General Discussion
£2m parking fines in Camden are illegal
These kinds of cases are going on all over the country, I should say similar, once again it shows people in authority just cannot get it right.So who do we blame the legal team who advise councils or the council themselves. My view the legal team, and they should pay the refunds, then perhaps they would put more thought into their advice.
The issue centres on Camden's decision in January to put a 1.3 per cent "administration fee" on those paying by credit card for parking fines. Department for Transport guidance for local authorities, published last year, states a council "cannot justify applying surcharges" for the use of a credit card to pay a PCN.
In the appeal hearing on June 1, adjudicator Henry Michael Greenslade cancelled a ticket, ruling that the credit card surcharge made all the tickets invalid. His ruling states: "The local authority is neither entitled nor empowered to impose any sum, whether for the method of payment or anything else, in addition to the statutory penalty charge imposed.
I suppose Roy and his merry band of followers will pronounce, "Technicallity, the poor ole tax-payer will have to foot the bill."
If a local authority has taken money illegally, then it should be paid back and those responsible for taking it, should be brought to book. Perhaps then, we will not have so much of, "we are the authority,we know what we are doing syndrome."
One would have thought by now - with the increase of internet usage, that those in authority of which there are many, would be aware that every move they make is being watched by someone somewhere?
The more whistle blowers there are the better.
I suppose because people like nothing more than waiting in traffic jams and when they eventually find a legally prescribed parking bay - they can't get to the meters quick enough, to give up their hard earned cash because somebody somewhere has told them, "that is what you must do," then I suppose local authorities will try any trick in the book, make any excuse that fits the purpose, because they know that 99% of the populace will moan but still pay.
They biggest grip that really gets up my nose is when they use,"safety" as an excuse to impliment measures - when we now know it is to raise money.
IDIOTS! YET AGAIN! IF YOU PAY BY CREDIT CARD, THE RECEIVER IS CHARGED TO RECIEVE THE TRANSACTION, THEREFORE, IF YOU PAY A "FIXED PENALTY" SAY, OF £60.00, THE CTU DOES NOT RECEIVE THAT AMOUNT... WHAT DO YOU NOT UNDERSTAND?...