Free Traffic Legal Advice

Hi All,

I received a Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) from Barking and Dagenham Council for making a prohibited left turn. I initially contested the fine, as I was following Google Maps, did not notice the restriction, and have no memory of the turn. However, my appeal was declined.

I did not receive the council’s response within 14 days, likely due to delays caused by my change of address and mail forwarding. As a result, I emailed the council requesting that they honor the discounted charge of £65 instead of the increased £130, but I did not receive a response.

Subsequently, I received another letter informing me that the fine had increased to £195. I find this unreasonable, as I had every intention of paying the initial fine but was hindered by circumstances beyond my control. Despite my efforts to communicate with the council, my emails were ignored, and the charge was further increased.

Timeline of Events:
PCN Issued: 02/10/24
Rejection Notice Dated: 05/11/24 (Received on 28/11/24) – Charge increased to £130
My Online Response 28/11/24: I requested updated signage evidence and explained that Google Maps directed me to the turn. I also asked for email correspondence due to postal delays.
Further Charge Increase Letter: Received a few days later, but I cannot locate this letter.
Letter on 03/12/24: Stated that the council would no longer respond to further correspondence.
Final Demand on 01/01/25: Asking for £195.
The payment portal still shows an option to pay, despite the deadline passing. Given that I responded to each letter when I received it, do you recommend escalating this to court, or should I proceed with payment?

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I have attached my defence along with their response.

I initially responded on 3/11/24, and the rejection was issued on 5/11/24. However, I did not receive the rejection until 28/11/24 due to it being sent to the wrong address. Upon receiving it, I immediately responded on the same date, stating that I had not received it in time but was willing to pay the discounted rate of £65 instead of £130.

On 9/12/24, I received a response stating that they would not be engaging in any further correspondence. Subsequently, a surcharge of £65 on top of the £130  was applied on 11/12/24. Unfortunately, I was away at the time and did not see both letters until my return 14/01/25.

To be fair, I was willing to pay the discounted rate and was awaiting a response to my message sent on 28/11.

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