Parking Ticket wrong car details

emmiemac

I recently got a ticket for parking in a residents bay at the local court, however on the ticket although it has my numberplate correct, the make of the car says it is a Volkswagen when it is in fact an Audi.

I read in another thread that someone thought this made the ticket invalid, but I am about to write a letter to the council and I'm not too sure what to put in my letter. Surely I can't try to say that they got the wrong car when the numberplate is correct. Or should I just tell them it's not valid since the details are not the same as my car?

Any advice would be really helpful.

UPDATE: Ticket Cancelled!!

Happychappy

emmiemac wrote:

I recently got a ticket for parking in a residents bay at the local court, however on the ticket although it has my numberplate correct, the make of the car says it is a Volkswagen when it is in fact an Audi.

I read in another thread that someone thought this made the ticket invalid, but I am about to write a letter to the council and I'm not too sure what to put in my letter. Surely I can't try to say that they got the wrong car when the numberplate is correct. Or should I just tell them it's not valid since the details are not the same as my car?

Any advice would be really helpful.

Advice, I think you have answered it, If You parked Your car on a residents parking area and You came back and saw the ticket on Your car and realised what You had done was wrong? then what advice do you need apart from cough up? If there was a problem with signing or relevant times etc, then plead not guilty and have your day in court, meaning, challenge the parking notice through the correct procedure with whichever Council dept who administers it.

If you wish to deny it and say it was not my car I was never there Guv, then consider that by all means if that is the case, however, make sure you are totally happy it was not you, and the Reg No, serial number on the VEL etc do not relate to your car

There again I would imagine the "whole world is a conspiracy to fleece the motorist" brigade will soon leap to your defence with some narrow minded bigot with the usual "I agree with the law and the authorities should apply the law !.....but not on me please.

Best of luck

P.S
If you cough up and pay the fine I really would not bother with any mitigation letter as they are not read on guilty pleas? just filed away, save your pen

Bossyboots

I'm not one of the conspiracy theorists, quite the opposite.

However, you seem to have got yourself a bit mixed up. A parking ticket isn't dealt with in court, you don't plead guilty or not guilty so you don't need mitigation. You are thinking of a summons. Parking tickets are not summonses and although the OP mentions the local court, this will be irrelevant to the actual ticket.

It is true that if the details on the ticket are incorrect in describing the car, then the ticket is invalid. However, I too would like to see the OP do the honourable thing and pay up for parking where they shouldn't have done.

jonuk7

at the end of they day you have openly admitted you parked in a location that you shouldnt have, so sorry to be blunt, but why are you suprised or wanting to "get out" of paying the fine, you knew when you parked there that there was a chance you would get a ticket and you did so stop looking for clauses and just cough up and learn by your mistake.

Cumbrian_Male

Most parking attendants have digital cameras so will have a photo of your car.

You could try ringing up to tell them you received a ticket for a VW but don't own one and see what they say, but I think they may claim a "slip".

How do mistake an Audi for a VW anyway? What model is your car?

Why you were outside of court is another matter.

balsingh

Cumbrian_Male wrote:

How do mistake an Audi for a VW anyway? What model is your car?

VW and Audi are part of the same group. The cars do look pretty similar!!

Dan29

Bossyboots wrote:

However, you seem to have got yourself a bit mixed up. A parking ticket isn't dealt with in court, you don't plead guilty or not guilty so you don't need mitigation. You are thinking of a summons. Parking tickets are not summonses and although the OP mentions the local court, this will be irrelevant to the actual ticket.

I think the OP means that the local court was where the residents' bay was that the car was parked in :rotfl:

Sounds like the ticket's invalid, anyway.

chuckles1066

Dan29 wrote:

I think the OP means that the local court was where the residents' bay was that the car was parked in :rotfl:

Sounds like the ticket's invalid, anyway.

Sadly not.

Whilst I agree it should be (there should be no room for ambiguity on an allegation/charge of any sort), the unique identifying feature of a motor vehicle is its registration number. And they've got that right.

Pay the charge.

Bossyboots

Dan29 wrote:

I think the OP means that the local court was where the residents' bay was that the car was parked in :rotfl:

Sounds like the ticket's invalid, anyway.

Yes, but happychappy seemed to think he had a summons which wouldn't have been the case even if the car was parked in residents' bays at the local court.

Happychappy

Bossyboots wrote:

Yes, but happychappy seemed to think he had a summons which wouldn't have been the case even if the car was parked in residents' bays at the local court.

Unfortunately in trying make things simple I gave the impression that he would have his day in court, which yes, one does not get dealt with by a court for parking offences, and yes I am well aware this is not a summary offence. And my reference to not writing in mitigation is experience that most people write mitigating the offence with some original description "My car had ran out of petrol or broken down" or "I was speeding to get my wife to hospital as she was 95 years pregnant", or "My whatever relative had eaten the hampster and was chocking?" etc, etc, these letters are not read or considered as they are dealt with by an admin clerk, so my point was, dont bother writing it?

I would be suprised if the honest mistake in the make of car supported by digital evidence made a difference? unfortunately officials are not allowed to make honest mistakes, and Joe public rarely does I would still be interested in the outcome.

Cumbrian_Male

balsingh wrote:

VW and Audi are part of the same group. The cars do look pretty similar!!

UM they may look vaguely similar, but there is enough difference to know.

Audi = TT A3 A4 A6 A8 Q7

VW = Fox Lupo Polo Golf Beatle Passat Sharan Touran Toureag Phaeton

The only one which are vaguely similar A4 Passat Q7 Toureag A8 Phaeton

The older Passat A4 were more similar than the current crop.