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    • Hello dx100uk, After months of waiting for a response I finally got a reply and I must say it was the worst 4 months of my life the - fear of the unknown. So, they wrote back and said I was in the wrong BUT on this occasion they  would not take action but keep me on file for the next 12 months. It. was the biggest relief of my life a massive weight lifted -  I would like to thank you and the team for all your support
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    • Yup, for goodness sake she needs to stop paying right now, DCA's are powerless, as .  Is it showing on their credit file? Best to use Check my file. All of the above advice is excellent, definitely SAR the loan company as soon as possible.
    • Hi all, I am wandering if this is appealable. It has already been through a challenge on the Islington website and the it was rejected. Basically there was a suspended bay sign on a post on Gee st which was obscured by a Pizza van. The suspension was for 3 bays outside 47 Gee st. I parked outside/between 47 & 55 Gee st. I paid via the phone system using a sign a few meters away from my car. When I got back to the car there was a PCN stuck to the windscreen which I had to dry out before I could read it due to rain getting into the plastic sticky holder.  I then appealed using the Islington website which was then rejected the next day. I have attached a pdf of images that I took and also which the parking officer took. There are two spaces in front of the van, one of which had a generator on it the other was a disabled space. I would count those as 3 bays? In the first image circled in red is the parking sign I read. In the 2nd image is the suspension notice obscured by the van. I would have had to stand in the middle of the road to read this, in fact that's where I was standing when I took the photo. I have pasted the appeal and rejection below. Many thanks for looking. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- This is my appeal statement: As you can see from the image attached (image 1) I actually paid £18.50 to park my car in Gee st. I parked the car at what I thought was outside 55 Gee st as seen in image 2 attached. When I read the PCN issued it stated there was a parking suspension. There was no suspension notice on the sign that I used to call the payment service outside number 55 Gee st. I looked for a suspension notice and eventually found one which was obscured by a large van and generator parked outside 47 Gee st. As seen in images 3 and 4 attached. I am guessing the parking suspension was to allow the Van to park and sell Pizza during the Clerkenwell design week. I was not obstructing the use or parking of the van, in fact the van was obstructing the suspension notice which meant I could not read or see it without prior knowledge it was there. I would have had to stand in the road to see it endangering myself as I had to to take images to illustrate the hidden notice. As there was no intention to avoid a parking charge and the fact the sign was not easily visible I would hope this challenge can be accepted. Many thanks.   This is the text from the rejection: Thank you for contacting us about the above Penalty Charge Notice (PCN). The PCN was issued because the vehicle was parked in a suspended bay or space. I note from your correspondence that there was no suspension notice on the sign that you used to call the payment serve outside number 55 Gee Street. I acknowledge your comments, however, your vehicle was parked in a bay which had been suspended. The regulations require the suspension warning to be clearly visible. It is a large bright yellow sign and is erected by the parking bay on the nearest parking plate to the area that is to be suspended. Parking is then not permitted in the bay for any reason or period of time, however brief. The signs relating to this suspension were sited in accordance with the regulations. Upon reviewing the Civil Enforcement Officer's (CEO's) images and notes, I am satisfied that sufficient signage was in place and that it meets statutory requirements. Whilst I note that the signage may have been obstructed by a large van and generator at the time, please note, it is the responsibility of the motorist to locate and check the time plate each time they park. This will ensure that any changes to the status of the bay are noted. I acknowledge that your vehicle possessed a RingGo session at the time, however, this does not authorize parking within a suspended bay. Suspension restrictions are established to facilitate specific activities like filming or construction, therefore, we anticipate the vehicle owner to relocate the vehicle from the suspended area until the specified date and time when the suspension concludes. Leaving a vehicle unattended for any period of time within a suspended bay, effectively renders the vehicle parked in contravention and a Civil Enforcement Officer (CEO) may issue a PCN. Finally, the vehicle was left parked approximately 5 metres away from the closest time plate notice. It is the responsibility of the driver to ensure they park in a suitable parking place and check all signs and road markings prior to leaving their vehicle parked in contravention. It remains the driver's responsibility to ensure that the vehicle is parked legally at all times. With that being said, I would have to inform you, your appeal has been rejected at this stage. Please see the below images as taken by the CEO whilst issuing the PCN: You should now choose one of the following options: Pay the penalty charge. We will accept the discounted amount of £65.00 in settlement of this matter, provided it is received by 10 June 2024. After that date, the full penalty charge of £130.00 will be payable. Or Wait for a Notice to Owner (NtO) to be issued to the registered keeper of the vehicle, who is legally responsible for paying the penalty charge. Any further correspondence received prior to the NtO being issued may not be responded to. The NtO gives the recipient the right to make formal representations against the penalty charge. If we reject those representations, there will be the right of appeal to the Environment and Traffic Adjudicator.   Gee st pdf.pdf
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DVLA medical commission ignoring NHS consultant opinion


