Wrong Reg Number on Parking Ticket

[Fat Dog]

I was parked in a residents bay last week and due to me getting the times wrong, I got a ticket.

I went online to pay it but couldn't log in. This turned out to be because they have noted my Registration number on the Penalty Notice incorrectly.

So now I wonder whether I have to pay it or not? I have no idea whether they use camera's in Hastings Old Town.

Can anyone help with thoughts/guidance?

Thanks!

[The Highway Man]

As a former parking warden, any tickets with the incorrect VRM were invalid. It's up to the issuing authority to ensure that the ticket has the correct details on. Look on it as a lucky escape and be more careful in future.

[Fat Dog]

Thats very interesting to hear - thanks for that!

I will go and spend my £35 on lottery tickets instead of the Parking ticket and see if my luck continues!

[philmots]

Just a thought, I'm sure i have seen traffic wardens take a digi photo of cars parked wrongly with the ticket in place?

Could they not link this photo up to the ticket when it hasn't been paid and see their mistake and come chasing you again?

I'd be tempted to 'fess up than risk a ccj etc.

Thanks

[Fat Dog]

I did wonder about that - but I am not going to be in Hastings any time soon to check out whether they just take that pic to prove it was on the car or not...

The previous reply gave me hope that the VRM being wrong would void the ticket and that would be that.

Any more thoughts/knowledge would love to know. I still have 9 days before it goes up to £70!

[philmots]

I really hope it does void the ticket and you're able to get away with it..!

Knowing what they're like, for me, it's too much risk!

Good luck

[eddie1980]

You miss-read the time, they miss-read your plate. Two wrongs apparently do make a right!

Sounds to me like you have a good chance of claiming innocence on this, especially if you document your attempt to pay in case they do chase you.

All the best with it, and let us know how it turns out!

Edited by eddie1980 on Tuesday 2nd February 14:04

[oldsoak]

If someone doesn't pay they (the council) will put in a request to the DVLA for the name and address of the registered keeper of the vehicle as shown on the parking ticket.
When that query comes back with different details to what they have issued the charge against they will void the ticket.
Say for instance they take pictures of vehicle ABC 123D contravening parking regs, they issue a ticket to ABD 123C, that number on the ticket is the one they will query at the DVLA.

Edited by oldsoak on Tuesday 2nd February 14:06

[Fat Dog]

I can't really document trying to pay online as far as I know...unless anyone can tell me differently?

My only concern is that they might look at the picture (if one exists - and although I dont know for sure, that does seem to be the norm) when they begin the process of trying to find me when I havent paid.

But on balance reading what you guys have said, I am going to cross my fingers and see what happens

[Dwight VanDriver]

The Civil Enforcement of Parking Contraventions (England) General Regulations 2007 deals with Parking contracventions .

It defines “penalty charge notice” as having the meaning given by regulation 8(1) which states

8.—(1) In these Regulations a “penalty charge notice” means a notice which—

(a) was served in accordance with regulation 9 or 10 in relation to a parking contravention; AND

(b) COMPLIES WITH THE REQUIREMENTS of the Schedule which apply to it

So we go to the Reg 8 Schedule which states

Regulation 8

SCHEDULE PENALTY CHARGES NOTICES

Contents of a penalty charge notice served under regulation 9 (or 10 detected by camera and posted)

1. A penalty charge notice served under regulation 9

MUST

in addition to the matters required to be included in it by regulation 3(2) of the Representations and Appeals Regulations, state—;

(c) THE REG MARK OF THE VEHICLE INVOLVED IN THE ALLEGED CONTRAVENTION.

In this case the Reg Number is not that of the vehicle involved. It can therefore be argued that the Notice is invalid as it has not conformed to the Regs.

You may wish to consider these facts in an Appeal?

dvd

[Fat Dog]

Dwight VanDriver said:

The Civil Enforcement of Parking Contraventions (England) General Regulations 2007 deals with Parking contracventions .

