Free Traffic Legal Advice

Rather stupidly I recently parked in a valid parking bay (08:30 to 18:30) - that turns in a Taxi rank from 18:30 to 08:30.  I totally misread the sign and did not see the bit about being a taxi-rank out of the normal paid hours.

We arrived around 18:00 and I paid until 18:30 via Ringo (no warning about the taxi rank given there either).

I assumed (mistakenly) that like every other parking bay I have come accross this would be "free" after 18:30.

Arrived back at the car sometime after 19:00 find a code 45 PCN 

[ Guests cannot view attachments ]

I totally did not read the top warning and the bottom one on the small second sign is totally illegible.

I was going to appeal claiming sign not clearly marked - until I noticed the big warning at the top 

However I have noticed that the PCN is incorrectly issued the Vehicle Registration Number as entered on the ticket clearly shows UWC - however that is NOT the registration of my car.

I have checked and there is no such car existing with that registration number! However the pictures taken and shown on the City of Westminster site do clearly show my car with the correct Registration.

Are they allowed to use the details in the pictures to find my address or are they legally only allowed to use the VRN as noted down on the PCN itself.

Should I gamble of challenging the PCN and thereby having to provide my contact details.

[ Guests cannot view attachments ]

Quote

Should I gamble of challenging the PCN and thereby having to provide my contact details.

No.


Wrong reg mark is normally fatal to a PCN. Normally recommended procedure is

1) check on the gov.uk site that the incorrect reg mark is in use. If it is, to save the owner of that mark hassle, then

2) photocopy the PCN and send the copy to Westminster with an anonymous cover note along the lines of I found this PCN on my vehicle. ABC123 is not my vehicle. I thought you should know.

and
3) Keep the original PCN very safe - it is your 'get-out-of-jail-free' card if some backroom muppet decides to re-issue a PCN to you, perhaps months or years down the line.

I did check online and got this
[ Guests cannot view attachments ]

So have to decide if the annonymous reply by post  is OK or to gamble with the online challenge.
Worried that if I ignore they will use the correct details clearly shown in the photos
[ Guests cannot view attachments ]


[ Guests cannot view attachments ]

Yes you can just do nothing if the wrong VRM is not in use. If you are minded to help them out you could email them saying you found a PCN on your car for a different VRM (PCN no xxxxx) and that's all. No need to officially challenge a PCN that hasn't been issued to your car.