MMD: Should I claim money from cash-strapped council?

It's too high a charge that the council are making - costs like these are meant to cover administration - staff are not paid £20 for 15 minutes work, so they're making money out of this charge and that's unfair.

Yes I'd fight them to get this back, it's an unfair and too high charge.

Request they send them out by registered post in future to avoid this happening especially in view of the high charge they make for parking permits which are just another way of councils making money, on top of council tax and everything else they charge for.