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Hi,

 

I am new here and hope to find somebody who can help me.

 

I had an EU driving licence which expired last month. when I applied for the UK driving licence I had to declare a medical condition which I had six year ago but that it is no longer something I suffer from, infact I have been off medication for a couple of years and I am not under the supervision of any doctors.

the NHS consultant I saw for driving licence wrote a letter summarising the history of the problem and attesting that I met all the criteria for fitness to drive, and discharged me with no further appointments or care required.

 

After 5 weeks since I applied for the UK license the DVLA had received the medical questionnaire and the letter from the consultant (which starts by saying "I see no reason why she should not drive a vehicle), and have said that my case has been referred to a DVLA doctor who has to check that my condition meets the criteria above. and that this is not going to happen before January next year, which seems like a very long time to not have a license.

 

I have tried to get more information but they are just rude, robotic call centre people who wind you up, and repeat that they have to deal with cases from all the UK.

 

I wanted to try the complaint procedure or possibly to look at getting professional legal advice. I can't understand why when an NHS specialist consultant has written to the DVLA to say I can drive, it should have to go to their doctor who can't respond until January. I can drive under the law section 88 road traffic act 1988 but I do not feel confident without the driving licence. plus I cannot go to visit family abroad with my baby as is illegal there going around without driving licence with you.

 

has anyone had any similar experiences? any advice would be much appreciated.

 

thanks

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Although the consultant has said that he considers you fit to drive the decision rests with the DVLA. It's for that reason that your case has been referred to their medical advisers. The timescale you've been given is broadly the same as I was given when I went through this earlier in the year. That said the 4 months they quoted me turned out to be 3 weeks, so there is hope.

 

As you've found out you can't talk to the medical advisers, only to the front line staff. However your consultant or your GP (if he has the full facts) can phone the medical advisers so that might be a course worth pursuing.

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You could also take the matter to a Magistrates Court or a better bet may be your MP. DVLA are, literally a law unto themselves and have the public safety at the heart of their work

 

No you couldn't. Stop posting misinformation please.

Any advice i give is my own and is based solely on personal experience. If in any doubt about a situation , please contact a certified legal representative or debt counsellor..

 

 

If my advice helps you, click the star icon at the bottom of my post and feel free to say thanks

:D

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  • 1 month later...

I hope by now they have made a decision. You may be interested to read the OMBUDSMAN'S REPORT "Driven to Despair" I cannot post a link, but you will find it under Ombudsman+Driven to Despair.

 

This highlights the fact that the DVLA have in the past, and obviously continue to over-rule Specialist consultant's advice. In my case, the assumption of a gynaecologist, GP and geriatrician on a question of vision over-ruled the specialist Opthomologist from Moorfields .

 

The Ombudsman's report was laid before Parliament on 20 October. DVLA are still refusing to comply to two of her findings, one of which you might find very interesting. The case handling of DVLA has been highlighted as one of the points for consideration. If you have not received your license, I suggest you read the report and quote it to them. (Do remember always to keep a copy of correspondence and sent it recorded delivery, as they have been know to destroy important evidence, even if it is needed for a Court Appeal - see Ombudsman's report. It will be difficult to raise an Appeal through the Courts until they have actually refused your license. However, there is no harm in taking the Ombudsman's report to your MP, along with your complaint, as the DVLA are now going to be answerable to Parliament, so the more complainants that speak up the better. There are others out there who have been treated in a similar way, and as Dame Julie Mellor the Ombudsman says, they are being denied justice.

I really sympathise with you. My case took seven years to sort out, and a lot of money - all, fortunately refunded as a result of this Report. Stick with it. Good luck!

