Is My Parking Ticket Valid?

Joey29

Morning,

Received a parking ticket yesterday, usual story popped into Royal Mail sorting office, came back 5mins later and the council (Wandsworth) traffic warden was issuing a ticket.

The area was a residents area with one hour max pay and display.

I drove off before the notice had been sealed and stuck to the window and the warden was in the process of taking photographic evidence. The notice had been printed off containing details of the fine etc.

Should I ignore it or is there some way I can appeal the validity of it with the council? Or should I write off as a loss and pay the £65 before it doubles to £130?

Hope this is the right place to ask the question and many thanks for any advice.

pogofish

Never ignore a council ticket - That way lies trouble.

You would be better take this to the parking forum here or more probably Pepipoo. Have a depersonalised scan of both sides of the ticket to post and follow the instructions for new posters and post in the correct forum.

If you have images of any signs and the bays themselves, that will also help a great deal. There are many ways to challenge a ticket.

NBLondon

Joey29 wrote: »

Morning,

The area was a residents area with one hour max pay and display.

''''''

Should I ignore it or is there some way I can appeal the validity of it with the council?

On what grounds do you think it invalid? Are you a resident? Had you paid and displayed? Or were you just chancing it?

Joey29

Thanks Pogofish, I'll try asking on Pepipoo (Interesting website name!!) and see if the recomendation is to pay or appeal.

NBLondon - I was illegally parked, but grounds for the ticket potentially not being valid are that I drove off before the ticket was stuck to my window and sealed and photos would have been of the car in motion.

Do I have a case?

Tobster86

NBLondon wrote: »

On what grounds do you think it invalid? Are you a resident? Had you paid and displayed? Or were you just chancing it?

He lives in what is supposed to be a democracy where most reasonable people would think that a £65 penalty for such a misdemeanor is excessive.


Pepipoo is your friend here. My personal advice is take all the time you're given at each step. There is an ongoing probability of things getting 'lost' in the system the longer they exist.

NBLondon

Joey29 wrote: »

NBLondon - I was illegally parked, but grounds for the ticket potentially not being valid are that I drove off before the ticket was stuck to my window and sealed and photos would have been of the car in motion.

So the ticket is valid - you admit you were illegally parked and knew so. You might actually make a case that the ticket was not correctly served i.e. you don't have it. Depends what the warden put in their report. Did you actually speak to them? Did you get a jobsworth answer? Or did you just jump in and roar off? If the warden decides to claim you were abusive to them - the council may automatically believe them whatever you say.

Pepipoo might give a better idea of whether a given council is likely to pursue the case and whether you could challenge it on grounds of misleading signage.

NBLondon

Tobster86 wrote: »

He lives in what is supposed to be a democracy where most reasonable people would think that a £65 penalty for such a misdemeanor is excessive.

Aren't democracies the places where you use the political process (like voting) to deal with laws you disagree with?

If your chancing it - be man enough to admit you were doing so like Joey has just done. I chance it from time to time and have been caught out too.