PCN for showing expired Blue Badge in error

claire07

I'm finally off to court next week so I'm going through paperwork to remind me of things.  It would help if I could park at the local train station using the Blue Badge (where this all began!) to ensure getting a space.  However on the court documents it says to take original documents to court.
So would I need to take the actual Blue Badge to court or would a photo suffice?  I've been trying to get through to the court to ask but it seems permanently engaged.

D_P_Dance

Have you seen this

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8065277/Driver-fined-185-pulling-41-seconds-East-Midlands-Airport-adjust-wing-mirror.html

D_P_Dance

it says to take original documents to court.  So would I need to take the actual Blue Badge to court or would a photo suffice? 

The original obviously.j

claire07

That's a nuisance but I guessed as much - I definitely don't want another ticket so I'll have to arrange an alternative.

Coupon-mad

I'd take a colour photo of both sides to court, and a pic of your car when you leave it that morning to prove the BB exists and is in your car right now!  I don't see this as a problem at all.  They can't expect a BB not to be in your car.

Also make sure your bundle for the hearing includes PROOF that you served your WS and evidence to VCS, as VCS have form for sending a rep who pretends a Defendant DIDN'T, and then blithely pushes the Judge to find for them or adjourn (neither of which is what you want).

Given that they even pretended not to have seen the defence that the CCBC must have attached to the Directions Questionnaire as standard, expect shenanigans.

DO NOT get to the court late, don't chance it.  Aim for 45 mins early, catch an earlier train and allow for time to get through the court Security then sign in with the Usher.  Say hello to the rep but refuse to discuss your case AT ALL outside the court room.  No being enticed into a side room or asked about your defence.

FrankCannon

Can you not pay for parking at the station and add the charge to your costs ?

claire07

Many thanks for that advice C-M and all the advice I have been given from this forum over the past 18 months.  The train station is free Park & Ride which means it and the surrounding roads are packed by 7.15am on weekdays.  However there are usually a few disabled spots left before 10am.  
As OH is in his seventies housebound and has had chemo and heart disease the least time I spend on public transport at present the better but the train service is quick into the city and I would prefer to use it if possible.  
I am quite tolerant normally but I do feel stressed and angry with VCS so there is no way I would want to speak to them beforehand!

claire07

I can hardly believe it but I won!  Thank you so much to everyone on this forum, especially the regulars, who gave me advice and encouragement over the last 18 months.

The court was Birmingham and the Judge (I think it was Judge Thompson) was lovely and I hardly had to say anything as she seemed to have decided after reading my witness statement.  The VCS representative still insisted they hadn't received my defence.  However the Judge said that despite displaying the expired Blue Badge in error once I had sent proof I had a current Blue Badge they should have cancelled it then before it got this far.

I felt really emotional as I could sense it was going in my favour and nearly forgot about my summary of costs.  I was allowed the travel and parking costs but for some reason the £15 to cover printing, postage, stationery, etc. was not allowed. (I thought that was a conservative estimate to cover everything I had done but after the stress of the last few years I wasn't prepared to argue!)

nosferatu1001

Printing etc is not "ordinary costs" so is only allowed if you can show they behaved unreasonably.
Well done!

D_P_Dance

I can hardly believe it but I won!  

I would expect nothing else  To expect to win  a  BOC claim under those circumstances would be delusional.

They have wasted you time, now waste theirs, take them to court for harassment/data breach/whatever.

https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/law-and-courts/legal-system/taking-legal-action/small-claims/making-a-small-claim/