3. Messages

Show Posts

This section allows you to view all posts made by this member. Note that you can only see posts made in areas you currently have access to.

Messages - spinningfish

Pages: [1] 2
1
Civil penalty charge notices (Councils, TFL and so on) / Vehicle Returned to Finance Company in ULEZ Zone - TfL Say I'm Liable Because Not Removed from AutoPay
« on: September 05, 2025, 11:57:13 am »
Hello

My car was returned to the finance company MoneyBarn and collected by British Car Auctions at 14:19pm on 25th July 2025 (I know this because of the collection report). It is a 2015 diesel, therefore chargeable in the zone, so I had an AutoPay account set up with Tfl for the occasional time we went into the ULEZ zone (last one being March 2025).

I get the AutoPay statement emails every month, but don't check them as they're always £0 because we don't go into the zone very often, but imagine my surprise when Tfl tried to take £50 out of my account on August 28th 2025. I immediately stopped the DD because I had no idea what it related to and logged into Tfl AutoPay to see that someone had been driving my old car about London - once just after midnight! It was caught on camera at the following times:

25 July, 15:29 – Whalebone Lane North

26 July, 18:01 – Longbridge Road

27 July, 00:02 – Vicarage Lane

28 July, 05:50 – Oxlow Lane

BCA didn't mention that the car was going into London immediately after collection and because I use the AutoPay service so infrequently I didn't think to immediately take it off.

I have spoken to TFL and apparently they won't refund the charges, as I didn't take it off AutoPay and in the T&Cs that makes me liable. I'm not sure that stands up to scrutiny, because if I wasn't on AutoPay and could show I didn't own the vehicle, they would remove the charges.

I'd very much appreciate any advice offered.

Many thanks in advance

2
Private parking tickets / APCOA Parking PCN – No Payment/Permit – Welwyn North Railway Station
« on: July 09, 2025, 10:53:23 am »
A member of our household is registered disabled and is a Blue Badge holder, which allows free parking at Welwyn North Railway station.

The APCOA website allows two vehicles to be registered on their website, but only ONE to be registered against the Blue Badge permit at any one time.

The household's main vehicle was in the garage for repair, so the registration number was changed to a different vehicle on the APCOA Blue Badge permit. When the main vehicle was back from the garage, the permit was mistakenly not reverted back again, hence the below penalty notice.

Sadly, the vehicle below has visited the same station another three times before this penalty charge was received and the registration amended again on the APCOA website, so unsure if more penalties will be incoming in the next few days.

It's dated 28th June, but wasn't received until 5th July.


[ Guests cannot view attachments ]

3
Civil penalty charge notices (Councils, TFL and so on) / Re: East Herts Council, code 45 Parked on a taxi rank, Fore Street, Hertford
« on: March 13, 2024, 10:10:31 am »
Thank you for all your help. I think that’s a very salient point and hopefully one that will help other people in a similar position.

Great forum and fabulous advice from all.

Thanks again!

4
Civil penalty charge notices (Councils, TFL and so on) / TRIBUNAL LOST: East Herts Council, code 45 Parked on a taxi rank, Fore Street, Hertford
« on: March 04, 2024, 11:04:13 am »
Hello all.

Just to update that sadly I lost the tribunal. Please see the adjudicator's findings below:

"The Appellant is appealing a Penalty Charge Notice issued in respect of parking on a taxi rank at the location.

The Enforcement Authority relies upon the contemporaneous evidence of the Civil Enforcement Officer, a copy of the PCN, a copy of the relevant legislation and a location map.

The Appellant contends that the road markings at the location were not statutorily compliant.  It is also contended that Blue Badge parking was permitted at the location.

I have carefully considered all the evidence in this matter, including the appellant’s oral evidence which I found to be credible and cogent.

The Council contends that the vehicle was parked in a bay which at the relevant time, was reserved for taxis only. The vehicle was observed to be parked in very close proximity to the relevant signage, which sets out three separate restrictions: taxis only between 6pm and 8am, Friday and Saturday; Goods vehicles only loading from Monday to Saturday 8am to 6pm, and all vehicle parking at other times.  The day in question was a Saturday.

The Appellant contends that the carriageway markings at the location were not statutorily compliant. They contend that, pursuant to item 8, Part 4 of Schedule 7 to the Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions 2016, a broad 200 millimetre yellow line is missing from the road markings on Fore Street.  However, this is a shared use bay and not a bay only used for taxis, ambulances or police vehicles where stopping by other vehicles is prohibited.  The bay in question is a multi-use bay.  There is therefore no statutory requirement for a yellow line at the edge of the carriageway.

