PCN Code 21 no grace period?

dayapowell

Hello all,

I have been reading various threads here with regard to PCN code 21 but none seem to address my situation. I hope someone could kindly clarify and help me appeal my PCN.

I received a PCN yesterday morning at 8.31am. On my clock at home it was still 8.28 when I made my way out to move the car temporarily into the driveway. I live on a ground floor. My car was parked pretty much outside my flat in a resident bay, off street parking. I have a valid resident parking permit. I was meant to leave for work at 10am so my car was going to remain in the driveway for that period of time (8.30am to 10am).

The Camden council has posted some Warning Parking suspension notices (from 8.30am to 4.30pm) but where I usually park I couldn't see one. The notices across the road applied to the flat odd numbers on that side. The notices were confusing. I thought they were cutting trees on that side of the street on the 17th January and there would be another day for my side of the road. I didn't read every single notice on the road.

Someone mentioned in their threads on here something about Grace Period, so I checked the Camden parking protocol from April 2015 and it states Grace Period does not apply to suspended bays.

What got me confused and angered even more is the fact that one car (Audi) that was parked within the suspended parking area across from my car had been there all morning (when the traffic warden made his rounds) and throughout the day including the parking suspension hours and it had not received a PCN when clearly I did and other cars did and some cars were towed away. The car in question belongs to a person living/ working a job a couple of doors down from my flat. I saw and heard the owner of the Audi and the traffic warden the end of a friendly conversation at 9.04am after which the traffic warden took off on his moped. I took a picture of the traffic warden riding by the car and away, not stopping to serve the vehicle with a PCN - code 21. I also took pictures of another car that was parked head on opposite the Audi and it had a PCN stack on it. Clearly there was some kind of arrangement between the traffic warden and the Audi owner. Maybe there was money exchanged as a favour to keep the car parked there PCN free. Is that legal or allowed? Does it invalidate all PCNs served on that street including mine? I find it strange and clearly the traffic warden didn't follow to law and parking regulations. Double standards.

Based on my above description do I have any valid legal grounds to appeal this PCN? Please could you help?
I find the PCN unfair and inconsistent with only 1 minute over the stated time when another car gets no PCN. Absolutely ridiculous.

Thanks in advance and apologies for the long description.

Daya

DoaM

Get thee to Pepipoo forum - they specialise in real fines from Council wardens. (We specialise here on invoices - fake fines).

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

You'll need to register - don't use a Hotmail email address.

When you post they'll need to see (redacted) scans of both sides of all paperwork.

Coupon-mad

Someone mentioned in their threads on here something about Grace Period, so I checked the Camden parking protocol from April 2015 and it states Grace Period does not apply to suspended bays.

True, but I think there has always been a standard allowance of not issuing a PCN within 3 minutes of the start or end of a restriction. I have a feeling it is a stated standard set by the London Boroughs jointly...pepipoo posters will know.

IMHO, issuing it after one minute is unacceptable, the point of allowing 3 minutes is that clocks could be out by a minute (e.g. the CEO's watch) and that there is a defence in appeal called 'de minimis' meaning that the law must not concern itself with mere trifling matters.

Pepipoo will advise more.

They win almost every case - do NOT post within pictures there of BOTH sides of your PCN and you can't register with a hotmail email addy.