towed and multiple pcns for expired residence permit even though I thought I renewed

Safeya

Dear forum - I live in Camden. I have a Polo car which I don't use that much and because I live on a busy road, I have to park it in the next street so don't pass by it that often.
Camden do not send reminders to renew parking permits and the date of expiry is not written on the permit - it is just a barcode.
However I rang them to check it was January 13 and tried to renew my permit online on December 5. Because I was going away over Christmas. But I was renewing too early and the system wouldn't let me. I then told myself to do this a day before I flew... but forgot and then returned to UK in January not realising I hadn't renewed.

In any case my daughter got ill so I needed it to take her to the hospital as it was the weekend... went to get my car but it wasn't there. I called the pound. They'd said it had been towed for expired parking permit.
I was convinced I'd paid so left it a few days before going to the pound. They want about £1200 - 3 PCNs plus tow charge plus daily storage charge.
I submitted several appeals against the PCNs and the other charges online but they say I have to pay first before they will consider my appeal. I also contacted my councillor who tried to intervene on my behalf becauseI don't have any money - I was recently made redundant and am now on income support.

I appealed anyway. I also said I want to disclaim the car. But they say even if I do this I am liable for the towing, PCN and storage charges.

In my appeal I have said that I tried to pay but the transaction did not go through online. I also said how can I be liable for the storage charges when I had no idea they had towed the car - they didn't text (as they usually do apparently) and I did not receive a letter about it until mid February although they towed me in mid-January.
I have not received the PCN's either - they just told me about them at the pound and gave me the numbers but there were no PCNs on the car when I saw it in the pound.

I have tried to find evidence of my call and my attempt to pay my permit - I have some browser history but no proof that I tried to pay and the transaction failed.

I just wanted to ask - if I just disclaim the car - pay the £70 for that. Will they really pursue me for the rest? It seems ludicrous??

Many thanks in advance if someone has some good advice? It's March now and I just want to get out of this nightmare!

Coupon-mad

Post your situation here on pepipoo:

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

It sounds very complicated and that's the expert forum. Good luck.

give_them_FA

It's also possible if you take this sad story to the local press the council may be a little more reasonable. Don't pay the PCNs if you want to appeal them as paying is an acceptance of them and then you can't appeal.

But coupon is right, this is more a case for pepidoo. Post it up there.