Parking fine received after 14 day reduced period

crazy1122

Hello,

I received a parking ticket through the post on Monday for a parking offence from the start of February.

I know I parked incorrectly, but there was no ticket on the windscreen when I returned to the car (so I assumed I'd gotten away with it). The charge on the letter is £110 with no mention of a reduced rate which seems excessive so I phoned the council about it.

Apparently the original ticket for £55 was put on the windscreen, and they have a photo of the ticket on my car, and I had 14 days to pay this £55. However as I said there was no ticket on the car when I returned to it, presumably someone took it off between the warden putting it on there and me returning to it a few hours later, which is extremely helpful.

The lady I spoke to said that it's unfortunate but they have the photo of the ticket on the car, so basically they don't believe me. My counter to this was that if I knew that I had 2 weeks to save myself an extra £55, why wouldn't I?!

I'm basically wondering if there's much point in appealing - I'm more than happy to pay the original £55, it just seems unfair that the first I know of it is the £110 fine through my door where I have had no opportunity to pay the original £55. However, I don't want to go to the hassle of appealing if I don't have a leg to stand on.

Apologies for rambling, thanks very much for your help!

John

give_them_FA

If you did not get the opportunity to pay at the reduced rate the Council should allow you to do it if you are prepared to sign your name to that effect. Tickets going missing off windscreens is not uncommon.

What council is this btw?

Certainly proceed in writing. Don't rely on the word of some anonymous voice on the end of a phone who may or may not know what they are talking about. Some of the councils (most of them?) have the same money-grubbing mentality that the private companies do.

crazy1122

Thanks for the response. It's Bexley council.

That's what I assumed, obviously I should have known better but it seems a bit rich of them to expect me to pay £110 without having the opportunity to pay at the reduced rate.

vax2002

If you want my advice, pay it as quickly as possible, local councils are like a pitbull with PMT, if you are 100% sure the contravention occurred, if it is not paid the next you will hear will be from the bailiff.

give_them_FA

I don't think the poster is arguing about paying it, vax, he feels he should have the opportunity to pay the reduced rate. I certainly agree. He can at this stage make a written challenge which should freeze the procedure for long enough to deal with it. If necessary he could go to full appeal I think. A photo proving the ticket was there a minute after issue doesn't prove it was there several hours later. Bexley is a very dodgy area!

crazy1122

Yeah exactly, I'm more than happy to pay the £55, and would have done so if I'd actually been given the opportunity, this is the issue. I had a parking ticket from them last year and actually received the initial letter through my door citing the 14 day period during which I could pay a reduced rate (which I of course did), so I don't see why this should be any different. Admittedly that time I drove away before the [STRIKE]parasite hiding round the corner[/STRIKE] lovely traffic warden could stick the ticket on my windscreen though

Aretnap

vax2002 wrote: »

If you want my advice, pay it as quickly as possible, local councils are like a pitbull with PMT, if you are 100% sure the contravention occurred, if it is not paid the next you will hear will be from the bailiff.

I'm assuming that what he has is a Notice to Owner; in which case the next he will hear if he does nothing is a Charge Certificate, followed by an Order for Recovery. Both of which put the cost up further, but bailiffs are still some way down the line.

He has 28 days to pay from service of the NtO until the council can issue a CC, and there is nothing to lose by using some of that time to try to get the council to accept the reduced amount.

Coupon-mad

crazy1122 wrote: »

Yeah exactly, I'm more than happy to pay the £55, and would have done so if I'd actually been given the opportunity, this is the issue. I had a parking ticket from them last year and actually received the initial letter through my door citing the 14 day period during which I could pay a reduced rate (which I of course did), so I don't see why this should be any different. Admittedly that time I drove away before the [STRIKE]parasite hiding round the corner[/STRIKE] lovely traffic warden could stick the ticket on my windscreen though

You cannot now pay the £55 unless the Council re-offer it and they don't have to.

I am concerned that you have had a clear Notice to Owner stating what you have to do next (either pay the FULL amount or formally appeal in writing) and yet you telephoned the Council. Never ring them about PCNs or NTOs, you MUST have a 'paper trail' showing you have appealed or you will find the Charge Cert will arrive and will hike it up another 50%! The NTO tells you that as well.

So, you have nothing to lose by appealing all the way to adjudication now. As long as you do apeal then even if you lose at adjudication it's still £110 (or nothing if you win of course).

Post a pic of the NTO (all pages) on pepipoo forums; start a new topic here:

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

They help most people win most PCNs and may be able to help you pick holes in the paperwork. Also post a pic of where you parked and the signs (you know you parked incorrectly so explain more on pepipoo, double yellow, residents' bay or what?).

If you are honestly prepared to pay the £55 then DO NOT just try to send them that amount (you'll end up a few months down the line with a bailiff pursuing the balance which will be hundreds in the end). What you must try is an appeal with pepipoo's help and also making it clear in that appeal, that you were/are prepared to pay the £55 and hope that they will at least re-offer that (please, please, grovel).

Maybe the Council's reply will re-offer it even though they don't have to. No more phone calls though!!