As a fellow immigrant from the Baltics (I'm from Lithuania, and I suspect Maks is from Latvia), I deeply understand the confusion around legal terms like "courts," "adjudicators," and "tribunals." These distinctions simply don't exist in our home countries, and it's clear Maks struggled with navigating a legal system that demands a much deeper level of understanding from the outset.
The prolonged panic certainly didn't help, and I can empathize, having been in similar stressful situations myself. However, maintaining a clear mind is paramount in these circumstances. Maks, from the very beginning – or even now – it's crucial to methodically deconstruct the entire process, create a precise timeline, and meticulously document every communication sent to councils, enforcement centers, and bailiffs.
It's absolutely vital to follow the instructions provided by this forum's experts and answer their questions precisely. Many of Maks's responses appeared to be clouded by panic, fear, and anger, which regrettably seemed to impede the entire process. When people here ask "what did you send in the letter," they're not looking for a summary; they need the exact wording, word for word. My own experience highlights this perfectly: by following this forum's guidance to the letter, I managed to escape relatively unscathed despite risking 7 penalty charges of £180 each, totaling £1,260. In the end, I only paid £60 for one of those PCNs, all thanks to the invaluable individuals here. A failure to understand and follow these clear instructions may unfortunately be the cause of this significant £1200 hole.
Maks, while I truly empathize with your situation, it's difficult to avoid the conclusion that the lack of adherence to the clear guidance provided by multiple specialists has created this predicament. It may indeed be too late to fully contest this now.
