Parking ticket - wrong make of car etc

[Rs2oo]

Advice please. I Was issued with a parking ticket yesterday when in a residents only bay ( I genuinely thought I was out of the restricted area but wasn't ) The Enforcement Officer put the make of car down as a Reliant but my car is a Renault Clio, Reliant must be next to Renault in his machine and he obviously pressed the wrong make in error.

I just took the ticket and drove away. I have never been in the area before and do not wish to return and do not even know if the road I was in is the road he put on the ticket, after all, he made one mistake already and his evidence cannot be trusted.

Question is, is the ticket now not valid because of his mistake in printing Reliant and not Renault ? I just want to know if the ticket is legal with the incorrect evedence and the fact that I now do not trust the times or location he has given as he has made such a stupid mistake. He also put the tax disc number on the ticket but it is not displayed on the tax disc, just the expiry date so how can he type in a tax disc number without actually seeing it for himself ? Thanks !

Edited by Rs2oo on Saturday 20th August 08:38

[shortar53]

Chances are, the issuing officer will have digital photos to back up the ticket. A chap at work queried his ticket a few weeks ago, and they kindly supplied him with copies of the photos to prove his 'error'.

You may be able to try and contest it on a loophole because of the typo, but it's unlikely the ticket has been issued in error _and_ has the wrong marque on. Sorry.

[HereBeMonsters]

Is it a proper ticket from the council, or an "invoice" from a parking company?

[Rs2oo]

HereBeMonsters said:

Is it a proper ticket from the council, or an "invoice" from a parking company?

Gillingham Council.

[Rs2oo]

shortar53 said:

Chances are, the issuing officer will have digital photos to back up the ticket.

Pics of the street ? house number it was outside ? apart from a photo of a my car which could have been parked anywhere, what photo evedence do they have ?

[RedWhiteMonkey]

If you've committed the offence why not just do the honourable thing and pay the fine?

[Tyre Smoke]

I find it hard to believe you do not trust the area or time of the ticket. I think you are trying to muddy the water there.

Have you got plenty of spare time and nothing better to do? Then query it.

Otherwise, look cheerful and pay up. You know you were in the wrong.

[mikeyr]

Rs2oo said:

he made one mistake already and his evidence cannot be trusted.

AND

I now do not trust the times or location he has given as he has made such a stupid mistake

Really? Google streetview not work for you then? Or your watch?

Sorry OP but this just seems like you are looking for a loophole...

[Lordbenny]

If he put the wrong car on the ticket its not valid. Dont pay it...Simples!

[Rs2oo]

Thank-you TVR1.

For those of you who think I should just bend over and pay like a good liberal, you are missing the point. If a ticket is issued incorrectly by someone with little or no intelligence who is unable to press the correct button and fails to check whether or not he may have made a mistake before issuing it, im guessing that maybe there is a chance he made other mistakes. I'm sure if anyone got a speeding ticket with the wrong reg, position, road, time or whatever, you would question it.

Thank-you for the members who have given constructive advice.

[*Al*]

TVR1 said:

It is always worthwhile appealing a ticket error. Even to the point of going to a parking tribunal, as most local authorities simply don't have the manpower to attend hearings and may eventually withdraw.

Besides, as long as you appeal within the specified time (on the ticket) the charge is frozen until the matter is resolved. As a matter of principle, I appeal every single parking ticket that I get. I would say 7 ot of 10 times, I have successfully challenged parking tickets. Admittedly, the last one took over two years to resolve but that one was a matter of principle (not to mention 'The Law').

http://www.pistonheads.co.uk/gassing/topic.asp?h=0...

Edited by TVR1 on Saturday 20th August 09:00

Just wondering why you aquire so many parking tickets? Most people respect parking restrictions and if they accidently get caught out by an error of misjudgement, they generally learn from it.

[badlands1]

A few years ago I seen a ticket on my car but then clicked on it was not mine in the first place, some halfwit put it on my car.
Is your reg number on it? if so do what you can to get off with this fine, if he made a mistake JUMP on that bandwagon and DON'T be a good little girl.

[RedWhiteMonkey]

Rs2oo said:

Thank-you TVR1.

For those of you who think I should just bend over and pay like a good liberal, you are missing the point. If a ticket is issued incorrectly by someone with little or no intelligence who is unable to press the correct button and fails to check whether or not he may have made a mistake before issuing it, im guessing that maybe there is a chance he made other mistakes. I'm sure if anyone got a speeding ticket with the wrong reg, position, road, time or whatever, you would question it.

Thank-you for the members who have given constructive advice.

It's nothing to do with being liberal, right-wing, left-wing, fascist, etc. It's about accepting responsibility for your actions, something that most PHers seem to continually bang on about. If I've read your original post correctly you have admitted the parking offence and you're now looking for a way out. You probably just made an honest mistake parking in the wrong place but the courts are unlikely to see that as a valid defence. If you think you can get out of it then by all means try but I don't think you should come on here looking for support. Irrespective of whether the guy put down the wrong vehicle make I suspect if he took a photo you're screwed anyway.

[Steffan]

TVR1 said:

*Al* said:

TVR1 said:

It is always worthwhile appealing a ticket error. Even to the point of going to a parking tribunal, as most local authorities simply don't have the manpower to attend hearings and may eventually withdraw.

