Due adjustment: #7 City of London

The City of London get about 7 out of 10 as they aren't hiding from the public generally and give various methods for contacting them. They don't however specifically mention 'due adjustment' and talk about 'exceptional circumstances' which are not defined whereas being disabled and unable to write is crystal clear.

The City should not be trying to bump their responsibility to accept verbal representations onto another, very busy, body, Citizens Advice; is there even a branch in the square mile?

This is what is on the PCN, pretty good but could be improved by mentioning due adjustment and the option to phone and make representations.

The need isn't for an instant decision but for the representation to be recorded.

The website is also helpful, up to a point.

The minicom service is helpful for those with impaired hearing or who are fully deaf.

As ever, Mr Mustard spotted something else on the website to take issue with. Technically the right to make representations at the Charge Certificate stage has been lost (although it may be recovered at the next stage; witness statement or statutory demand) but there isn't a legal bar on the City of London considering representations out of time, the law says they 'may' disregard (i.e. ignore) them but the Secretary of State says they should be considered if there is a valid reason why they are late and strong grounds to dispute the PCN. The City are simply trying to put you off and push you to pay up when the Corporation doesn't even really need the money.

End.

City of London caught out and agree to pay costs

Mr Mustard read the above before he had seen the Appeal decision. His first thoughts were that it was refreshing to see the City of London accepting it had made mistakes and would improve their service. He was also pleased that they did not fight the costs claim which was in any sense a flea bite to the City.

Then he read the Appeal & he was less happy but hey what a time to be a security guard and have or leave a cctv camera trained on your car.

How unlucky for the City. What poor records they keep. How many people get caught by their late posting of suspension notices? Ironic that the suspension for filming was itself filmed.

Now you can't always have your car parked outside your place of work with a camera trained upon it.

What can you do? Well if you have a satnav with a fitted camera, or a pure crash cam, then you have cctv evidence yourself of the state of the signage upon arrival at your destination.

Yours frugally

Mr Mustard

p.s. The PCN in this case was for £130 which would take Mr S a few minutes over 13 hours to earn (gross before tax and National Insurance). Penalty charges affect the lower paid members of society quite brutally. They really need to be lower.