Wrong Vehicle Registration on PCN???

[Choppertrain]

Hello I would really appreciate any help anyone may be able to offer with this problem.

 

I recently recieved a PCN for parking unknowingly in a restricted area. When calling to pay the fine I noticed the wrong Vehicle Reg number was read out to me by the automated operator. It was only wrong by one digit. I checked my paper PCN and that too was wrong.

 

I therefore wrote an e-mail to the appeals office stating that I would not pay the PCN fine as this was not my vehicle registration. I didnt give any further details such as my actual vehicle reg. I left my student address as a contact.

 

2 weeks later I recieved a letter in the post stating that they require further information. I wonder what my rights are in this case? Do I have to provide them with this further information or is it their responsibility to have collected the correct information when I was actually parked there?

 

They are now asking for a copy of my vehicle registration certificate and a copy of my tax disc.

 

I would really appreciate any help as I don't want to end up paying if I don't need to.

 

best wishes

[My Real Name]

Is this an actual Penalty Charge Notice? In which case, the offence never occurred.

 

Is this a privately issued "ticket"? In which case, ignore it completely.

[Choppertrain]

Thanks for your quick response. Yes it was an actually PCN attatched to my windscreen by the council. The letter I recieved is also from my local council.

 

They stated that my ''case has been put on hold for a further 14 days however if the information requested is not recieved or payment made within 14days the amount of the PCN will increase to £100 and after 28 days a NTO (Notice to Owner) will be issued.''

 

What do you think??

 

Thanks again

[My Real Name]

I'm not sure how they can send an NTO if they don't have the correct registration.

 

You didn't give them any details of your name and / or address, or the correct registration, did you?

[JimmySpangle]

A great pity you contacted them at all. How did they get YOUR address? If the PCN has the wrong registration number then they would not be able to get your details from DVLA unless you happened to own that car too.

 

The bottom line is that the PCN is incorrect as you are not the owner of the vehicle stated in the PCN therefore have no duty to pay it as far as I can see.

[green_and_mean]

The cannot enforce the PCN even if you DO receive a NTO you cannot appeal against it since you are not the owner so have no legal right of appeal. Don't do anything else just keep hold of the PCN and see if a NTO does come which is highly unlikely.

[JimmySpangle]

Yep, I agree. Certainly do NOT give them your correct registration details or a copy of anything at all. They are on a hiding to nothing and you are in the clear. If the car is parked at the address you gave them, there is a chance one of the sneaky lowlifes might drive past and note it correctly, then send another through the post. Of course, this would be illegal and as long as you haven't given them the correct registration details, they would have a hell of a job explaining to a judge how they got them!

 

Motorist 1, Council nil.

[sailor sam]

Hi,

 

First of all I think you made a mistake by contacting them. If you had left it you probably would not have heard anymore because having the wrong VRM (even by one digit) makes the PCN not only invalid but very difficult to persue. Basically you have delivered yourself on a plate to them.

 

I'm not 100% sure about your rights now (as they now have your address ect) about providing any more information so maybe someone else can pop up with their views.

[Choppertrain]

At the moment they don't have the address my car is registered too as I gave them my student address.

 

My only concern is that although my Vehicle reg was obviously noted down wrong by the traffic warden, he/she would have also noted my tax disc number or any other information that the council could use to identify myself to them. Is it not standard for a traffic warden to record more than just the registration number? Could they therefore at a later date demand that I pay the £100??

 

Thanks

[Choppertrain]

Forgot to mention: They do not have the address my car is registered too, or my correct vehicle registration.

 

The only details they now have are my name, and temporary address which is on the other side of the country to where the 'offence' occured and where my car is registered too.

 

Perhaps I shouldnt have contacted them at all but because I thought they would have other details which could be used to identify myself with, it would be best to.

 

Thanks

[green_and_mean]

At the moment they don't have the address my car is registered too as I gave them my student address.

 

My only concern is that although my Vehicle reg was obviously noted down wrong by the traffic warden, he/she would have also noted my tax disc number or any other information that the council could use to identify myself to them. Is it not standard for a traffic warden to record more than just the registration number? Could they therefore at a later date demand that I pay the £100??

 

Thanks

 

I think you are getting a bit worked up over nothing! The details from the PCN are downloaded onto the Council enforcement software, after 28 days the back office staff send all the details from outstanding PCNs to the DVLA. If the details are correct an NTO will automatically get sent out to the keeper. If the VRM does not exist, the cars foreign, no keeper or the vehicles a miss match (pcn says rover the cars a bently) the PCN is cancelled. There are 2 possibilities in your case the PCN will either be cancelled or if by a fluke it matches a car correctly the keeper of the VRM on your PCN will get the notice to owner.

If they do decide to act unlawfully and ammend the PCN details before it progresses to the DVLA request stage this will show up on the PCN history on the software and be obvious as you have the original and they would be in hot water if caught doing so and its not really worth the bother.

[Choppertrain]

Thanks a lot for your advice, its been a lot of help.

 

Any other comments welcome too!

[lamma]

don't give the council any more information at all. Wrong VRM is fatal to their case. I can't think of any reason why the asked you send copies of tax disk and V5 - it is completely irrelevant to their mess up - unless it is trawl old cctv footage to try and nail you. You don't have to prove a thing, it is entirely up to the council to prove their case. Just let the council do what it wants but keep the PCN safely. If the council amends things to issue an NTO then 1) your are covered and will win that and 2) have at them in a civil case !

[green_and_mean]

I can't think of any reason why the asked you send copies of tax disk and V5 - it is completely irrelevant to their mess up

 

Because he has appealed on the grounds its not his vehicle if you didn't need proof everyone could just say that the VRM was wrong, not sure why they need tax though.

[lamma]

Exactly. Just let the council meander on down its own weird path. they are stuffed.

[channy8dan]

HEllo,

 

I am in a similar situation, they got my registration number wrong, and also managed to get my tax disc number wrong too! (what a plonker)

 

Anyways, my concern is that somewhere down the line they may check the photograph (which they always take these days)

 

What then? that will have the correct registration number on it.....is that good enough evidence on their part?

 

can anyone help??

[Michael Browne]

Anyways, my concern is that somewhere down the line they may check the photograph (which they always take these days)

 

What then? that will have the correct registration number on it.....is that good enough evidence on their part?

 

It won't matter, they can't re-issue a PCN for the same contravention.

[channy8dan]

But it proves I was there.

 

I've read that the photo is good enough evidence to proof the PCN was served on the vehicle.

[Michael Browne]

But it proves I was there.

 

I've read that the photo is good enough evidence to proof the PCN was served on the vehicle.

Still doesn't matter. They can't enforce the original PCN because the details are incorrect and they can't issue a 2nd corrected one for the same contravention.

[crem]

agree with Michael Browne

[channy8dan]

But once they realise there mistake can they simply issue a correct NTO and take it from there?

 

Sorry, I dnt mean to doubt, just need to be sure!!!

 

cheers

[Michael Browne]

No, that would be procedural impropiety

[lamma]

It doesn't matter, they can't re-issue a PCN for the same contravention.