£250 penalty charge for 'parking on a dropped kerb'

i reckon its a cry for help on their part. How are they as neighbours? Grumpy, foul, always peeping out their windows? Or are they open, smiley and talkative to you?

I would do the opposite of what ppl here recommend. Invite them round for tea and biccies. Do favours for them. Be smiley-happy friendly towards them. They will be dumbfounded.

ohh but of course challenge it in court...via whatever means you can think of.
 
ouch £250 is a bit steep. I have another garage which is across the road from my house in a side street and is right next to a plumbers. It's a one way street with cars parked on both sides and not normally too many spaces at night.
I can't believe the number of people that park directly infront of it, including the plumbers on a daily basis or the electrician right next to it. This is not only after a thousand times of me asking them to move their car infront of MY garage so i can get out. Luckily it has never happened at a time when i really need my car out (for an exam or something) as my car is normally in my drive. Even when people go to the chip shop round the corner that street is always packed and it's guaranteed that my garage is blocked. If it were up to me i'd have every car that parks infront of it or even edges infront of it towed, but unfortunately my dad is too nice and won't let me do that as he likes to get on with all the neighbours etc. Luckily i don't have this problem too much anymore as during term time i'm in my flat, but even then when i come home and want my car out it can get very annoying.

So i guess what my point is, if the neighbour in question regularly has people blocking his/her drive then maybe they thought 'enough is enough'. Regardless though i'm very surprised that they did not even come and ask you to move your car first, if they didn't know who's car it was and desperately needed out then fair enough but the fact that they saw you and then went behind your back seems very harsh.

Have a nice word with them i'd say, at least they won't do it again after that and you can see what they're like.
 
Whoa what a bitch....the fine and her..

I think I'd be telling the police about all the cars that come to her house all the time. You think she is dealing.
 
Ok, bit of an update this evening.

For those asking - we've never really had much contact with those neighbours - they are quite recent. They've always been polite though, and I guess I should've thought about that first. I was wrong to trust the council over my neighbours...(Haringey by the way)...read on!

So I go over to their house this evening. Very polite etc, tried to grasp the situation from their point of view before giving them my opinion. I don't think I came across as demanding or as someone who would do such a thing intentionally, and that was reflected by their acceptance of my apology (needed or otherwise) for clipping their driveway. Nevertheless, here's the interesting thing - they've contacted the council and police previously regarding people blocking their drive, but not within the last month or so. There was no direct request for action on my vehicle whatsoever.

Now in my eyes, and if I have understood the Transport for London act correctly (section 14 for anyone who is interested), this makes the council's action of removing my car illegal, as technically I had not committed an offence (strange though it may seem!).

So, for £250 I don't think I'm gonna let this one stand. My appeal letter is as follows:

Dear Sir/Madam,

My vehicle, a silver Volkswagen Polo, with the above registration, was removed from ******(N17 ***) by your contractors at approximately 08:20am on 27/09/08 and taken to Haringey Car Pound. I am writing to appeal against a decision that the vehicle committed the contravention of ‘Parked Adjacent to Dropped Kerb’, as stated on the PCN. My grounds for appeal are that the offence did not occur.

Please could you provide me with clear photographic evidence that the alleged offence occurred, as well as any supporting legislation, by-laws, or the whereabouts of, that detail the nature of the offence and how the contravention has been determined.

Furthermore, I would like to be provided with explicit evidence that the house owner and occupier of the premises, to which the dropped kerb in question is attached, has contacted Haringey Council and made a statement to the effect that vehicle VX03*** is contravening section 14, subsection (3) of the Transport for London Act, as is required by section 14, subsection (4) of the same legislation.

Thank you in advance for your cooperation. I look forward to hearing from you within 56 days of receipt of this letter.
Yours faithfully,
Click to expand...

My hope is, they'll s*** themselves and refund me. Either way, I believe I have a strong case. Opinions?

I've mentioned to the neighbours about the possiblity of counter-signing some sort of write-up detailing that they never actually made the complaint. They seem to be ok with the idea. But that is as it stands for now.
 
Make sure you send it recorded. Maybe you could infer directly or indirectly a solicitor. Councils hate this. Or the name of your local newspaper these also make councils nervous for negative publicity.
 
