Didn't receive the PCN

worried.julie

Hi,

I'd like some advice. I passed my driving test in July 2011, so I'm quite an inexperienced driver.

I have just received a Notice to Owner today. The offence is not displaying a valid ticket in a pay & display car park.

I am always a very conscientious parker, make sure I have a valid ticket, get back on time etc. I remember the day in question (It was about a month ago). I purchased a ticket (it was one of those places where you have to enter a bay number) and placed it on the dashboard, it didn't have a sticky bit on the back, so i just rested it on the driver's side dashboard, in view.

When I got back to my car, the ticket had fallen off the dashboard onto the floor. In retrospect, I think it must have blown off the dashboard when I closed the car door. Had I noticed this, I would have got back in the car and done something about it.

However, I didn't notice until I returned. When I found the ticket in the footwell, I remember being surprised that I didn't have a parking fine, in fact, I even mentioned it to my husband that evening!

I didn't think anything more of the incident, and have since disposed of the valid ticket.

When I got home from work today, I have received a Notice to Owner. This is a shock, as it says I have been issued a PCN, there is even a photograph of my vehicle, showing the PCN on the windscreen.

I have never, on any occasion, returned to my vehicle and found a PCN stuck to the windscreen. I have never even parked somewhere I shouldn't have.

As I didn't respond to the PCN (because it has never been in my possession), I have lost the right to pay the 50% reduced fine. I disposed of my valid ticket, as I wasn't aware there was a problem.

Is there anything I can do? Or do I have to pay the £50 and put it down to experience?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Julie

vax2002

Where does it ask you to send the payment to : ?????

worried.julie

Parksmarter.org.uk

I have also noticed that the first line of my address and my postcode are incorrect. (I think one of my neighbours has hand delivered the letter.)

The photograph is definatley of my vehicle.

vax2002

ok found it, yes it is a council fine.
As you have failed to keep your receipt, you can not prove you paid.
what you have learnt is that you MUST keep all parking receipts stored very safely just in case someone tries it on and councils are experts.
I would see if anyone at pepipoo can find anything wrong with a technicality to get you off, as you did pay.

worried.julie

It says:

HOW TO PAY

By telephone Credit/debit card payments only. Automated payment line 08455 202468 (24 hours/7 days a week.) Have card and vehicle details and PCN Number ready.

Online at www . parksmarter.org.uk Follow links from online payments
(I have put the spaces in so that I could post the link, on the letter it is written as a normal web address.)

By post: quoting the PCN No on the reverse side of the cheque and posting to: PO Box 9452, Nottingham NG15 5BR. Allow 2 working days for 1st class post and 5 for 2nd class. DO NOT SEND CASH THROUGH THE POST

For payment slip please see page 5.


On page 5 there is a tear off slip which says:

Notice to Owner Challenge Payment Slip - Cheques/postal orders payable to "Park Smarter". It gives details of PCN number and my vehicle details and a return address of "Central Processing Unit, PO Box 9452, Nottingham, NG15 5BR"

worried.julie

I thought that might be the case. The frustrating thing is, had I received the PCN I would have dealt with immediatley and probably avoided the fine, or at least only had to pay £25.

Who/what is pepipoo?

Thank you very much for your help and advice

Julie

booter

http://www.pepipoo.com
Good luck!

Coupon-mad

worried.julie wrote: »

I thought that might be the case. The frustrating thing is, had I received the PCN I would have dealt with immediatley and probably avoided the fine, or at least only had to pay £25.

Who/what is pepipoo?

Thank you very much for your help and advice

Julie

You want this specific forum on pepipoo:

http://forums.pepipoo.com/index.php?showforum=30

Register, read the FAQs about 'how to post pictures' etc., and start your own new topic there with a pic of the NtO.

Also whilst waiting for replies on pepipoo, do 2 things:

- Google 'fluttering ticket' and you will find other MSE/pepipoo threads showing you the sort of wording you can use for an appeal. Read what other people did, what they found out, what links were provided on those threads which may help you. There's a Chief Adjudicator's report which has a whole section on the 'fluttering ticket' phenomenon and how some appeals can be successful.

- email the Council and just ask for the Parking Places Order for that car park. When you get it, ask pepipoo where you can upload it to show them so they/you can check whether you actually do have to 'continually display' your P&D ticket. Not all Orders say so, and some are flawed as they say you have to stick your P&D ticket on the windscreen, when you cannot if it's not adhesive.

There is hope, and what you don't do is just rush to pay it, nor must you ever send payment with an appeal. The amount will not increase as long as you meet the NtO appeal deadline and any adjudication appeal deadline after that, so you may as well appeal all the way now that the chance of the discount has gone.

HTH, see you on pepipoo.

vax2002

We hear story after story of how people have had parking fines through the post but no ticket on the car, then they bob along with a picture of a ticket on the car !
Now not everyone must be lying, the councils are starting to behave no better than crooks themselves.
This is because the "adjudicator" can not order the council to redress in compensation when it tries to pull its own scam or three on motorists.
SHAME ON THEM... You Know who you are and the difference between us and you is we would not do something we knew to be wrong, orders or not, take a look at yourselves, you know who you are.