@H C AndersenTook a while but I've toned it down a lot more:
Dear Haringey Council,
I'm writing to make a representation about the Notice to Owner (NTO) that was issued to me. This representation covers 13 of the 14 Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs) related to this case, which are listed in Appendix 1.1. The PCNs in question are: ZN12128S1A, ZN12212900, ZN12266976, ZN12353988, ZN12354086, ZN12354326, ZN12354417, ZN12354552, ZN12354734, ZN12355191, ZN12411612, ZN12411827 and ZN12413039.
As for the 14th PCN (ZN12536367), I'd also like to make a representation, but I wasn't told how to do so.
I've been a resident of Haringey for over 5 years now, and I've always made sure to keep my parking permit up to date. The council's reminder emails have really helped me renew my permit on time in the past.
However, due to an unfortunate situation, I believe the penalties in this case have been excessive. Before explaining the details, I hope the council will consider being flexible and taking my history as a responsible resident into account.
Summary of CircumstancesAs a Haringey resident for over five years now, I've held a parking permit since October 2023. From April 12th to July 12th, 2024, I was away for work. Unfortunately during that time, my permit expired on April 25th and I don't recall getting the renewal reminder that the council usually sends.
Because of this, my car was without a valid permit for 61 days. This resulted in a continuous stream of 14 parking tickets being issued while I was away, without me being aware of this in any way.
The council eventually removed my car on May 31st. On June 1st, my sister and a family friend recovered the car for me, paying £265 (£65 for a ticket and £200 for the removal).
So far I have received 4 NTOs, but according to the Haringey parking website, 9 more NTOs have been issued but have not yet arrived in the post. This seems unusual as NTOs are typically posted on the day they're issued?
I understand my car was without a permit, but there isn’t much more I could have done here. I feel that potentially having to pay £1690 for being late on my permit renewal is too much, especially since I've demonstrated my reliability as a permanent resident with a good permit history.
I'm asking the council to please consider:
- Why it took so long to remove the car
- Why I didn't get the usual reminders about renewing my permit
- Some issues with how the car was impounded and released
Why it took so long to remove the carMy car remained in the same place throughout the period these PCNs were issued. Tickets were issued almost daily from 07/05/2024 to 30/05/2024 (Appendix 1.1), often just minutes after 24 hours had passed. For instance, PCNs were issued at 08:20 on 22/05, 08:28 on 24/05, and 08:10 on 25/05.
All PCNs except one (dated 29/05) were for contravention code 12(i) at the same location on Cornwall Road. While I understand the importance of parking enforcement, I believe this pattern of issuance and the excessive number of tickets (which essentially refer to the same issue) are unfair.
Upon returning to the country, I emailed __, Head of Highways and Parking, about this situation (Appendix 2.1). She responded:
"Normally after 3 PCNs the vehicle is flagged for removal... I can see from the PCN issued on 30th May that there were 5 PCNs attached to the vehicle and agree that the vehicle should have been removed sooner."
Given that my car was stationary in the same place during this entire period, I hope the council will reconsider whether issuing so many tickets for the same ongoing issue was the most appropriate approach. I would have expected the council to:
- Use its power to remove the vehicle more quickly, or
- In case of no available space at the impound, communicate with the CEOs to exercise discretion in not issuing more tickets for the same contravention, given these unique circumstances.
The excessive number of tickets issued before the car's removal seems unfair, particularly given __ acknowledgment that it should have been removed sooner. I'm willing to provide any additional information that might assist the council in reviewing this aspect of my case. My hope is that we can reach a fair resolution that takes into account these unique circumstances.
Why I didn't get the usual reminders about renewing my permitAs a five-year resident with a consistent permit history, I've held three consecutive permits with Haringey Council since purchasing my car:
- May 2022 (1 Year)
- May 2023 (6 Months)
- October 2023 (6 Months)
As you can see from these dates, I've been very reliable and consistent in renewing my permit as soon as I receive the reminder.
However, in this instance, I did not receive the reminder nor am I able to locate it. I also received no other follow-up emails, text messages, or letters.
I understand the council's limited resources, but I believe more could have been done to reach or communicate with me. I've learned that Hackney Council sends multiple reminders for permit renewals to their residents. I would hope Haringey Council could implement similar measures to mitigate the risk of a single communication not being received.
Some issues with how the car was impounded and releasedI asked my sister, who is also a resident of Haringey Council, to periodically check on my car every month to ensure the battery does not zero. However, having three kids meant that she was unable to check on the car more frequently. After dropping off her kids to a weekend club on a Saturday, she was able to go and visit my car.
On arrival, she called me instantly, explaining that my car was not there. She was told by a nearby neighbour that it had been taken away. She went out of her way to find immediate childcare, as she spent the rest of the day on the phone with me trying to gather all the documents in order to get the car back from the impound. This was very stressful for her and myself.
Eventually my sister and a family friend went to the impound to recover the vehicle on my behalf, paying the removal PCN (£65) and release fee (£200). The impound staff provided only two documents: the PCN receipt (Appendix 3.1) and a vehicle removal receipt (Appendix 3.2). They gave no information about my rights to appeal or make representations against this 14th (ZN12536367) PCN, nor any additional documentation.
This has left me in a difficult situation as I was unaware of my rights, or how I could go about appealing this. Additionally, it's been difficult to get in touch with the council about this - I sent them an email but haven't heard anything back yet.
Closing requestGiven my circumstances of being abroad, but also being a permanent resident who has demonstrated a reliable record of holding consistent permits and renewing them promptly, I hope the council will consider this representation with fairness and capacity for discretion.