Dart Charge (Order for recovery - Local Resident Scheme Options

[ab_1980]

Hi all,

I find myself in a unique situation, I have done some brief searches and cant seem to find anything similar and I would hugely appreciate some assistance.

To cut a long story short I have received multiple order for recovery letters currently amounting to £700 and I fear there may be more. I am part of the Dart Charge Local Resident Scheme (LRDS) which means I pay £20 a year for unlimited crossings.

I have been on this scheme for 5 years and there has never been any intent on my behalf to cheat the system however at the same time I should have been more proactive.

This is the timeline:

Jan 2018: I received an email from the LRDS stating that if I did not provide my renewal documentation my account would be closed in 28 days, unfortunately I missed this email and this is the honest truth. Please bear in mind that no further correspondence was received after this point to confirm that my account was closed and NO further warnings were received by email or post.

Aug 2018 I paid £20 into my account to ensure my annual fee was paid in after finally realising the above.

May 2019 Response from LRDS "In May 2019, a system audit was ran for previously expired accounts in which your account was flagged up. This was because your account had been incorrectly benefitting from the LRDS since 2016 meaning almost three years of crossings were received despite us never receiving your documentation. The last documentation provided was to the old Dart-tag. As you had previously been contacted in 2018, we did not follow up on this as we had notified you previously of the requirement for documentation.

June 2019 Another account closure email was sent stating that my balance has reached below £0 as at this point I am not part of the scheme in their eyes and they are charging per crossing hence I started receiving multiple PCNS.

June 2019 I email LRDS and reactivate my account as requested after multiple emails

(To clarify the 2016 statement, I never sent through my documentation at this point also however was never chased up about this due rarely checking this email address)


Where I have been stupid/moronic is that I never followed up on the PCN's due to work commitments abroad and I let it slip past me hence why the order for recoveries have been received in the past few days. I completely understand some people will be reading this thinking its my fault for not replying in a timely manner but any constructive advice would be much appreciated. I find it extremely frustrating that no hard copy letters were sent to warn me of the account closure and in my defence I always paid £20 annually.

The dart charge is an extremely archaic system and they have no control whatsoever, I am extremely worried I am looking at £1000 of fines here. I have lived in the same address whilst using the crossing and I have always paid the crossing in time whenever in an hire car. There has been no intentional malice.

Is there anything I can do?!?! I know i have been extremely lax about this

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[cp8759]

Well let's start with the basics, can you actually prove you've been entitled to use the LDRS throughout the entire period in question?

[ab_1980]

Thanks for the swift reply.

If in regards to being eligible for the scheme, then yes.

[Neil B]

Where I have been stupid/moronic is that I never followed up on the PCN's due to work commitments abroad and I let it slip past me hence why the order for recoveries have been received in the past few days.

So there is no legal route for you to reset these.

The dart charge is an extremely archaic system and they have no control whatsoever,

No control over what?
Seems an efficient system from we've seen.

More importantly HEDC are the most helpful and forgiving enforcement authorities we know of.
Talk to them! Explain what has happened and seek a resolution, rather than be critical as above.

Are any of the OfRs past deadline date?

[cp8759]

I suggest you contact dart charge as Neil suggests, they're by far the most reasonable authority in the country and where there's been a genuine cock-up they're normally willing to waive the penalties.

[ab_1980]

Thanks for the above advice.

I have contacted Dart Charge however they have now told me to complete a TE9 form for each PCN.

However there are only 4 options on the form:

- I did not receive the Notice to Owner / Penalty Charge Notice (Parking contravention).

- I made representations about the penalty charge to the enforcing authority concerned within 28 days of the service of the Notice to Owner, but did not receive a rejection notice.

- I appealed against the local authority’s decision to reject my representation, within 28 days of service of the rejection notice, but have had no response to my appeal.

- The penalty charge has been paid in full. Date it was paid How was it paid Cash/Cheque/Debit/Credit card To whom was it paid

Looking at the above I have no idea what I should be selecting as technically nothing is applicable, any advice?

[Incandescent]

Indeed nothing does apply, because you received all the documents but ignored them !

However, all may not be lost if you contact them again to explain more fully what happened. You might have to write to the manager in charge, but I think if they give way, they will insist on at least the payment of the tolls not paid, even if the PCNs are cancelled.

The bottom line if you get nowhere is that you'll have to make payment. A very hard lesson, but we see so many people on here who are rather slack with their personal admin and have to pay large sums of money. This forum can only suggest what one may do, and hope the authorities respond. However at the stage you are at, they don't have to.

[cp8759]

Our experience suggests that contacting Dart Charge via twitter has better chances of success.

[PASTMYBEST]

Thanks for the swift reply.

If in regards to being eligible for the scheme, then yes.

Being eligible for the scheme is not the same as being registered for the scheme lets have straight answers, then we can give you straight advice

[ab_1980]

I have been registered on the scheme since 2014, the PCNs in question are related to a short period of about 1 week. Once I realised what was happening I contacted the scheme to reinstate it immediately which they carried out with no haste.

I’ll try the twitter route as suggested above and will find some contact details for the relevant manager.

I’ll keep you all updated.

[Incandescent]

I have been registered on the scheme since 2014, the PCNs in question are related to a short period of about 1 week. Once I realised what was happening I contacted the scheme to reinstate it immediately which they carried out with no haste.

I’ll try the twitter route as suggested above and will find some contact details for the relevant manager.

I’ll keep you all updated.

Best of luck. I hope they behave reasonably.

[ab_1980]

Hi all, I am happy to report back that I managed to get everything resolved via twitter and by contacting my local MP.

Thank you so much for the assistance to those who helped me, a great lesson in personal admin has been learnt!

[Incandescent]

Well done. As said before, DART management are not venal and rapacious like the councils we see on here. Oh, and Transport for London, of course !