Thanks for your guidance. Annoyingly, it's coming up to the deadline to pay and no word from the council. Fortunately I have a few friends who are lawyers who helped me word my response:
Thank you for your response. However, I must respectfully disagree with your decision and would like to address several points regarding the penalty and the circumstances surrounding it. I have contested the ticket once again, attaching this letter on the online portal, and request that the PCNs go on hold while I await your response to this letter. Please confirm you have done so.
While I understand that my car was in a bay subject to suspension, I find the expectation that drivers must "check on their car every day" to be unreasonable, particularly when the council has failed to provide sufficient notice of the suspension. The signs, as mentioned in your letter, may have been put up, but I was not made aware via email or other direct communication, despite the fact that Haringey Council holds my contact information. Given this, it was entirely possible and reasonable for me to believe that the area was still available for parking during my absence.
Furthermore, the notion that drivers should check their vehicles every day, regardless of circumstance, is impractical and does not take into account situations where this would be impossible. In my case, I was away on holiday and also severely ill, circumstances which clearly impeded my ability to monitor my vehicle. Others may similarly face obstacles, such as hospital admissions or emergencies, and under your current policy, they too would be unfairly penalized. The responsibility to inform residents of such suspensions should not rest solely on vague signage that can be missed if one is unable to check daily.
Additionally, the Penalty Charge Notice appears to be inaccurate in stating the nature of the contravention. It suggests that I was parked in an electric vehicle bay, yet there are no such bays on my street. This error further highlights the lack of attention to detail in issuing this notice, which not only undermines the accuracy of the penalty but also raises concerns about the validity of the enforcement process.
On top of this, the misspelling of my name in your correspondence demonstrates a general lack of care in handling this matter. I expect due diligence from a local authority in both the accuracy of the penalty details and the correct identification of residents, particularly when financial penalties are at stake.
I have sought legal advice on this matter and am prepared to challenge this penalty further, as I believe the law is on my side. The council’s failure to provide adequate notice through modern, accessible channels, its reliance on an unreasonable expectation of daily vehicle checks, and the inaccuracy in the contravention all contribute to this unjust penalty.
I kindly request that you reconsider this Penalty Charge Notice, as I am confident that my argument is legally sound and I will pursue this matter if necessary.
Thank you for your attention to this matter.