The appellant has told me that they were the driver on the relevant occasion, and had been looking for a place to park. They saw the parking bay and has been frank in telling me that they simply did not notice the signage just ahead of the vehicle. They displayed their Blue Badge prior to leaving the vehicle and I accept that they genuinely believed that they could legitimately park there.

The sign itself is subdivided into three separate panels.  The upper panel, setting out the “taxi only”  restriction is prominent and unobscured and I find that it clearly set out the relevant restrictions. Whilst I accept that he did not see it, it was nonetheless there to be seen, in close proximity to the vehicle.

The EA contends that the Blue Badge displayed could not be relied upon by the appellant as the bay was, at the relevant time, a “taxi only” bay.  The appellant contends that he should have been able to rely upon his Blue Badge by virtue of Regulation 8 of SI 683 of the Local Authorities Traffic Orders (Exemptions for Disabled Persons) (England) Regulations 2000.

The Local Authorities’ Traffic Orders (Exemptions for Disabled Persons)(England) Regulations 2000 set out a number of exemptions to parking contraventions for Blue Badge holders at Articles 6-9.  Regulation 8 does not appear to be applicable in this case, as that regulation appears to deal with prohibitions on waiting in a road at all times of day or during specified periods i.e. it relates to waiting on either double or single yellow lines.  Regulation 8 requires an exemption to be included in traffic orders which provide for restrictions indicated by yellow lines.  I do not find that reliance upon this Regulation can be extended to what is a “taxis only” bay during the relevant hours. The 2023 order sets out a number of exemptions to the restriction.  However, they do not include an exemption for Blue Badge parking.

I therefore find that the appellant’s Blue Badge may not be relied upon whilst a  “taxis only” restriction is in force and the display of the Badge did not permit him to park as he did.

I am satisfied to the requisite standard that a contravention has taken place and that no statutory ground of appeal/exemption has been established.  Accordingly I must refuse this appeal."


I appreciate everyone's help and it was definitely worth a go!

5
Civil penalty charge notices (Councils, TFL and so on) / Re: East Herts Council, code 45 Parked on a taxi rank, Fore Street, Hertford
« on: January 15, 2024, 09:16:32 pm »
Thank you. I’ll give the tribunal a go, otherwise it feels a bit like bullying to me and I don’t like that.

6
Civil penalty charge notices (Councils, TFL and so on) / Re: East Herts Council, code 45 Parked on a taxi rank, Fore Street, Hertford
« on: January 13, 2024, 02:57:34 pm »
Sorry to have to bump this.

7
Civil penalty charge notices (Councils, TFL and so on) / Re: East Herts Council, code 45 Parked on a taxi rank, Fore Street, Hertford
« on: January 09, 2024, 06:22:03 pm »
I’ll be interested to see his take on it. Thank you.

8
Civil penalty charge notices (Councils, TFL and so on) / Re: East Herts Council, code 45 Parked on a taxi rank, Fore Street, Hertford
« on: January 08, 2024, 10:17:42 pm »
Sorry to bump this.

9
Civil penalty charge notices (Councils, TFL and so on) / Re: East Herts Council, code 45 Parked on a taxi rank, Fore Street, Hertford
« on: January 03, 2024, 09:35:14 pm »
Evening all.

It has been a little while, but we have a decision from East Herts.

The driver of the vehicle initially made the representations against the PCN, but an email was received from East Herts to say that representations needed to be made by the registered keeper, hence how long it has taken for them to reply.

Enjoy!

[ Guests cannot view attachments ]

10
Private parking tickets / Re: Britannia Parking PCN – Parked Longer Than Maximum Time Permitted – Waitrose, Welwyn Garden City
« on: December 11, 2023, 10:07:01 pm »
Thank you, all. I did go with Noah’s version and had sent it in before the other replies.

I will, depending on how they choose to deal with this now, consider going to the BPA.

I very much appreciate all the help given.

11
Non-motoring legal advice / Re: Classic Car Interior Destroyed in Fire at the Reupholstering Company
« on: December 10, 2023, 01:02:03 pm »
Thanks Peek.

I haven’t done a great deal yet. I have planned to call again this week, but am rubbish at talking on the phone and conveying what I need to, so am trying to prepare.