It defines “penalty charge notice” as having the meaning given by regulation 8(1) which states

8.—(1) In these Regulations a “penalty charge notice” means a notice which—

(a) was served in accordance with regulation 9 or 10 in relation to a parking contravention; AND

(b) COMPLIES WITH THE REQUIREMENTS of the Schedule which apply to it

So we go to the Reg 8 Schedule which states

Regulation 8

SCHEDULE PENALTY CHARGES NOTICES

Contents of a penalty charge notice served under regulation 9 (or 10 detected by camera and posted)

1. A penalty charge notice served under regulation 9

MUST

in addition to the matters required to be included in it by regulation 3(2) of the Representations and Appeals Regulations, state—;

(c) THE REG MARK OF THE VEHICLE INVOLVED IN THE ALLEGED CONTRAVENTION.

In this case the Reg Number is not that of the vehicle involved. It can therefore be argued that the Notice is invalid as it has not conformed to the Regs.

You may wish to consider these facts in an Appeal?

dvd

This seals it for me - I am going to try my luck and see what happens!

Thanks dvd for this, appreciate the time you have taken to reply to this. Cheers

[chrimbb]

The same thing happened to me a while back. I even spoke to the council about it. Just ignore the ticket. That was also their advice.

[Dwight VanDriver]

I would say NEVER ignore a Council PCN. It could have a sting in the tale as 10. 2. 1
they may well have a photo with the correct vrm theron......

A Private jobbie is anothjer matter...

dvd

[AndrewHolmes]

Check out http://www.penatlychargenotice.co.uk - the should be able to put you in the picture.

[paintman]

Spelling Police say try this link: http://www.penaltychargenotice.co.uk/

[AndrewHolmes]

paintman said:

Spelling Police say try this link: http://www.penaltychargenotice.co.uk/

Thanks!

[Fat Dog]

paintman said:

Spelling Police say try this link: http://www.penaltychargenotice.co.uk/

Thanks for this paintman - I have had a trawl through and it is not clear...I am going to have to ask the issueing body (Hastings Council I think) and see what they say.

Obviously without telling them the right details!!!

Thanks for all the responses so far.

[anonymous-user]

Just as a sidebar to this...

What difference does the digital photo make to the process of issuing tickets?
You can alter pretty much anything in Photoshop and still ook perfectly real...pretty sure altering a few characters on a number plate wouldn't be very difficult at all.....neither would it be to cut/paste a car from one photo to another, ie from a legitimate parking place to a one with double red route lines and a nice fat fine.

I'm not saying this happens of course just wondering if there is any kinda procedure for verifying the originality of the digi pic?

[The Highway Man]

There was a report in the papers a few years ago of someone in parking enforcement getting done and taken to court for doctoring digital photos.

[Robatr0n]

You have some pretty good information in here but I'll add my experience too.

I've received more parking tickets than any other person I know and I've been parked perfectly legally in a residents parking bay every single time. I had about 95% of these tickets overturned but they pointblank refused to overturn the last PCN I received despite the fact that their photo evidence backed up my arguement. But anyway..

I received a PCN in Richmond a couple of years ago and this time I was caught bang to rights. I was in a rush and parked up in a Pay & Display bay, paid for the parking and rushed off. What I didn't realise (as it was dark and I was running late) was that the rear wheels of my car were just over-hanging the bay behind me which is a 24hour residents parking bay.

I thought the PCN was abit anal but hey, I was illegally parked. I rang the Parking Shop to pay the PCN but whilst on the phone I noticed that they had mis-typed my registration mark. My registration begins with an 'O' and they listed it as '0' (zero) so I mentioned this to the young lady on the phone and she immediately pulled up a photograph that had been taken by the traffic warden.

Her reply was "Well that's not your car sir."
Me: "Excuse me? It must be my car!"
Her: "No, what I mean is that the warden has issued a ticket to a car with the registration '0XX XXXX' and yours is 'OXX XXXX'. This means that as far as we're concerned, you didn't park your car illegally and you don't have to pay a fine. Have a great Christmas!"

I think it depends on the council in question as my local council are a bunch of clowns and you have to fight tooth and nail to get anything overturned. Richmond council were fantastic to deal with by comparison.