Photographic evidence corrupted

[looneygooner]

I had a parking ticket come through the post last week and it cited I now owed £110,

I didn't received the initial parking ticket

 

 

I went on to Harrow Council's parking website and looked at the evidence,

the photos were so badly taken, that there was no photos of my car reg,

the double yellow lines or the parking ticket on my windscreen.

 

 

I do recalled the night in question as I brought over a bookcase for a friend of mine, and parked outside his flat, ,

and I do not recalled any parking ticket on my windscreen.

 

 

I have further checked and there are double yellow lines on one side

and single yellow on the other side of the road

 

 

looking back I am pretty sure my car was on the single and not the double yellow lines.

Do I have to accept that the ticket was lawfully applied,

it seems odd that the photos were so badly taken,

 

 

could the same be applied that the ticket was never put on my windscreen,

and that I in fact came downstairs and drove away before it could be applied on my windscreen

[martin2006]

In the 2nd photo its clear there are 2 lines where the car is parked.

 

They must have your registration number to have located you as the Regd Keeper, it may be blanked out.

 

This is a council issued ticket i presume and not a private company issued parking charge notice?

[looneygooner]

It is a council parking charge, but it doesn't show my car, nor the parking ticket, the fact it was so late on a Saturday night, I simply wouldn't trust the enforcement officer or officers, the fact I was bringing a book case to a friend of mine, they may have waited til I was in the flat entrance and given the ticket, wouldn't it be considered unloading/loading?

[martin2006]

Registration number aside for a minute, does that look like the front of your car?

 

Double yellow lines

 

Double yellow lines mean that you cannot wait at any time.

 

However, you may stop to load or unload, unless there are loading restrictions signposted nearby.

 

Loading restrictions are marked by yellow lines on the edge of the kerb and the restrictions will be signposted nearby.

 

The only times you may ever park on a double yellow line are if you need to change a flat tyre, if the police instruct you to or if it is an emergency.

[looneygooner]

No, my car is a VW Golf and it's green

 

The notice of rejection did state that double yellow lines means no parking at all unless unloading/loading

[martin2006]

I drive a vw touran, again, number plate aside, i thought the pic looked like a vw front grille.

Have you appealed the ticket?

 

Might also be an idea to remove any personal info and upload a pic of the document you have received.

[Jamberson]

The only times you may ever park on a double yellow line are if you need to change a flat tyre, if the police instruct you to or if it is an emergency.

 

You can use double yellows to load/unload and also to allow passengers to board/alight.

[Jamberson]

The fact is, photographs are not needed at all - they are only taken to help resolve disputes, but a PCN can be issued and enforced without any - so although the photos here are useless, the PCN can still stand.

 

Whether you want to appeal will depend on how strong a case you think you have. Put it this way - a PCN drops through your door with no prior warning. Turns out you had left your car in that very road at that very time. So, logically, your car was there - and if the CEO issued a PCN, he is basically saying you were parked in contravention. From your point of view, you are not sure - you could have been on this side of the road, or the other.

 

It's not a strong case in that respect. However the loading exemption is stronger, if you concede that you were parked there. You can appeal on the basis that you were unloading - but do you have anything to back up the appeal? For instance, was the bookcase purchased and is there a receipt? Or is there any other way you can convince them?

 

You don't mention what length of observation time you were given, but it should say so on the paperwork. The shorter the better, basically, as you need to account for what you were doing during that time. Unloading includes carrying something into a premises and securing it, but not. for example, staying for a chat. If you are going to appeal, then try and convince tham that you were in the process of unloading throughout.

[martin2006]

I think its probably safe to say that you were there, parked on DYL. As jamberson has already said, the time you spent parked there will no doubt be critical to any appeal.

[looneygooner]

There is no time indication on the letter I got, I was about ten mins, taking the book case upstairs I don't have any receipt, only the fact That the friend I was dropping it off to will write a letter stating that I was dropping a bookcase off

[martin2006]

Hmmm, there should be a time reference or you can defend under the loading/unloading exemption. A letter confirming how long you were there and why you were there can only help with any appeal.

[Jamberson]

You should have been given an observation time. If I were you I would phone the council and ask if you were given one (and if not, is there a reason?). You are allowed to stop and unload, which is why an observation time is needed. It should have been printed on the original PCN, but you didn't get one.

[looneygooner]

the strange thing is I was in and out within ten mins, I had my, and I don't recall any windy or rainy weather that evening hazard lights on, just wondering if they were in a vehicle watching across the road and waited til I went upstairs with the book case, I will ask about the observation time and will ask for any proof, I can't see how the ticket would have been removed or blown away in the wind within ten mins. I doubt if the weather was very windy or wet, it is very odd, and I wouldn't put anything past any enforcement officer. Does it matter if he didn't put the ticket on the windscreen on the chance I drove away before he could

[Jamberson]

Yes it does matter. If he didn't place it on the windscreen or hand it to you, then it wasn't served.

 

If a car is driven off before it can be served, then they can issue one by post.

 

It would be good to do some fact finding - see what his notes say about whether it was served and how, as well as the observation time. By the way, I wouldn't be asking for proof from the council - if you talk to them just try and be friendly and get whatever info you can. Once you know what the CEO had to say about it, then you can word your appeal.

[looneygooner]

I will be phoning Harrow Council tomorrow to politely ask about his notes and how it was served and how, many thanks