Looks good Tim, I'm not familiar the specifics of the laws (bi or otherwise) involved, but I may read up on it now!

I like your draft letter, sounds pretty good, facts etc.
Agreed with recorded delivery, but sure you already know that.
 
Kill the cat, rape the grandchildren, crap in her laundry basket, then get her car towed.
It's the only way to make her learn :p

*edit* should have read the last few post realy, but what the hell.
 
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I've probably missed something here but if your neighbours haven't spoken to the council then how did the council know the car didn't belong to someone visiting the house and/or had permission to park there?
 
tim80bwi said:
Ok, bit of an update this evening.

For those asking - we've never really had much contact with those neighbours - they are quite recent. They've always been polite though, and I guess I should've thought about that first. I was wrong to trust the council over my neighbours...(Haringey by the way)...read on!

So I go over to their house this evening. Very polite etc, tried to grasp the situation from their point of view before giving them my opinion. I don't think I came across as demanding or as someone who would do such a thing intentionally, and that was reflected by their acceptance of my apology (needed or otherwise) for clipping their driveway. Nevertheless, here's the interesting thing - they've contacted the council and police previously regarding people blocking their drive, but not within the last month or so. There was no direct request for action on my vehicle whatsoever.

Now in my eyes, and if I have understood the Transport for London act correctly (section 14 for anyone who is interested), this makes the council's action of removing my car illegal, as technically I had not committed an offence (strange though it may seem!).

So, for £250 I don't think I'm gonna let this one stand. My appeal letter is as follows:



My hope is, they'll s*** themselves and refund me. Either way, I believe I have a strong case. Opinions?

I've mentioned to the neighbours about the possiblity of counter-signing some sort of write-up detailing that they never actually made the complaint. They seem to be ok with the idea. But that is as it stands for now.
Click to expand...

Isn't 56 days a bit much? Wouldn't 28 be more reasonable? I do realise council jobsworths can work slower than snails but the long timeframe might even get them to bump up the fine.
 
The '56 days' is what is mentioned on the appeal information booklet - 'The Council must respond to a representation duly received within 56 days of receipt.' So I'm not sure if it is within my power to shorten this. The main reason I included it was to reiterate and highlight the fact that I am more than aware of their procedure and legal obligations, not really to have any specific function.

I've probably missed something here but if your neighbours haven't spoken to the council then how did the council know the car didn't belong to someone visiting the house and/or had permission to park there?
Click to expand...

There have been a few similar incidents on my street. A couple of people have actually had their own car towed from outside their own driveway. These incidents have been taken to court as I understand. All stems from a good number of complaints that have built up I believe. Not sure why they would target my car though, although as I said, she has complained in the past about other vehicles so they may have her house on file as a 'hotspot'???. But at the end of the day, it is illegal for them to tow a car without a complaint. While seemingly bizzare, this is what stops peoples' cars getting ticketed on their own drives (in a perfect world!).
 
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Here is the additional note which I am hoping to get signed tomorrow.

Dear Sir/Madam,

This note is in conjunction with the attached letter from Tim ******.

I _________________________, occupier of 23 ********(N17 ***) hereby state that, with reference to vehicle VX03***, I have made no allegation to the relevant authorities or to Haringey Council regarding the blockage or obstruction of the dropped kerb attached to my premises.

Yours faithfully,
Click to expand...

Anything I could add? Does it say enough?
 
tim80bwi said:
The '56 days' is what is mentioned on the appeal information booklet - 'The Council must respond to a representation duly received within 56 days of receipt.' So I'm not sure if it is within my power to shorten this. The main reason I included it was to reiterate and highlight the fact that I am more than aware of their procedure and legal obligations, not really to have any specific function.
Click to expand...

Ah, ok. I suspected it could be like that but was not sure. Good luck with it.
 
Well done for talking to her about it, without that you'd not have a leg to stand on not to mention the ill feeling that would have been ongoing for -as they would see it- no reason. What are the odds that someone else within the household other than the named householder complained ? Either way I see this as being straight cut, if the neighbour is happy to make a statement saying they didn't complain then the council won't have anything to be able to justify the act of towing your car. End of.

Clearly they will want to argue about it but at the end of the day they have to prove it was reported by the occupant and not some random pleb from what's been posted here.
 
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