PCN - Birmingham Clean Air Zone

Nijinsky

The Traffic Penalty Tribunal responded with the following:


"Mr Ross Bowden

The authority indicate that you paid the penalty charge at the discount rate as well as submitting an appeal. You had the option either to pay the discounted penalty charge within the time specified, or appeal. You cannot both pay the penalty charge at the discount rate and appeal. You can proceed with the appeal but if you do the authority are not bound to accept the discounted penalty charge and may require you to pay the balance of £60 to make up the full penalty charge of £120 if your appeal is unsuccessful.

Please confirm whether you wish to proceed with the appeal within 7 days. If the tribunal does not hear from you within 7 days, it will be taken that you do not wish to proceed with the appeal.

The Traffic Penalty Tribunal"


Obviously, I wasn't going to accept their blackmailing offer. I have replied with the following:


"Dear Traffic Penalty Tribunal,

I don't like your bullying tactics.

I have already been bullied into paying the £60 "discount" because Birmingham Council deliberately take a lengthy period to respond, ensuring the 2 week deadline expires so the full £120 charge has to be paid.

Therefore, I have chosen to pay the £60 discount not to get robbed any further. I have paid the charge within the sufficient time frame for the charge to be "only" £60. The charge has now been FULLY PAID and I now have every right to appeal to try and reclaim the costs!

I am not being threatened with you only considering my appeal if I'm willing to pay an additional £60. I was given a deadline and chose to pay the "discount" in advance. If I had already paid the full £120, you wouldn't be having an issue with considering my appeal would you!

Why are being threatening and bullying like this? You're supposed to be an "independent" tribunal, but you're clearly showing you're favouring Birmingham Council.

If you fail to consider my appeal, I will be taking the matter further with the Ombudsman Service. Getting deceived with unclear, insufficient signage is one thing, but the refusal to consider my appeal without the threat of paying an additional sum from a supposedly "independent" tribunal is blackmailing me. It's an abuse of my rights and exposes how corrupt the system really is!

I will await your response, although I will not expect an "independent" response.

Ross Bowden"

Coupon-mad

You can't win with that argument. 

You can never pay and appeal.  This is normal, not bullying.

LDast

Time to admit defeat on this one or take it to FTLA. 

Https://ftla.uk