Police screw up. legal help please?

littlepockets

Not sure why you say no-one would listen to the Police. Didn't the Govt do a U-Turn on merging Police Forces after the Police voiced concerns. Didn't the Govt try to introduce a bill to extend detention times for Terrorists because of Police advise

The AA; RAC; IAM, Victim Support and the Opposition all agree the recovery/storage charges are unfair precisely because people complained

If the OP, as he has stated, was not contacted (even though he was contactable) prior to the vehicle being towed as is the procedure then why shouldn't he complain to the Chief Constable.

If you look at any Police Constabulary website it positively welcomes comments and complaints as a means to address concerns and improve service.

More people are directly affected by "day to day" crime than by acts of terrorism.

If it means that procedures are tightened and helps other victims avoid this stealth tax then it has to be a good thing. It does not mean that the OP is criticising the officers who recovered the vehicle.

And if the OP as a law abiding taxpayer recovers his £105 + he will have recovered the stealth tax that he has suffered and I would say good luck to him !!

daveturney

ok update and more info, BTW Stevee ty so much for this .........Do I have to pay for my vehicle to be recovered even if the police recover it solely as evidence?

If the police recover your vehicle solely as evidence then you will not have to pay for its recovery or storage. If the police use their powers to recover your vehicle because it is illegally, dangerously or obstructively parked or abandoned or broken down, you will have to pay. If however the police do also require it as evidence, then although you will to pay the removal fee you will not have to pay the storage fee provided that you collect it within 24 hours of its release by the police. If you do not collect it within that period, you will have to pay for any additional storage.


to answer your other Questions:

Was the car stolen with keys or hot wired?

Hotwired

If hot wired, how did they get into your car?

Knifed the lock open

Had you reported it as stolen before the police had dealings with the car?

no, when i rang the police at 10am, they recovered it at 9am

Is your telephone number ex-directory?

No

Does your phoneline accept calls from witheld numbers?
Yes
How far from your home address did the thief abandon your car? 12 miles


Did the thief lock your car to ensure that no one else could go in there and steal your radio for example?

The car was parked up in a side street, only because a neighbour reported the driver as not owning the vehicle did the police take it away, after seeing the ignition had been hotwired.


Was your car insured at the time of the theft?

Yes, but the insurance explained that as i could most that likely claim, it would be not worth it as they recomend i chased up the police for the expenses. and it would cost me more in my excess.


thankyou

ben500

That's the second time I've seen the term "stealth tax" referred to, how on earth can this be considered a stealth tax? the money does not go to the public coffers, the government nor police gain any financial reward, it's an inconsequential loss that someone must bear, who should provide such a service free? The government (ie you in the form of taxes) the Police (ie you in the form of taxes) the criminal (most likely you in the form of benefit deduction) or you as the individual who owns the vehicle, just remember if the burdon falls on the tax purse this would mean you as an individual paying MORE as you would have to bear the burdon incurred by all on a daily basis in the form of increased tax.

daveturney

Stevee, where did you find these quotes from please, as i would like to use them a reference in my second letter if i do not receive a positive reply.

thanks

littlepockets

ben500 wrote: »

That's the second time I've seen the term "stealth tax" referred to, how on earth can this be considered a stealth tax? the money does not go to the public coffers, the government nor police gain any financial reward, it's an inconsequential loss that someone must bear, who should provide such a service free? The government (ie you in the form of taxes) the Police (ie you in the form of taxes) the criminal (most likely you in the form of benefit deduction) or you as the individual who owns the vehicle, just remember if the burdon falls on the tax purse this would mean you as an individual paying MORE as you would have to bear the burdon incurred by all on a daily basis in the form of increased tax.

Here's how the stealth tax works
As a simple example
We used to pay £95 to fund the police + £5 to recover/store vehicles = £100 total tax paid
Now you still pay £100 + £5 to recover/store vehicle + £5 increased Insurance premiums = £110 total effective tax
So the govt says taxes have not gone up but you end up paying more

craigo_2

Heh, the exact opposite happened to me....! (sorry for long post)

A couple of years back, my car was (attempted to be) stolen, left about 200 yards down the street (immobiliser had stopped it starting), and was blocking the road... Two PCs banged on my door at 7am, demanding that I moved it myself. The keyhole was screwdrivered (like OP), battery was as dead as the 80's from them trying to start it without immobiliser chip, and the steering column was badly twisted. I had to push the thing home, right round the block (was on a 1 way street) the best part of half a mile...!

Before I touched it, I asked if they were going to send forensics round to take finger prints etc.... but they said "No, its not worth it - just get it moved!" I asked if i should be careful where i put my mitts incase they send SOCO round later, but apparently not necessary, as they werent coming! While i was single handedly recovering my stolen car, the 2 PCs followed me on foot, urging me to hurry up and push faster, but didnt think to help, while a trail of cars followed and seemed to enjoy watching me struggle with various speed bumps and corners!

