Free Traffic Legal Advice

Hello,

I recently hired a car and since have received 2 PCNs from Southwark councilo within 2 minutes of each other.
I have attached both 53C

I did not see the signage AT ALL. This seems awfully unfair.

I came across the exact issue from someone on your site dated december 2024.

As it was a hire car the fine has automatically been paid (2x£80 + 2x£45admin fee from hire company. TOTAL=£250)

How do I go about complaining re being charged TWICE in 2 minutes ?
Also, could you tell me how to include mitigating circumstances in my appeal as I saw on some sites I could appeal on the grounds of certain life events impacting my ability to see less obviously place signage in this area?
Would this help my appeal ? or should i focus on reducing this hefty double fine to just the one?

I was so happy (but infuriated) to read how much help you gave to the user appealing the fine from the exact same area .

Any advice /templates you coulod direct me to is very much appreciated.

I am happy to share my mitigating circumstances privately at this point if more infomation is needed

p.s the screenshot of the signs  was taken from afore mentioned user's post

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/place/Grove+Lane+%26+Windsor+Walk,+London+SE5+8SL/@51.4696723,-0.0909738,17z/data=!4m6!3m5!1s0x48760383dd4ad879:0x8551b5828612eaf7!8m2!3d51.4691119!4d-0.0871465!16s%2Fg%2F11hb3vvybr?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI1MDcxNi4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D

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What is the relevant clause in your hire agreement about paying PCNs, etc.?

Who do I contact if I want to appeal the notce?
Please send any appeal or dispute to the issuing body directly, along with our Third Party Authorisation Letter. If the issuer agrees to cancel the notce and refund the balance we have paid, we can then cancel our invoice in full.

Clearly Europcar have either completely misunderstood the legal process with PCNs or a just mendacious, because the "issuing body" is the council, who have now received full payment for the PCNs, so have no possible incentive to cancel the payment and reimburse Europcar. The whole process works on the basis that payment admits the contravention and closes the matter.
The correct process is for them to submit representations to the council that they are a hire company, and supply your name and address.

I'll take a look later.

@mrmustard I am thinking of writing to the company, pointing out the legislation, copy to council and seek a refund to the company and start again from scratch. Any better ideas please?

On 1st July I drove along Denmark Hill** turned left into *depesigny Park then left onto grove lane******. I was looking for somewhere to park before realising it was all permits only and so turned around and drove straight back up Grove lane and onto Dog Kennel Hill then home. I did not stop.

On ** 16th July I received notification from EuropCar Hire (the car was on hire) that they had received and subsequently paid at the discount level two PCNs for the following contravention

Failing to comply with a restriction on vehicles entering a pedestrian and cycle zone  53c *****    Grove Lane junction Windsor Walk 14.54 1 July

       ""                  Grove Lane junction De Crespigny Park 14.56 1 July

The prohibition is in Grove Lane and extends from its junction with Windsor Walk to De Crespigny Road. These contraventions were caught on separate cameras situated at the 2 junctions which are some 135m apart.

Europcar letter included an invoice(s) for £250  representing 2x fines @ £80 each + 2 x administration fees @ £45 each .
The letter informs me they have already paid the fines and will automatically take the money from the same card I used to hire the vehicle in 14days (30th July)

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I'm sorry I really don't know if this is what you meant but here it is anyway. Ive just filled in the blanks from your message query. Apologies if that's not what you meant . I don't do online/typing well and this is my first active forum query  in years and years.

Let's just deal with the facts pl.

The prohibited area is Grove Lane between its junctions with Windsor and DeCrespigny.

The PCNs show your car entering the area twice, not entering and leaving but entering. At 14.54 you drove north from Windsor and then at 14.57 drove south from DeCespigny. If we're to compile an argument, then accuracy is essential. Windsor is a cul-de-sac and therefore you could not have turned into Grove from there.

Pl think again about the events because you couldn't have turned left from DeCespigny and then returned south because this was your second entry.

(BTW, I'm a pensioner as well and appreciate the issues)

Have you seen the videos?