say are you serious then say well, you did ask.

I wouldbe asking them for an offer on the table first to be discussed, otherwise they will get out of this quite cheaply (and £2k is cheap when you consider its a) a car, b) personal posessions and c) theft they have actually committed....)

mummyplus3

Thanks, I will ask, I've missed speaking to the local CAB again I must remember to ring them tomorrow and get some extra advice.

Just because they were in sealed boxes in a locked car does not change their sentimental value! there was 10 crime in the whole place last month 2 were theft from the corner shop, a 3 noisy !!!!!!s leaving the pub, one car theft (mine) and 4 problems at the prison up the road... I could of left the stuff under tarp next to the bin and it wouldnt of been taken from here.

misssarahleigh

I agree with visidigi.

Ask them to make you an offer first. Expect them to haggle the price down so when calculating your costs be generous with the costs.

Also, remember to add at the bottom a charge for your TIME! How many hours have you spent on the phone or writing down what you've lost. List EVERYTHING

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

Idiophreak wrote: »

No insult intended, but did this trouble him at all? Did he sleep well at night?

Not in the slightest. It paid his bills and he was doing his job as he had been instructed to do. And yes, they were the untaxed, uninsured, dumped cars, burnouts, no residents' parking permits, etc, etc.

WhiteHorse

bosseyed wrote: »

I just can't imagine the council roaming the streets, reg number in hand, hunting your car down.

Ah, but was it actually the council? Or was it a contractor paid on each car collected? And is any money made when cars are crushed to scrap?

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

WhiteHorse wrote: »

Ah, but was it actually the council? Or was it a contractor paid on each car collected? And is any money made when cars are crushed to scrap?

It'll most likely be a private recovery firm, contracted by the council to recover the vehicles the council tell them they want removed for the previously stated reasons. Most vehicles are scrapped - but the firm doesn't make extra on it, it's all part of the tender price, as a rule.

Dellers

Why didnt you take the car with you ?? If I moved into your old place I would report the car also.

mummyplus3

This is the letter I have written to the council, I've ***'d out the names for obvious reasons, If anyone could give me any furthur advice that would be great!

I am writing this letter upon the request of ****, detailing the series of events that have led to the unlawful destruction of my car and property and what I expect in return from the council.


Below is a dated timeline of events that have led up to today:


6th June - Car was taken from private, clearly marked parking space at **********, reported as stolen to the police.


8th June – Informed by the police the vehicle had been towed away by North Norfolk District Council and that I should contact Norfolk County Council. Made NCC aware I was the owner of the car and was asked to prove I was the owner of the car by providing the crime number.



10th June - Rang NCC to give them the Crime Number, **** wasn’t present so a message was left and was told I would be rang back by ****.


11th June – Date NCC could dispose of the car if no owner had come forward.


17th June - Missed a call from ****, voicemail was left but wasn’t picked up.


28th June - **** rings up in response to a letter sent about the vehicle, is told a message will be left for **** and she will ring him back the next day as she isn’t in the office.


30th June - **** rings again about the car as **** had not got back to him the day before, is told she isn’t in the office again and asked for details about the car/query and told it will be looked into.


4th July - Missed call from **** again, voicemail left but not listened to until the next day.



5th July - **** from NCC rings to tell us the car had been destroyed.


My first problem with the chain of events is that the car shouldn’t have been taken in the first place. It was reported as abandoned at the rear of ***********, but was actually towed from a private parking space at ************. How a car can be abandoned if it has moved since it was reported is beyond me.


I have since been told that the contractors are explicitly told that if a vehicle isn’t where it has been reported then they shouldn’t go looking for it which is what must have happened. ****** is on the same ex RAF base as ******* but is far enough away from the rear of ******** to avoid confusion.

Now of course they are going to claim they have towed it from the original place as otherwise there would be a case for them to answer to with North Norfolk District council. However they actually left a piece of equipment behind (a piece of skate used for towing) which was pointed out to the police when we reported the vehicle as stolen from our parking space.


Now whilst this would have been an inconvenience, if the vehicle would have been returned to as us at no cost then that’s an outcome I would have accepted. However that’s not what happened. While I appreciate that we could have possibly been a little faster in replying to a missed phone call had we receive on the voicemail on the 17th June I find it impossible to concede that the correct course of action was to destroy my vehicle and my belongings.

I believed the receipt for the purchase of the vehicle to prove ownership, which was necessary as a problem with the transfer of ownership with the DVLA had occurred with myself and the person who sold me the vehicle, was in the vehicle and I had given permission for the vehicle to be searched to find this. I was unaware this had been unsuccessful and was awaiting a call back after giving someone the crime number which had been asked for.


My partner ***** made several attempts the week prior to the destruction of the vehicle to communicate with **** and see what the problem was. **** herself concedes that while one of the messages **** left on the Tuesday wasn’t passed on she did receive the one from the Thursday phone call but yet the vehicle was still destroyed on the following Monday.


Between the 5th and 6th of July I have been past backwards and forwards between **** and *** from NNDC who seem to be shifting blame from both departments, whilst at the same time being messed about by DHL with regards to the contents of my vehicle and their inability to contact me and let me recover them.
When questioned about the contents of the car ***** from DHL said he could only recall Christmas decorations which is ridiculous if I’m frank. I will detail the list of items that I can remember, and I’m sure there are more which I can’t, that come to a value of well over £1000 and definitely items of note which he would have remembered. In all honesty it comes across as very conspicuous behaviour, claiming there was nothing of value and refusing me access to claim my property, it seems to me like they have taken the things of value when receiving the vehicle and now someone is trying to get them back covering their tracks.


Here is a list of the items I can currently recall from the vehicle:

Not only have I lost a huge amount of belongings as you can clearly see from your pictures of the vehicle it was full of boxes, but the car in itself and I have also incurred charges to cancel my car insurance as of the 5th July 2011. Not to mention the sentimental loss of photo’s videos and art work of my children’s.


I am sure you can appreciate my frustration in this situation, I have been used as a ping pong ball between councils who admit making mistakes but then back pedal constantly on their words to me.


I would like **** to know I don’t blame her personally and understand that other colleagues in her department have let her down. I noticed she, like myself, sounded quite upset and stressed during our phone conversations.



Please find enclosed various documents that **** has asked me to send with this letter. Although I believe this to be unnecessary as I have correspondence from the council accepting that the car is mine. You can’t send me a bill for the costs of towing and storage stating I’m liable as I’m the owner of the vehicle and then expect me to buy the excuse that the vehicle was destroyed because of no proof of ownership as that is very contradictory.


Whilst I understand that both North Norfolk District council and Norfolk County Council have procedures to follow, both have made horrendous errors which has caused great distress and financial loss to myself and my family and someone needs to take responsibility for what has happened.



Upon further legal advice I understand that the legal liability lies with the department who authorised the car to be destroyed and I expect to be compensated for my loss. Should you then wish to pursue the losses due to the errors of other parties it is up to your department to do so and not myself.



I will expect a reply to this letter within 7 days detailing how you suggest we move forward from this point and an offer of compensation.


*sigh* what a day!

3v3

mummyplus3 wrote: »

This is the letter I have written to the council, I've ***'d out the names for obvious reasons, If anyone could give me any furthur advice that would be great! ...

The timeline should begin with the date it was reported as an "abandoned" vehicle; this is when the story begins.