The annoying part was that 2 days later, after I had repeatedly touched everything, I got a call from SOCO telling me they were on their way round to take fingerprints!! Needless to say, they only found mine! :rolleyes: I was a tadd miffed to say the least, and gave them the names of the 2 PCs that had said no one was coming.

It cost me 600 quid to get the steering column and lock repaired and the immobiliser reset. However, having 4 years no claims it still wasnt worth using insurance due to the amount the premiums would have increased by.

So.... sympathies to the OP, but depending on your electrical / DIY skills, I think 105 quid recovery fee may be the least of your worries, unless you go through insurance, but then its irrelevant anyway! Good luck with whatever you decide to do.

ben500

littlepockets wrote: »

Here's how the stealth tax works
As a simple example
We used to pay £95 to fund the police + £5 to recover/store vehicles = £100 total tax paid
Now you still pay £100 + £5 to recover/store vehicle + £5 increased Insurance premiums = £110 total effective tax
So the govt says taxes have not gone up but you end up paying more

Ok now read my post again

Originally Posted by ben500
That's the second time I've seen the term "stealth tax" referred to, how on earth can this be considered a stealth tax? the money does not go to the public coffers, the government nor police gain any financial reward, it's an inconsequential loss that someone must bear, who should provide such a service free? The government (ie you in the form of taxes) the Police (ie you in the form of taxes) the criminal (most likely you in the form of benefit deduction) or you as the individual who owns the vehicle, just remember if the burdon falls on the tax purse this would mean you as an individual paying MORE as you would have to bear the burdon incurred by all on a daily basis in the form of increased tax.

Stevee

daveturney wrote: »

Stevee, where did you find these quotes from please, as i would like to use them a reference in my second letter if i do not receive a positive reply.

thanks

Wiltshire Police

If Wiltshire aren't your local force (it would be an amazing coincidence if they were), then have a look at your local police forces website and you may find a similar section on there

One final question...How long have you owned the car and is the car registered to you with the DVLA (If so you'll have been sent the V5).

CopperPlate_2

littlepockets wrote: »

Not sure why you say no-one would listen to the Police. Didn't the Govt do a U-Turn on merging Police Forces after the Police voiced concerns. Didn't the Govt try to introduce a bill to extend detention times for Terrorists because of Police advise

The AA; RAC; IAM, Victim Support and the Opposition all agree the recovery/storage charges are unfair precisely because people complained

If the OP, as he has stated, was not contacted (even though he was contactable) prior to the vehicle being towed as is the procedure then why shouldn't he complain to the Chief Constable.

If you look at any Police Constabulary website it positively welcomes comments and complaints as a means to address concerns and improve service.

More people are directly affected by "day to day" crime than by acts of terrorism.

If it means that procedures are tightened and helps other victims avoid this stealth tax then it has to be a good thing. It does not mean that the OP is criticising the officers who recovered the vehicle.

And if the OP as a law abiding taxpayer recovers his £105 + he will have recovered the stealth tax that he has suffered and I would say good luck to him !!

It is not a stealth tax. It is a legitimate cost for recovering a vehicle. The charge is set by the government. Where do people get these 'stealth tax' ideas from? The whole concept is that it is just that, 'stealth', hidden. The charge is there for all to see. You expect the recovery firm to recover for nothing? To not pay the wages of the recovery person? Fuel, storage costs, etc? What would you say was a reasonable figure, hmmm? Lets see if we can apply the twisted logic of bank charges to this scenario and make the recovery firms detail exactly what their costs are for carrying out this function. Let's not consider that they are operating a service and are entitled to charge a fee for it?

The government has not performed a U-turn on the merging of Police force in E&W - only shelved the plans temporarily, albeit they are as good as gone. We all complain and feel aggrieved by a great many things - that doesn't in itself make what we are complaining about unjust, illegal or wrong.

As I've said before - you are complaining to the wrong organisation if you think that by complaining to the Police this will have a huge impact. Complain to your MP/MSP, etc but as I've said already the Police have enough to contend with day to day without becoming involved in a challenge that they have little hope of winning, influencing to any great degree and really is not a matter for them to become involved in. The charges are set by government.

I really don't know what your comment, re: terrorism was about. I was making a point that the Police have other, more serious considerations at the moment, not that it was somehow detracting or diverting them from the core duties, simply that their focus as far as government is concerned needs to be on serious crime and threats to national security. Not the recovery charges imposed by government for broken down or recovered stolen cars.

daveturney

yeah the cars mine and It is also registerd as mine, i have not received any forms yet, it has been 2 weeks now.

owned in my name for over a year now.