Free Traffic Legal Advice

Hi, we received a PCN the other day for being parked in a suspended bay outside our house, where we hold a permit for parking. We're not 100% sure but we feel very strongly that the sign went up at very short notice, as neither of us remember seeing it previously, and the PCN was issued only 4 minutes into the suspension period (which I know won't make a difference but very annoying!).

I think it's ridiculous that they shouldn't have to include on the sign or on the PCN the date and time at which the sign was posted. But I'm not sure if that would even matter as I haven't been able to find anything on the Lambeth website stating their policies on notice periods etc, so when the signage was put up might not make a difference. Still, is there any way to find out when it was posted?

Here is the PCN:
Front: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1NiBK8EQQl5GCPPHBq0PPNn5qs2NgHX-7/view?usp=sharing
Back: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1pb3EyFnkRgGoP8KnPfXtKPCKhcr9h0na/view?usp=sharing

Here is the sign: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1FRkFpG29VqJCaf1sy5PFfWbyw-bJkEBN/view?usp=sharing

I'm hoping we might have two grounds to challenge this. One is that our car will have been parked since well before the signage being posted, as we hardly ever use it. I've seen a few places mention (including a chatbot on the Lambeth website) that they make note of which reg plates were parked there already when the signage was posted, and this may be grounds for dismissal? Am I interpreting that correctly?

The only other thing I can think of is that the signage was posted an unreasonable distance from our car, outside of the suspended zone itself, when other posts to which it could have been affixed were much closer to the car. This made it difficult for us to notice it.

Here's a photo of the sign (from the council) with our car highlighted:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1KY-wJ4qJMMWwxc6hk97-9qrEKNIN-pdr/view?usp=sharing

Here's our street on street view if that's helpful:
https://maps.app.goo.gl/nSF4erxq2mNYiRfW9

It's my first time dealing with this so maybe I'm naive but it's absurd that if we'd been on holiday, not left the house, or even just not happened to look in that direction during the short period this sign was up, that we'd be liable for a fine

Any help massively appreciated!

We need to be able to read the details in the notice.

Thanks for all the advice!

I can't remember exactly when we parked in that spot but it had been a good few weeks since we last used it

Our door is slightly to the left of the car in those pics. So we would quite often leave the house, turn in the direction of the car and walk up the road. So we'd be turning towards the signpost without the suspension notice, and wouldn't see the one with the suspension notice

Do you think we'll be ok to just challenge it in plain english using the points you've raised? A lot of examples I've seen here and elsewhere use a bit more 'legalese' with even quotes from laws and policies etc. Is that necessary/would it help our case?

Yes they do usually log the vehicles in the bay when the signs go up but it's not a licence to not check on your car for weeks but people do go on holiday.

When did you park there?

If that parking sign close to your car is in the same bay and had no suspension sign it should be a win for you as that's a common reason we see these cancelled by adjudicators.

EDIT

The council's pics are a slam dunk for you really - despite one shot showing your car with the suspension sign other shots show the unsuspended sign near to the rear.

But it's important to not concede you didn't directly check on the car but use something vague about not seeing anything as you went about your daily business - which direction do you live in from car?

I would also love to know how much notice Lambeth give when putting up these signs as I have a very similar ticket last week, I very much suspect that it was put up the afternoon or night before the suspension and by 08:02 I had a ticket for which I am about to start my own post.
The Lambeth website states that they will put up notices "approximately 3 days before the suspension" but this seems deliberately vague and allows them to give as little notice as they like.
How do I find out when the notices go up?

yep this is all correct, thank you! should I be including detailed descriptions like this in the challenge?

We need precise details of the site.

A parking place which runs from Shamrock Street and terminates o/s the flank wall of nos. 123/125.


There are 3 traffic signs within, situated o/s113, 87 and 14 Shamrock Street.

A single suspension sign was placed o/s no. 87.

My car was parked o/s the flank wall of nos. 107/109, facing towards Shamrock Street.

I had passed the clear traffic sign o/s 113.

The suspension sign which I had not reached stated that a suspension applied to nos. 95-107.

Are these the objective facts?