Camden New Journal
Publications by New Journal Enterprises
spacer
  Home Archive Competition Jobs Tickets Accommodation Dating Contact us
spacer
spacer
spacer
spacer
spacer
spacer
spacer
Letters to the Editor
 
Make sure you check for a winning ticket

• I am writing the following in the interest of all those suffering motorists who receive Fixed Penalty Notices for parking violations.
This is the story of a famous barrister who queried a notice. He wrote to the Fixed Penalty Clerk and received a formal reply requesting payment whilst the matter was considered, which he did.
Eventually, a further letter arrived saying his vehicle had been illegally parked and the notice “correct in the circumstances” but he would still get his cheque back, as the issuing officer (warden) had made “an administrative error”.
He wrote asking for an explanation and received a reply saying the office copy of the notice had been found to be incomplete, the exact details of the parking restriction was missing. He was also informed “upon receiving mitigation from a member of the public notice is checked, if it is then noticed it was in any way incorrectly completed it is cancelled”.
So now you know. If you do not query your ticket, they do not check and you end up paying when there may be no legal need to do so. So use the system and you may beat the system, even if only by chance. You may save a lot of pounds for the cost of a stamp.
The Borough of Camden issued 446,212 tickets in a year, if there is only one error in every 200 issued you have 2,231 chances of winning. You can request a copy of their office copy under the Freedom of Information Act. Check registration, street, postal code, etc. Good Luck.
J Ryan
Haverstock Road
NW5

• IS there no way Camden Council cannot find to squeeze money from motorists?
I live in Aldred Road. Two signs went up on my side of the road. They were about 50 yards apart. They warned that on March 21 our remaining large leafy tree would be serviced and that cars should not be parked that day between the signs.
So on the evening before, I parked my car on the other side. The following morning I went outside to watch the tree being shorn down. A tree worker said that once they had finished, the signs would not be needed, and that if I had a parking permit I’d be alright to park.
I got into my car, drove to Tesco at Brent Cross, bought food and necessities and parked outside my home. The two signs were still up.
I took my shopping into my flat, made tea, went back into the study, looked out at my car and… it had a parking ticket on its windscreen.
Five cars were parked between the two signs. Two cars, mine and one directly in front had been ticketed. The others, not so. My crime? Being parked in a suspended bay. The work on the tree was over so no car between the two signs was an obstruction.
I phoned Camden Parking and I learned something – I was told the tree firm had been contracted by Camden Council to do the job. “Alright,” I said “but in that case the council should make it mandatory for the signs to be removed even by the contractors the moment they finish their work. Otherwise pensioners like myself are losing the rights we gained by forking out money for the Parking Permits.”
M Beckman
Aldred Road
NW6

• I am writing to express my dismay and frustration at the incompetence of traffic wardens patrolling the area including Agar Grove and Cantelowes Road.
We have received two Penalty Notices:
1. Parking in designated disabled persons’ parking place without clearly displaying a valid disabled person’s badge (Blue Badge).
2. Parking without displaying a valid parking permit.
We have paid both of these unjust penalties and lodged a complaint with the ombudsman.
A valid Blue Badge was clearly displayed on both occasions.
However, Camden Council has expressed the view that if the traffic warden did not see it – it was not there.
On an earlier occasion, my daughter was walking towards our house and stopped a traffic warden from issuing a ticket by drawing his attention to the Blue Badge clearly displayed by the tax disc.
On yet another occasion, a police sergeant happened to be on the scene when we returned to our car to find a parking ticket had been issued and agreed to confirm that a Blue Badge was clearly displayed.
We have received another ticket since then. Although we will have to pay this one as Camden Council mislaid our application to renew our Blue Badge.
We have since been informed by Camden Council that we can can appeal and have our money refunded when a notice to owner will be issued and since they didn’t believe us in the first place the charges will have risen to £100 each.
I am on long-term sick leave due to complications following an operation last year and am therefore on half-pay and my husband is having difficulty in working having both rheumatoid and osteoarthritis therefore we can ill-afford to pay these maladministered charges.
Christine Parker
Agar Grove
NW1

Send your letters to: The Letters Editor, Camden New Journal, 40 Camden Road, London, NW1 9DR or email to letters@camdennewjournal.co.uk. The deadline for letters is midday Tuesday. The editor regrets that anonymous letters cannot be published, although names and addresses can be withheld. Please include a full name, postal address and telephone number. Letters may be edited for reasons of space.
spacer
» A-Z of Theatre
» Local Reviews
» Local Listings
» West End Reviews
» West End Listings
» Theatre Tickets
» Theatre & Hotel Packages













spacer


Theatre Music
Arts & Events Attractions
spacer
 
 


  up