Got a congestion charge for a car i sold a year ago.

[Reesleydon]

Hello there good people, i am hoping for some solid advice on this matter.

 

I had a saxo vts, i sold it filled in the v5 and im 99% sure but can not say for certain if i ever sent it off.

 

The car when i had it was registered to an address i no longer live at ad the other day i visited that house (It's my GF's brothers house) and i was greeted by a letter from Transport of London for a congestion charge that hasn't been payed and the charge was issues for the offense in December.

 

The letter was saying that since i have not payed the fine has increased, this is the 1st Ive heard of it and there was no other letters there either from transport of London. I called the them and they asked for proof that i am not the owner of the car but tbh, i don't have any and the only thing i know about the buyer is that he is called ashley. i have emails from him saying when he will buy the car.

 

I've called the DVLA and they say it is registered to me and that if i want to change ownership of the vehicle i need to send them a letter which is what I'm in the process of.

 

I don't live anywhere near London and Ive never been to London in my adult life.

 

The fine is 180 pound, do i have any chance of appealing it or do i just bite the bullet and fork out the money.

 

Thank you very much any advice appreciated.

[Reesleydon]

Anyone?

[green_and_mean]

If you are still in time to appeal it you may as well as you have missed any discount, if you have missed the appeal deadline then I'd pay it as you were still the keeper and will get chased by the baliffs if you don't pay.

[Desperate Daniella]

Wait until tomorrow, and I'll tell you who to write to. May not work unless you can provide the proof that you sold the car - correspondence with Ashley, money paid by cheque into your bank account following the email correspondence, etc., but worth a try.

 

DD

[Reesleydon]

Unfortunately he gave me cash and i put it into my bank on the day. i will check the letter to check the appeal cut off day. Thank you for the advice.

[Desperate Daniella]

Let me know if you are in time to appeal.

 

DD

[Kiki1]

Unfortunately he gave me cash and i put it into my bank on the day. i will check the letter to check the appeal cut off day. Thank you for the advice.

 

That should still be OK, as it will be on the bank statement. Ebay should be able to provide you with an archive of the auction including sale date to tie up with the funds transfer

[Reesleydon]

Lol im not doing good so far, it was on gumtree ebay charge u a fortune

[tomtubby]

Are you still able to access details of the advert from Gumtree?

 

Can you send an email to the buyer?

 

Also, if the details are not updated with DVLA the new keeper cannot tax the vehicle. Was the car sold with any car tax remaining?

 

The notice that you have received is it called an Order for Recovery? If so, it will provide a date by when the charge should be paid or to file a witness statement.

[Reesleydon]

Cant accses the gumtree ad, its not an order of recovery either. it doesnt give me a date in which i can appeal to just says my fine is going up because i haven't paid it. How do i appeal?

Who do i email?

[Desperate Daniella]

Write to:

 

Nick Fairholme,

Director of Congestion Charging,

Transport for London,

Palestra,

4th Floor,

197 Blackfriars Road,

London SE1 8NJ.

 

Send him absolutely anything you have by way of proof of the sale.

[Reesleydon]

I've emailed Transport Of London with a complaint. hopefully my fine won't increase while i await their reply.

[Reesleydon]

Ok thank you so much, very helpful.

 

 

Only proof i have is emails from a guy called Ashley who says he was coming up on saturday to buy the car from nottingham and i'll get a bank statement where i deposited 1700 pound into my bank.

 

 

You have any advice on how i should sound in the mail, like do i say, i sent the V5 doc away and i understand if i swear under oath that i sent it that's the only proof the judge will need to believe me, or do i plead with him and be as nice as possible.

[Desperate Daniella]

Plead with him, and be as nice as possible.

 

Start by giving him all the details.

 

Say you sent off the V5 document when you sold the car and thought no more about it until you received their penalty notice.

 

Enclose a copy of the emails, and the bank statement - you can tippex out anything you don't want them to see.

 

Say you trust that under the circumstances he will kindly agree to waive the penalty on this occasion as you were clearly not the driver of the vehicle on the date in question.

 

Good luck.

 

DD

[Reesleydon]

I've wrote a letter, here is what i wrote: "Dear Nick Fairholme.

 

 

 

I am writing to you in response to a letter I received from your department, The letter was sent to an old address that I had when I owned a Black Saxo VTS (Reg: T25VTS).

So I received this letter later than it was delivered because, I no longer live there. It says that I have failed to pay a congestion charge of £120 and that it was increasing to £180 pound, there was no other letters at the address stating the £120 fine.

The fine was for a congestion charge in London, I have never been to London in my adult life and the car associated with the fine I no longer own and haven't done so for nearly a year. At the time of sale I filled out the appropriate documentation and sent it off and never thought anything after that.

But now I understand this fine is linked to me because the car is classed as still mine. I trust under the circumstanced and I ask you kindly to please agree to waive the penalty on this occasion as I was clearly not the driver of the vehicle on the date in question. I understand I can provide little evidence as I sold the car on gumtree to a guy called Ashley who lives in Nottingham, all I've been able to provide you with is a bank statement of the sale date and emails I received from the buyer stating the date he was going to collect the car.

I really cannot afford this, we are all going through tough times and I'm living with my mother At the moment and I am currently unemployed trying to pay off an overdraft.

 

Please find in this letter attached is a bank statement and emails which from the buyer.

 

Thank you, i hope you can help me and i appreciate you taking the time to read this letter."

 

 

Anything i should change, Thanks guys.

[Desperate Daniella]

That is a very nice letter. The previous Director of Congestion Charging was usually understanding, and there is at least one cagger who wrote to Mr Fairholme in the last month or so, and he cancelled her fine. Hope it works for you too.