Help - Search - Members - Calendar
Full Version: CLAMPED! Then out of court settlement...
FightBack Forums > Queries > Council Tickets & Clamping and Decriminalised Notices
randompoorguy
I recently had my car clamped outside my house for having no tax. Reason being the car had ran out of Mot and needed a bit of work, I had SORNED the car and risked parking outside my house so that I could carry out the work myself to save money. I don’t have a drive hence why it had to be on the road, I live in a quiet cul-de-sac so thought ‘what are the chances?'

So had to pay the private clamping company £260 to get the clamp released or the car would have been impounded. £100 release fee + £160 because I couldn’t tax the car there and then. I would get the £160 back if I taxed the vehicle within 15 days which I managed to do just in time with the help of a small loan from my neighbour who notice the clamp and kindly helped me out.

About a week after all this just when I thought it was all over I receive a letter from DVSA stating I have to pay an ‘out of court settlement of £452 within 12 days (letter attached). Where the *$%ing *@£% did they get £452 from!? They must just pluck these numbers out of the air. There was literally no way I could pay that amount of money in that short space of time especially after spending everything I had on the clamp release and MOT. I think £452 is a ridiculous amount of money, I know I was in the wrong but seriously!?

In my state of panic I sent an email to the enforcement officer which I had to find online. I sent a bit of a sob story email, really informal. I explained that there was no way I could pay the fee due to close family and money issues etc.
I ended the email with.. ‘please if there is anything you can do with regards to the amount of the settlement cost or timescale I would be forever grateful’.
They replied saying I had to reply write to settlement letter with the payment form with my appeal, I literally just printed the email and sent it to them.
This is what I got back...

……………………..

Dear xxxxxxx,

I refer to your request for additional time to pay the out of court settlement of £452 offered to you following a report alleging that on xx/xx/2015 vehicle registration mark xxxxxx had been seen unlicensed on a public road.

under circumstances, I am prepared to extend the time to pay the out of court settlement of £452 requested in our previous letter until xx/xx/2015. Please make your cheque or postal order payable to ‘DVLA’ and return with this letter to the above address. We are unable to accept instalments.

If payment is not received the agency will take court action against you.

Should you need to contact us, please quote the registration mark of the vehicle.

Yours sincerely


Enforcement officer
For and on behalf of the Secretary of State for Transport
Sent unsigned

……………………..


In hindsight I probably shouldn’t have mentioned ‘timescale’ in the letter, I’m thinking they may have just reduced the cost for me.

At the moment I am saving the money and I should have no problem paying the fine by Oct although I am wondering can I get them to reduce the cost... is it worth me sending another letter to try and get the cost reduced or am I pushing my luck?

What do you guys think I should do? I really don’t know where I stand.. thanks in advance!
farmerboy
Ah!!! randompoorguy, you've posted in the wrong forum. We deal with tickets from lowlife scumbag parking companies and their w**ker debt collector friends here. Hit the report button and get yourself moved to council tickets and clamping forum where some one more able will help you. We have a very low opinion of the DVLA on here so best of luck with your case.
randompoorguy
Ah whoops sorry guys!! Thank you Farmerboy keep up the great work!
The Rookie
You committed the offence I'm afraid, you knew your untaxed car shouldn't be on the road and risked it, it sounds like one of your neighbours probably squealed.

The DVLA letter should explain what the £452 was for, it will usually be for the tax that should have been paid from when it was last taxed, as you have paid the penalty for the instantaneous offence in with the clamp release fee.
This is a "lo-fi" version of our main content. To view the full version with more information, formatting and images, please click here.
Invision Power Board © 2001-2024 Invision Power Services, Inc.