I fought the law and I won. It is a miracle of miracles just in time for the holiday season. Something must be going on with my planetary alignment because I’ve had a few strange things happen in the past few days. This incident that I am about to speak of had me absolutely stunned.
It all started about a month ago when I received a letter from the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea to inform me that I had a delinquent parking ticket and now owed them £120. It stated that my car had been parked in a suspended resident bay at some time in August and I had failed to pay my ticket. Needless to say, I was slightly angry when I received this news. I had never – to the best of my recollection – received any parking ticket in the location that they were saying or on that date therefore I obviously didn’t pay it which resulted in it being jacked up to the amount shown.
Now, I’m sure most people know that trying to dispute something with a governmental agency is near impossible. And add parking to the faction and you realise that this is probably a losing battle where I’m going to end up shelling out that money and cursing every devil parking attendant under my breath for the next year.
But I decided to try to dispute the ticket. I found the email address to send my dipute to (at least they had that) and sent off a polite mail informing them that I had never seen or heard of this ticket.
And then I waited.
For approximately 2 month till today.
I was going through the mail and saw that familiar letterhead from K & C. I thought to myself, damn it, here is where I have to pay that stupid fine. And then I opened it.
The letter read:
Dear Miss Robesky
Thank you for your letter dated 27 September 2007.
The Penalty Charge Notice was issued (in error) to your vehicle for “being parked on a suspended resident parking bay”.
I have read your letter and noted your comments. However, I have check the parking attendant’s pocket book notes which clearly show that he voided the Penalty Charge Notice after entering your vehicle details into his hand held computer.
Therefore, I can only conclude that due to some processing error, the details entered by the parking attendant were kept by the computer and a request was automatically made to the DVLA for notice to owner to be sent to you.
However, I have decided that, in this occasion, the notice will be cancelled. Please accept my apologies on behalf of the Council. I confirm that this case is now closed.
Yours sincerely,
Nameless faceless government worker
I love this letter. I might actually have to frame it. I WON AGAINST THE PARKING POLICE!
I also love the fact that even though they were completely in the wrong they have to poke me with the threat of their power by saying “However, I have decided that, in this occasion, the notice will be cancelled”. Bastards – they just have to have the final word, don’t they?