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I hope by now they have made a decision. You may be interested to read the OMBUDSMAN'S REPORT "Driven to Despair" I cannot post a link, but you will find it under Ombudsman+Driven to Despair.

 

This highlights the fact that the DVLA have in the past, and obviously continue to over-rule Specialist consultant's advice. In my case, the assumption of a gynaecologist, GP and geriatrician on a question of vision over-ruled the specialist Opthomologist from Moorfields .

 

The Ombudsman's report was laid before Parliament on 20 October. DVLA are still refusing to comply to two of her findings, one of which you might find very interesting. The case handling of DVLA has been highlighted as one of the points for consideration. If you have not received your license, I suggest you read the report and quote it to them. (Do remember always to keep a copy of correspondence and sent it recorded delivery, as they have been know to destroy important evidence, even if it is needed for a Court Appeal - see Ombudsman's report. It will be difficult to raise an Appeal through the Courts until they have actually refused your license. However, there is no harm in taking the Ombudsman's report to your MP, along with your complaint, as the DVLA are now going to be answerable to Parliament, so the more complainants that speak up the better. There are others out there who have been treated in a similar way, and as Dame Julie Mellor the Ombudsman says, they are being denied justice.

I really sympathise with you. My case took seven years to sort out, and a lot of money - all, fortunately refunded as a result of this Report. Stick with it. Good luck!

 

I don't disgaree, but could you comment on what I might suggest / ask as clarifications?.

 

a) Don't use Recorded Delivery : DVLA can 'sign en masse' for these, leading Royal Mail to sometimes say it has been delivered, or sometimes leave it as 'this item is progressing through our system', but both situations without a signature on delivery. Recorded Delivery is not a 'guaranteed delivery' service ; for items of this importance / need for 'traceability' ; use Special Delivery. At least if they don't get a signature for it, you can resend it (from the photocopies you've kept!), at Royal Mail's cost (as you get your Special Delivery fee refunded if they don't get a signature), until Royal Mail get DVLA to sign for it!.

 

b) DVLA told me there is no ability to complain to their Chief Executive: there is. (The Complaints team told me that the only appeal is to the Complaints team, even if the complaint included complaining about them!)

 

c) DVLA told me there is no ability to complain (via your MP) to the Secretary of State for Transport : there is. I'm not sure how much use it is, but anything that makes them more uncomfortable with unreasonable delay / decisions they'll struggle to defend on scrutiny .....

 

d) DVLA told me there is no ability to complain (via your MP) to the Ombudsman (the Parliamentary Ombudsman). There is.

 

b, c, and d are useful when they haven't refused a license but aren't showing any sign of reaching a decision in a reasonable timeframe (so you are in limbo and can't launch a court appeal until they actually refuse).

 

e) Once they refuse, any appeal is to a Magistrates Court. I couldn't find much if any discussion of people actually going to court, and 2 long-serving Magistrates (from different benches, one a professional driver [a London 'cabbie'] as his day job!) I asked about this ('on spec') had both never heard such a case, or heard of colleagues having done so.

When asked if there was a difference of opinion between DVLA's team and a specialist they would enquire if any of the DVLA team were also specialists in that area. They weren't aware of DVLA's having published guidelines for medical professionals!

 

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/526635/assessing-fitness-to-drive-a-guide-for-medical-professionals.pdf

but when I pointed it out and then specifically asked; said they would ask the DVLA team and the specialist whose opinions varied "does the driver meet DVLA's published standards, and if not why not?", asking each to comment on the other's reply ........

 

Did you ever get an actual refusal or did they keep stalling?, and (if refused) did you appeal to a Magistrate's Court?

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Hi,

 

 

I had an EU driving licence which expired last month.

 

Can you get this (EU license) renewed?. My understanding is that that then would allow you to drive in the UK for up to a year after arrival, and might solve your 'can't drive abroad' problem.

 

After 5 weeks since I applied for the UK license the DVLA had received the medical questionnaire and the letter from the consultant (which starts by saying "I see no reason why she should not drive a vehicle), and have said that my case has been referred to a DVLA doctor who has to check that my condition meets the criteria above. and that this is not going to happen before January next year, which seems like a very long time to not have a license.

