This is typical behaviour in parking departments all over London. You make a mistake and you will be pilloried for £80 (or £130). If Barnet Council make a mistake they also want £80 from you.
The resident has no control over the permit application system which is managed (badly you might say) by NSL. Therefore unless the zone code is clearly wrong, you are offered Q instead of A for example, then why would the resident query it?
The resident had a second defence which the adjudicator alluded to, the doctrine of 'legitimate expectation' about which you can read further here.
Well done Mr Swales for standing up for yourself and risking £80, justice was served, to Barnet Council. Will this change how they behave? Mr Mustard doubts it.
The end.
