Sit down, there is PCN good news

Last Autumn Mr Mustard had a spate of PCN for mini-buses that were parked in contravention of the overnight waiting ban (yes, the one that no-one knew existed). One family, with 9 children if he has got the number correct, Mr Mustard has only seen some of the brood when he visited the parents, were at their wits end as they received 6 PCN in about a month. They had paid 3 before Mr Mustard pointed out that he could probably overturn them all. Mr Mustard set to with the 3 that were live. Two of them had representations refused and Mr Mustard was heading towards the tribunal having registered two Appeals at about the same time as another motorist got there and the adjudicator made this withering judgment

'Mis-directed itself' = cocked their case up

Mr Mustard then suggested to the council that they DNC (Do not contest) his appeals and quite close to the hearing date they did just that. They also DNCd the case for his neighbour who uses a brand new mini-bus for charitable purposes at his own expense.

On one PCN some paperwork went missing in the post and it was registered as a debt by default at the Traffic Enforcement Centre. Mr Mustard submitted a form TE9 (witness statement) to wind the process back and at the same time reminded the parking section that they owed him a reply to his email of 25 November in which he gave the council a chance to look good by cancelling every incorrect mini-bus PCN and refunding all payments received to which idea a deaf ear was turned. They did though agree to cancel the 6th PCN which had been registered as a debt (and the bailiff visit would have been the eventual outcome but for Mr Mustard's intervention).

Mr Mustard then asked the parking section to refund the 3 PCN which were paid before the family knew of Mr Mustard. Rather than resistance he received an instantaneous reply that this was being done.

Knock Mr Mustard down with a feather. What a result. He is feeling epic. He shouldn't because any council parking department that has done wrong should give the money back but they make limpets look like pathetic creatures in the hanging on to something stakes.

Yours frugally

Mr Mustard

Credit where due

bottom of picture cropped to remove the vehicle registration

The poor disabled lady who received this PCN was crying her eyes out as she had correctly put her blue badge out on show and mysteriously the traffic warden did not take a full camera shot of her windscreen or one through either side window. Doubtless his/her notes would have contained the abbreviations AWC (All windows checked) and NBBS (no blue badge seen) or similar.

Mr Mustard didn't know whether this was accidental or deliberate but he did check two previous PCN issued by this particular traffic warden. They both had full shots of the windscreen and of side windows so he was doubtful as to the legitimacy of this PCN.

Mr Mustard sent it to the parking process manager and 12 hours later the PCN has been cancelled and the poor evidence will be discussed with NSL at the next management meeting so fair play to the Barnet Council manager. It must be a nightmare trying to control NSL at a distance. The council have saved themselves from wasting a £40 fee (for a £60 PCN) for a PATAS hearing by accepting the challenge at the earliest possible point.

The council parking managers do get caused a lot of work by Mr Mustard but they know that he knows what is going on in parking enforcement and that he plays with a straight bat, so they listen to him and hopefully parking enforcement will be the winner i.e. it will be fairer. If this traffic warden has cheated, and been caught, they will think twice before doing such a trick again.

Yours frugally

Mr Mustard