 

I have tried to get more information but they are just rude, robotic call centre people who wind you up, and repeat that they have to deal with cases from all the UK.

 

I wanted to try the complaint procedure or possibly to look at getting professional legal advice. I can't understand why when an NHS specialist consultant has written to the DVLA to say I can drive, it should have to go to their doctor who can't respond until January. I can drive under the law section 88 road traffic act 1988 but I do not feel confident without the driving licence. plus I cannot go to visit family abroad with my baby as is illegal there going around without driving licence with you.

 

has anyone had any similar experiences? any advice would be much appreciated.

 

thanks

 

Would renewing your previous EU license help?. If DVLA haven't reached a decision within a year, it would be clear they are unreasonably not making a decision, denying you an appeal of a refusal.........

Within the year you'd be covered by S 88 (and your EU license?) until DVLA reach a decision, AND be able to drive abroad on your EU license.....

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TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS (as best I can)

 

a)Good idea - my point was really to make sure that people had some sort of record of correspondence and postage.

 

b) Complaints (as I did it): through their complaints procedure (6 months time limit from revocation to launch appeal through Magistrates Court to CEO to ICA to MP to OMBUDSMAN

 

c) That may be right; you had (when I did it) to go through the Complaints team which took you to CEO then ICA.

 

d) There absolutely IS - When I did it, you had to have the approval of the MP, who would place the complaint before the Ombudsman. My MP was extremely helpful! I cannot speak too highly of the Ombudsman's handling of the case. For years I felt like a small voice shouting as loudly as I could for justice, and no-one was listening until my case arrived on the Ombudsman's doorstep.

 

e) I went through Magistrates Court. DVLA caused two adjournments and were subject to two court orders for non-disclosure of crucial information which was required for my case. They had destroyed it, knowing the appeal was running, we subsequently found out. (See Ombudsman's report) The whole procedure cost me a lot of money - I am not surprised people don't take it as far as the Courts - faced with such a monetary outlay and a defensive/obstructive agency, it is easy to see whey complainants just give up .

 

In answer to you last question. yes, yes and yes.

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e) I went through Magistrates Court. DVLA caused two adjournments and were subject to two court orders for non-disclosure of crucial information which was required for my case. They had destroyed it, knowing the appeal was running, we subsequently found out. (See Ombudsman's report) The whole procedure cost me a lot of money - I am not surprised people don't take it as far as the Courts - faced with such a monetary outlay and a defensive/obstructive agency, it is easy to see whey complainants just give up .

 

In answer to you last question. yes, yes and yes.

 

Thank you.

 

Sorry to ask more questions, but it is rare to find someone with actual experience of a Magistrates Court appeal against a DVLA refusal!

 

i) How long did DVLA keep you waiting before refusing a licence?

ii) Group 1 or 2 entitlement?

iii) Did you use a solicitor?

iv) If so, were they a "motoring specialist"?

v) did the Magistrates seem more open to listening to your specialist or DVLA?

vi) did the Magistrates order DVLA to reconsider their decision? Issue you a license?

(My understanding is that they can't order DVLA to issue a license, only reconsider the refusal, although functionally the latter will cause the former to happen unless DVLA can bring forward new grounds on which to refuse!)

vii) Did DVLA's own medical standard document seem to influence the court?

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Happy to help if I can

 

Answers to your questions

1) Statutory one year off the road (during which time I surrendered my license. I should have been told by the DVLA that I might be elegible to be treated as an exceptional case, (see Ombudsman's report) but wasn't. If I had known, I would have not surrendered voluntarily.

2) Can't remember which is which, but I am just an ordinary driver - not HGV or business

3) Initially, to the Court Appeal yes. Thereafter - ICA/MP/OMBUDSMAN No.

4) Yes

5) Didn't get that far - as I said crucial evidence needed for my case "went missing" (was destroyed by DVLA - see Ombudsman's report). Therefore two adjournments and I finally ran out of money and took the MP/Ombudsman route and offered to take another driving test. I doubt whether the Magistrates have the power to issue a license.

6) See above

7) I will never know. The DMG changed their evidence after the first adjournment and having by then seen my Specialist's report. They presented new evidence for their decision, which had not been recorded on their system at the time of making the decision on my revocation (see Ombudsman's report). After this behaviour I abandoned my appeal and took it further.

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