I would imagine calls to the local police and council would be a good idea too.

I will report back once I have got my head around it all.

Thanks for taking the time to check in on me.

12
Private parking tickets / Re: Britannia Parking PCN – Parked Longer Than Maximum Time Permitted – Waitrose, Welwyn Garden City
« on: December 07, 2023, 04:50:56 pm »
Good Afternoon All,

The registered keeper received the following today via email:

To Whom It Concerns

Find important correspondence attached regarding your Parking Charge Notice.

Regards
Britannia Parking

Please see attached PDF.

[ Guests cannot view attachments ]

[ Guests cannot view attachments ]

13
Non-motoring legal advice / Classic Car Interior Destroyed in Fire at the Reupholstering Company
« on: November 14, 2023, 04:59:58 pm »
Evening all!

Back in June 2020, I dropped my (extremely rare!) classic car seats to a specialist retrimmer in Baldock called A&R Pound. They are very highly regarded and have been there forever - I remember my dad using them, when he was a mechanic, back in the 80s.

The place is very old school and very heavily over subscribed with work - the place was literally floor to ceiling with various car seats and material. A quick look on Google will show you that there is no website, mobile numbers or emails.

The car required restoration, so there was no hurry on my part, so I dropped the interior and reproduced fabric off, they put my details in their diary, quoted me the price and I was on my way.

I called periodically, out of interest, to see how they were getting on and the seats were never started, but like I said, there was no hurry.

The restoration of the car has moved on to the point that I could do with the interior before Spring 2024, so two days ago I gave them a call to ask whether they could finished around the end of January.

No one answered the landline initially, but then a mobile number called me back. I explained to the man (who wasn't the owner, Fred) that I had some seats there and was wondering whether they could be done by the end of January. He abruptly replied, "impossible". I thought they're probably a bit snowed under still, so I asked when he thought they might be able to get them done and the reply was, "Never. The unit burned down five months ago." I was completely dumbstruck and didn't really know what to say. All he could say was "Sorry about that." and he put the phone down.

Link to News Report: https://www.thecomet.net/news/23649512.recap-live-updates-baldock-industrial-estate-fire/

I completely sympathise with their situation. I can't imagine losing such a long-established business in such a devastating way, but I am now without a very rare and hard to replace interior, not to mention the reproduction fabric that was only made on a very limited run and can't be bought anymore.

I have had a conversation with a couple of the members of the owners club and buying a bare bones interior, in poor condition, if I can even find one, will at least cost me £1,500. I don't even know whether I'm going to be able to request a run of the reproduction fabric and what the minimum cost of that will be.

The biggest problem I have is that because the business was so old school, I don't have any evidence that I ever left the interior there. My details were in the diary in the workshop, which I can only assume went up in flames, which is why no one has contacted me within the last five month since the fire.

All I have to show that I ever owned the interior, is the Facebook conversation with the person I bought it from. I also have a Google Maps timeline to show that I went to A&R Pound on that date to drop it off. The owner Fred always remembered my interior when I called, but I have no way of contacting him and the person I spoke to was very dismissive.

I’m certainly not wanting to bad-mouth them, so I hope this doesn’t come across that way.

Apart from the very obvious lessons learned here, is there anything I can do to be financially recompensed to replace what has been lost?

Many thanks in advance!!

14
Private parking tickets / Re: Britannia Parking PCN – Parked Longer Than Maximum Time Permitted – Waitrose, Welwyn Garden City
« on: November 11, 2023, 04:21:28 pm »
Thank you very much. OP shall report back.

15
Private parking tickets / Britannia Parking PCN – Parked Longer Than Maximum Time Permitted – Waitrose, Welwyn Garden City
« on: November 10, 2023, 11:45:45 am »
Hello all

On 14th October, the driver parked in the Waitrose Car Park, ran some errands in the town centre, did some shopping in Waitrose and left. The driver didn't notice the signage in the car park.

On Monday 6th November, the below PCN was received by the registered keeper.




On 9th November, the topic poster visited Waitrose to photograph the signage. They have included an aerial map of the locations of the signs and where the driver parked.

As you can see, signs A & B are located shortly after the entrance to the car park.

Sign C, is located away from the first two signs and isn't noticeable when you park in one of the disabled bays, as the path is up against the building and away from the direction of walking into the store or town centre.

The driver parked in the bay marked D.











Your advice is very much appreciated!

Pages: [1] 2