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Hi all, I thought I'd give a quick update on this case.

TL;DR: I WON.

Before I go into more detail, I'd like to thank all the local heroes who took the time to help me beat this ticket, especially @Hippocrates, who kindly offered to represent me at the tribunal. You, sir, are a true legend!

Looks like the threat of a tribunal hearing had finally forced Havering to properly review the matter (instead of rejecting it out of hand with a copy-and-paste template) and not to contest my appeal.

The Enforcement Authority has informed the Tribunal that it will not contest your appeal against the
Penalty Charge Notice(s) stated above.

The Adjudicator has therefore allowed your appeal without considering the evidence or any details of
the case. You are not liable for any further charge(s) against the Penalty Charge Notice(s) stated
above and, where appropriate, any amounts already paid will be refunded by the Enforcement
Authority.

This just goes to show that it is not about punishing road pirates or improving roads for everyone, but a blatant money-grabbing scheme by the councils. They must have known full well the PCN was fatally flawed in more than one way, yet still kept playing the numbers game, hoping I would cave and pay. Disgusting behaviour.

Thanks for the explanation @Incandescent, I get confused by all the different rules.

I'm about to submit my appeal to the London Tribunals; should I just copy/paste my original representation, or add anything else?

Hi Hippocrates, just saw your advice to keep the legalese to a minimum on another thread where Havering served the PCN after the 28-day limit. I commented there to link the two, in case that's useful, but didn't really want to discuss my situation on someone else's thread, so I'm going to do so here: should I do the same and remove the references to the legislation from my representation draft? I definitely don't want to be educating the council if I don't have to. Maybe something like this? Should I remove anything else?

---

Dear Havering

Ref: PCN                          VRM

I am writing to make this formal representation against the said PCN. I contend that the PCN should be cancelled on the following grounds:

(1) The Penalty Charge Notice was served on the 30th day following the alleged contravention.

 - Date of the alleged contravention: 16 June 2025
 - Date of issue: Fri, 11 July 2025
 - Deemed date of service: Tue, 15 July 2025
 - Elapsed period: 30 days.

According to paragraph (6) of Regulation 10 of The Civil Enforcement of Road Traffic Contraventions Regulations 2022, an enforcement authority must serve a PCN within "28-day period" beginning with the date on which the alleged contravention occurred. Serving the PCN on the 30th day falls outside this statutory timeframe, rendering the PCN invalid.

(2) The location "Balgores Rd" specified in the PCN does not exist or is incorrectly named within the geographical area of the alleged contravention. A PCN must accurately specify the location where the contravention is alleged to have occurred. I deny that I stopped at the location specified in the PCN at the time and date of the alleged contravention. The inaccuracy of the location detail makes the PCN fundamentally flawed and unenforceable.

(3) The alleged contravention did not occur. The photographic or other evidence provided by the Council does not clearly show the presence of the "relevant upright sign" as specified in Part 6 of Schedule 7 of The Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions 2016. Without clear evidence of the prescribed signage being present and visible at the time of the alleged contravention, the contravention cannot be proven.

Therefore, I respectfully request that you cancel the PCN forthwith.

Yours faithfully

Thank you, I’ll be submitting it tomorrow and I’ll report back with the results once they respond.

Thanks Hippocrates, I’ll look for other cases here with similar defects and try to come with a draft 👍

Hi, I’ll be sending the above representation to Havering tomorrow, unless anyone has any other suggestions? Many thanks!

Hi,

I'm seeking guidance and assistance with a PCN from the London Borough of Havering for an alleged contravention of 47J - Stopped on a restricted bus stop or stand.

The alleged contravention occurred on 16 June 2025, and the PCN dated 11 July 2025 was received today, 15 July 2025.

 - PCN: https://i.ibb.co/zTCG6jQW/pcn1.jpg (please let me know if you need the other pages as well)
 - Video: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1bT9Ps_Dsg-NQcQR-2_x3c8IdA2ly_U2q/view?usp=sharing
 - Google Street View: https://maps.app.goo.gl/YY9yKh7gXKJRT23d9

As you can see, the driver stopped at a bus stop for approximately 10 seconds to pick up a passenger. The driver didn't realise there was a clearway sign attached to the bus stop pole further down (you can see on the video when the driver realised while departing). Confusingly, there is a pole at the beginning of the bay, right next to where the car stopped, with no signage.

Additionally, I'd be grateful if someone could clarify the timelines for me, as I'm not sure what dates are relevant (issue or actual delivery?), and how the 28 days are calculated. The PCN was received today, 15 July 2025 (Tuesday), despite being issued on 11 July 2025 (Friday). If my math is correct, this makes it 29 days after the alleged contravention (or 30 days if the day of contravention is also counted).

I would like to understand if it makes sense to challenge this, and if so, how should I phrase my representation?

Many thanks!