NTO been stupid head in sand Options

[indiechick]

Hi all.

My mum died in April after a terminal illness. Her funeral was on a friday, I came home to Leeds on the monday and just wanted to get in the house and curl up in bed. After months of spending most of my time in Scarborough where I didn't need a permit, I completely forgot to put out my residents parking permit. Needless to say, I got a ticket from Leeds City Council.

I emailed an informal appeal explaining the circumstances, that I was entitled to park there, and could they please let me off the ticket. They replied saying to send a copy of my permit.

I have serious mental health problems and struggle with things like this even at the best of times - and this was anything but. I was paranoid that if I took out the permit to photocopy it I'd get another ticket while I was doing it. Plus I was having loads of panic attacks, scared to leave the house even to get to the car, things like that. So I didn't get it done within the fourteen days they asked.

Today the NTO came (addressed to me at an address where I'm clearly a resident entitled to park where I did).

I just want the whole thing over with. So should I just pay the £70, or do I have a chance of success at appeal? I've been advised elsewhere it's better off just to pay it and get it over with, and just wanted to double check that. I hoped I'd be able to make it go away with just one letter, if not then I can't really rely on my mental health holding up to a full appeal, I'll probably miss deadlines and things. I'm on IS though and £70 is a huge amount to me (I also can't believe that parking in a marked bay is one of the serious offences that attracts a £70 rather than £50 fine, but that's a whole other topic lol).

The original ticket was filled out by hand and probably doesn't meet the rules for it, but I really can't face a long drawn out battle, and can't trust myself to be on the ball with deadlines.

[Advertisement]

[makara]

Wait for others to respond, but in the meantime - scan or photo ALL sides of ALL paperwork - and post up on here (computer-edit out your personal details and vehicle reg before uploading the images though)

[Neil B]

http://forums.pepipoo.com/index.php?showtopic=36858

as Makara asked please.

i don't see any reason the Council should go back on their offer to reconsider if you send a copy of the permit.

I sympathise with your health situation but there is nothing we can do to make things simpler. You have to make up your mind whether to proceed or not. You seem to be having doubts before you start. Have some confidence in yourself. You've already managed to cpme here and explain most things quite well so far.

[indiechick]

Thanks, I have taken a council right to tribunal (and won) before, but I'm not sure about hitting deadlines right now. I can set up as many alerts as I can though - phone, computer etc.

I'll try and figure out how to scan it and post it up when I find it. My paperwork system over the last few months has been 'when one pile starts toppling over, start another one'. I know it's here somewhere, and I have been sorting through things so it shouldn't take me too long to get my hands on it.

Can I appeal now on the grounds I've already set out, and enclose the copy of the permit, and add in any other discrepancies later, or does it have to be everything in one go?

[Neil B]

Can I appeal now on the grounds I've already set out, and enclose the copy of the permit, and add in any other discrepancies later, or does it have to be everything in one go?

That's a very good question now I think about it. If their offer was genuine then I can't see why they should not still cancel.

If we find things wrong with the PCN or signage/markings etc and raise it that may rile them.

maybe proceed as you say but let's just wait to see what others think.

The other side of the coin is that if they break their promise then we will have to proceed to adjudication which, of course you probably don't look forward to at the moment.

[indiechick]

What are the timescales? I'm seeing various support workers and doctors over the next couple of weeks and so I should be able to cope better with things, especially from the 21st onwards. If going to the adjudicator wouldn't happen for, say 4-6 weeks then I should be more together by then. I honestly can't remember from last time how long it took and things, but I'm sure it wasn't that quick?

So, if I had 14 days to reply to the NTO, I could manage that, and then if it were about a month between them getting it and me having to respond to their response, then it should be ok by then.

TBH I haven't even opened the NTO, I was a bit zombielike when I checked the post, saw the heading through the envelope window and panicked, I'm a lot calmer now.

[Neil B]

Timescales for TPT as you guessed I think. Not happening anytime soon. Can you open the NtO so you at least can give us the date to work with.

[indiechick]

ok, the date on the NTO is 9/6/11, and it says I have 28 days to respond. So I should be able to do that once I've figured out just what to say.

It says it's too late to pay the discounted amount, and I have to either pay or dispute it with the council, but if I miss the 28 day deadline I'll have to pay £105.

When I figure out how to scan and stuff shall I put a copy of the NTO up as well?

[Neil B]

Yep all sides.

I gave you a link to instructions in post#3.

I find it easiest to use windows 'paint' to obscure details if you have it on your PC.

You're doing fine opening mail that fast!! (better than me, LOL).

[indiechick]

Thanks lol.

It's not the posting on here that's a problem, it's getting the wireless scanner to send it to the computer, I've not been able to figure out how to do that yet...

I'll probably end up diggint out a cable once I find the ticket.

[matttheladd]

If it helps, why not use a camera and take a few pictures and upload that. If it means that there is something on here to be looked at then that is better than nothing and then if necessary you can re-do the scans using better means later on. Don't get yourself worked up about time scales at this time as you do have time in hand, you just need to be aware that help is available here and so you must follow the advice given here. If you do that, you will be fine. You are doing a grand job so far, so keep at it! :-)