Parking Ticket found - what to do ?
Discussion
I found a parking ticket outside my front door the other day that had obviously just been put on someones car and blown off. Hoping someone would do the same for me, I picked it up with a view to informing the registered owner so they don't end up paying through the roof as they probably never new about it. How do i find out who the owner of the vehicle is to inform them or do i just inform DVLA or something ?
TDTH1975 said:
I found a parking ticket outside my front door the other day that had obviously just been put on someones car and blown off.
Thought they were very sticky and thus unlikely to simply blow off?
Could either be (a) Driver threw it away hoping to argue "it was never there"
or (b) some kid has ripped it off for a laugh! If (a), doesn't matter what you do. If (b), I'd be glad you'd gone to the effort.
Trouble is, its going to cost you money to trace the number via the DVLA. I'd be tempted to just hand it in to your local cop shop or a passing traffic warden.
You have two choices;
1) bin it
2) put it in an envelope to the address on the ticket; (you can put it in an empty envolope or write a quick note)
The keeper of the car will be given a reminder when the time period has elapsed (normally 28 days)...if they fail to respond to that; the ticket will increase by 50% and will be registered as a non-payment; eventually a warrant of arrest will be issued.
1) bin it
2) put it in an envelope to the address on the ticket; (you can put it in an empty envolope or write a quick note)
The keeper of the car will be given a reminder when the time period has elapsed (normally 28 days)...if they fail to respond to that; the ticket will increase by 50% and will be registered as a non-payment; eventually a warrant of arrest will be issued.
Streetcop said:
You have two choices;
1) bin it
2) put it in an envelope to the address on the ticket; (you can put it in an empty envolope or write a quick note)
The keeper of the car will be given a reminder when the time period has elapsed (normally 28 days)...if they fail to respond to that; the ticket will increase by 50% and will be registered as a non-payment; eventually a warrant of arrest will be issued.
AS a matter of interest what percentage of tickets issued actually get paid, what percentage result in a summons and what percentage of summonses get responded to/get ignored & go away.
If a summons is issued and the person fails to respond and can't be traced, is there a fixed period after which the summons is invalid/deleted from the Police computers? How hard do the police try to trace people for summonses issued for such minor offences?
Cooperman...
I can only guess at these figures, but based on experience; tickets like the ones described; ie: parking tickets;
95% are paid....
The remaining 5% are then usually settled by a warrant of arrest being issued or they are discontinued through no chance of prosecution.
It's surprising how many people think that they will simply just go away; only to be later traced and prosecuted and the bill far in excess of what the original amount would have been.
I can only guess at these figures, but based on experience; tickets like the ones described; ie: parking tickets;
95% are paid....
The remaining 5% are then usually settled by a warrant of arrest being issued or they are discontinued through no chance of prosecution.
It's surprising how many people think that they will simply just go away; only to be later traced and prosecuted and the bill far in excess of what the original amount would have been.
glad this has come up....I got a letter through the post today...it says...
"Dear Mr xxxxx,
Excess charge notice no. B41692 Registration Y228 XXX
At 14:26 hours on 29th October 2004 in St Andrews Street Car Park the above mentioned vehicle was seen to be committing an offence, namely No parking ticket displayed on the windscreen (CAR). A penalty was incurred and to date this has not been settled
As the registered keeper of the vehicle a Notice to Owner, pursuant to Section 112 of the Road Traffic Act 1984 was sent to you requiring you to tell us the name and address if the driver of the vehicle at the time of the offence.
the rest says we'll take you to court if you dont pay us or tell us who was driving.
All very reasonable except...
1) This is DEFINITELY the first I have heard of this. There has been no other letter
2) On October 29th 2004 I was in Sharm El-Sheikh on holiday. In fact Im pretty certain that at 2:30 I was about 20 meters below sea level.
my girlfriend was with me and is the only other person with rights or access to the car - which was locked in our garage some hundred miles away from this car park.
The weird thing is I know where the car park is and have definitely used it at times in the past (though probably not for a good 6 months/year at least.
so...what should I do?
>> Edited by nightmare on Thursday 20th January 18:20
"Dear Mr xxxxx,
Excess charge notice no. B41692 Registration Y228 XXX
At 14:26 hours on 29th October 2004 in St Andrews Street Car Park the above mentioned vehicle was seen to be committing an offence, namely No parking ticket displayed on the windscreen (CAR). A penalty was incurred and to date this has not been settled
As the registered keeper of the vehicle a Notice to Owner, pursuant to Section 112 of the Road Traffic Act 1984 was sent to you requiring you to tell us the name and address if the driver of the vehicle at the time of the offence.
the rest says we'll take you to court if you dont pay us or tell us who was driving.
All very reasonable except...
1) This is DEFINITELY the first I have heard of this. There has been no other letter
2) On October 29th 2004 I was in Sharm El-Sheikh on holiday. In fact Im pretty certain that at 2:30 I was about 20 meters below sea level.
my girlfriend was with me and is the only other person with rights or access to the car - which was locked in our garage some hundred miles away from this car park.
The weird thing is I know where the car park is and have definitely used it at times in the past (though probably not for a good 6 months/year at least.
so...what should I do?
>> Edited by nightmare on Thursday 20th January 18:20
Streetcop said:
costs them money
The tax payer foots the bill....they are the 'Them'.!
But back to your story; if it's not you and you can prove where your car was at that time; you have nothing to worry about.
Seems a not unreasonable way of clawing back some of the money the Treasury has dubiously acquired from the tax payer in the first place !
to the stupid traffic warden who gave it to me in the first place 
Streetcop said:
So what do you do...let people take the piss...?
Well I think parking, where allowed, should be free as we've already paid for it in taxes, so there should be a helluva lot less tickets issued in the first place.
Streetcop said:
Only sort out those people who hold their hands up....and then let the difficult ones go..
Why not it's what happens with 'automated' motoring offences.
But seriously, if someone parks where it is dangerous to do so (rather than just deemed dangerous by a council pencil-neck) then some form of punishment may be required, it's a difficult call as to what that punishment should be and how far we should go to administer it but I, for one, would rather see Bib targeting real criminals (you know the ones who rob, mug, steal, rape etc
) - just doesn't seem appropriate to arrest 'parkers' any more than to jail speeders. 
>> Edited by catso on Thursday 20th January 21:33
Streetcop said:
The remaining 5% are then usually settled by a warrant of arrest being issued or they are discontinued through no chance of prosecution.
Warrant for arrest? It was my understanding that Parking Offences were not criminal offences, that's why they issue a Penalty Charge Notice not a Fine and if you contest it, it is not heard in a court but by a parking adjudicator. Unless it's been issued by a proper Traffic warden or the Police.
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