Besides, as long as you appeal within the specified time (on the ticket) the charge is frozen until the matter is resolved. As a matter of principle, I appeal every single parking ticket that I get. I would say 7 ot of 10 times, I have successfully challenged parking tickets. Admittedly, the last one took over two years to resolve but that one was a matter of principle (not to mention 'The Law').

http://www.pistonheads.co.uk/gassing/topic.asp?h=0...

Edited by TVR1 on Saturday 20th August 09:00

Just wondering why you aquire so many parking tickets? Most people respect parking restrictions and if they accidently get caught out by an error of misjudgement, they generally learn from it.

I live in London is the general answer! But to be more specific, many london Boroughs are making life very difficult for the average resident/visitor alike. For example, generally I will get a parking permit for 6 months and only think of renewal at renewal time. Normally I would pop across to Hounslow Civic centre and renew my permit over the counter. This year? They decided to close the payment counter and only allow you to apply on line or by post. Result, too late, parking ticket.


Non existant signage conforming to the RTA.

Roads that are one Borough on one side and another on the other side of the road and not clearly signposted.

Pay and display machines not issuing tickets, telephone the emergency number to report I paid, time,date etc....but no record of call...that is until I sent in my mobile bill.

Incorrect road markings.

Simple errors

etc.etc.etc.

Perhaps it is different outside London, who knows? But I'm telling you, it is war against the motorist in London. Many Local authorities in London don't even pretend it is anything but anymore, so why shouldn't the motorist fight back?

TVR1 is right on this.

I am a disabled pensioner with Blue Badge and clock. Always have these fixed to dashboards. Generally do not attract parking problems.

On four occasions in Lichfield, Birmingham and Exmouth Devon and Nottingham I have had tickets issued. Correctly parked less than 3 hours etc.

In last three years.

No attendant to query with. Appealed on every occasion.

Results:

Lichfield: ticket cancelled long letter of apology.

Birmingham: ticket cancelled long letter of apology.

Exmouth: ticket cancelled letter of apology.

Nottingham: ticket cancelled.

TVR1 is right. The authorities do make mistakes. If you think you have a case go for it. It will cost you nothing (stamp) and may save money.

I saved £120 above. All the tickets were invalid and wrongly issued.

Up to you. The system is imperfect, defend yourself.

By way of a note, I still enjoy classic cars and kit cars but getting in and out is a challenge. Once I am in I can drive anything roadworthy but very low sports cars are really fun to get out of. I still have seven cars so I am determined to enjoy them all. Occasionally.

[Dwight VanDriver]

Always worth an appeal in these cases on the grounds that if he has the wrong details of the vehicle then is he wrong regarding the restriction?

Schedule to Civil Enforcement of Parking Contraventions (England) General Regulations 2007 outlines the details required in a PCN. Whilst VRM is required make is not. One cannot therefore make out an invalid PCN on these grounds.

dvd

[Rs2oo]

RedWhiteMonkey said:

I don't think you should come on here looking for support.

Clearly im not "looking for support" ! Im simply asking for informed opinions as to whether or not it is a valid/legal ticket because he has noted a different make of car. Call it a loophole a way out whatever you want the fact is in Gillingham for two days in a row, I could not park anywhere in one place for the whole day. I had to move my car 3 times a day to stay there for 7 continuous hours. Genuine mistake it was but very badly signed. I parked the other side of a "Zone Ends" sign not realising that a different zone started. Most of the side streets were half empty and I would have been happy to pay to park there but couldn't.

[davepoth]

Get over to http://forums.pepipoo.com as they are the experts on this sort of thing.

[ExChrispy Porker]

I would say that the ticket is valid, assuming the only mistake is the make of vehicle. Whether the OP wants to challenge it is a separate issue.

[Red Devil]

Rs2oo said:

He also put the tax disc number on the ticket but it is not displayed on the tax disc, just the expiry date so how can he type in a tax disc number without actually seeing it for himself ? Thanks !

So what are you saying? That he invented the tax disc number from his imgination? If, as you claim, yours doesn't have one then it's a fake. And a very poor one at that, because all VEDs have a number in the top segment above the expiry date in the following format 00 0000000 0. The first two digits correspond to the month of expiry. The next seven are the serial number. The last is a check digit.

If the VED number matches with the VRM it was issued to and the latter identifies you as the RK I think you will struggle to overturn the ticket. Nothing to stop you taking it to the Traffic Penalty Tribunal if you think the Council are likely to fold. If they don't, my money says the adjudicator will rule against you unless you can show the signage was missing/defective.

[Rs2oo]

Red Devil said:

So what are you saying? That he invented the tax disc number from his imgination?

No, from a check he managed to carry out, the number it is obscured by the tax disc holder - which no doubt you or someone else will probably tell me is an offence in itself - he could not have seen it for himself therefore he recorded it from a check he performed. I dont see the point of recording it as evidence for the ID of the car when he did not read it for himself from the disc. Once again, incorrect so called evidence. If tickets were written correctly, so called evidence actually recorded from what the Enforcement Officer can see, then there is no problem but when they just record numbers from a car tax check on a machine and not from the actual disc in front of them, put in the wrong make of car and do not record proper times, do not put a proper location eg outside number 21 and just put contravention code 16 with no reference to code 16 anywhere on the ticket then it is my right to question the validity of the ticket.