Parking Fine

fitzparker

More so curious than anything else.

Got a letter recently from Wicklow Co Co advising "parking a vehicle without displaying a ticket"

There is no complaints about the parking on that particular day in question as my wife is frontline staff, so parks in the same place every workday and pays the €3 for the day.

my gripe is, the letter is 11 days since the "offence", in most cases im sure 90% of people would have put the ticket in the bin within a couple of days.

How is there a way around this? the letter just arrived, no evidence (i.e. picture of dash) and nothing was put on the car to notify the owner on the day.

im not into getting a solicitor for the sake of €40, but 11 days after is a bit of a stretch (also the letter was dated the day before we received it (10th day) so no delay in post)

If this is the process, it's a bit mad and I'll get over it

it just seems like a really easy way for the CoCo to get a few bob with no proof and expecting the owner of the car to provide evidence of a piece of paper they deemed surplus 2 weeks later...

Allinall

fitzparker wrote: »

More so curious than anything else.

Got a letter recently from Wicklow Co Co advising "parking a vehicle without displaying a ticket"

There is no complaints about the parking on that particular day in question as my wife is frontline staff, so parks in the same place every workday and pays the €3 for the day.

my gripe is, the letter is 11 days since the "offence", in most cases im sure 90% of people would have put the ticket in the bin within a couple of days.

How is there a way around this? the letter just arrived, no evidence (i.e. picture of dash) and nothing was put on the car to notify the owner on the day.

im not into getting a solicitor for the sake of €40, but 11 days after is a bit of a stretch (also the letter was dated the day before we received it (10th day) so no delay in post)

If this is the process, it's a bit mad and I'll get over it

it just seems like a really easy way for the CoCo to get a few bob with no proof and expecting the owner of the car to provide evidence of a piece of paper they deemed surplus 2 weeks later...

I would be confident that if asked, they will have a photograph of the car.

Did your wife have a ticket displayed?

coylemj

fitzparker wrote: »

it just seems like a really easy way for the CoCo to get a few bob with no proof and expecting the owner of the car to provide evidence of a piece of paper they deemed surplus 2 weeks later...

Producing a ticket after the event proves nothing so even if that letter arrived the very next day, it would make no difference. She could have picked up a discarded ticket from the gutter or she could have genuinely paid but the ticket blew off the dashboard when she closed the door so it wasn't on display when the traffic warden passed her car.

Does the letter mention a website you can go to with the ticket number to see any photographs?

fitzparker

Allinall wrote: »

I would be confident that if asked, they will have a photograph of the car.

Did your wife have a ticket displayed?

She 1000% bought a ticket as she would never leave the car without, its an all day car park for €3.

But to say it may have fell off dash or wasn't on it properly is definitely a scenario I won't argue, but as It was 11 days ago, with no notification on windscreen, its like every other day for everyone else. they throw the ticket out then or when cleaning the car.

Producing a ticket after the event proves nothing so even if that letter arrived the very next day, it would make no difference. She could have picked up a discarded ticket from the gutter or she could have genuinely paid but the ticket blew off the dashboard when she closed the door so it wasn't on display when the traffic warden passed her car.

But if you parked illegal and saw no notification (on wipers) why would they look for a ticket and hold onto it just in case?

for someone who did buy a ticket, this proves my point, there are 100 discarded tickets in the nearest bin of genuine joe soaps who throw them out straight away after running errands, regardless if it was on the dash, seat or floor.
But a letter 11 days later then puts you €40 down with no notice. nobody holds onto a parking ticket for just in case moments.

Does the letter mention a website you can go to with the ticket number to see any photographs?

No mention of a photograph, but it does say " a fixed charge offence notice was issued (date and time and location)

this could mean they have evidence or left a notice (on windscreen I presume, but it would want to be some tornado to blow something from a windscreen wiper)

I tried calling and they said iv to email, so i'll see what they come back with.

GM228

There is no requirement to post a notice on the windscreen or otherwise give prior notice that a FCPN is on the way in the post.

Lenar3556

fitzparker wrote: »

More so curious than anything else.

Got a letter recently from Wicklow Co Co advising "parking a vehicle without displaying a ticket"

There is no complaints about the parking on that particular day in question as my wife is frontline staff, so parks in the same place every workday and pays the €3 for the day.

my gripe is, the letter is 11 days since the "offence", in most cases im sure 90% of people would have put the ticket in the bin within a couple of days.

How is there a way around this? the letter just arrived, no evidence (i.e. picture of dash) and nothing was put on the car to notify the owner on the day.

im not into getting a solicitor for the sake of €40, but 11 days after is a bit of a stretch (also the letter was dated the day before we received it (10th day) so no delay in post)

If this is the process, it's a bit mad and I'll get over it

it just seems like a really easy way for the CoCo to get a few bob with no proof and expecting the owner of the car to provide evidence of a piece of paper they deemed surplus 2 weeks later...

How would she have paid for the parking? Cash? If it was by card or app she would have some evidence that she at least paid.

While the offence relates to non-display, my experience is that most local authorities sympathetic to a circumstance where they are satisfied that the individual did in fact pay the fee.

At €40 it’s not worth the hassle, I’d query it and see what they have. Check can you dispute any of it....then pay it and move on.

fitzparker

Quick update.

The ticket was found! she cleaned out the car at some stage and put the scrunched up tickets in her bag to be put in the bin but thankfully never did. when we checked when she came home from work it along with a few others were there, so we will send to Wicklow CoCo to close the case.

as advised before the €40 wasn't worth the hassle if it came down to it but I was surprised of the process.

it still leaves an open question I would love to find out, surely there must be proof of the offence and the wardens word isnt just taken as gospel as it would be so easy to pick random cars and send them a letter 2 weeks later.

I did mail them yesterday before finding the ticket for evidence (i.e a picture or a notice left in windscreen), so if it is something they have I will report back.

GerardKeating

fitzparker wrote: »

Quick update.

fitzparker wrote: »

it still leaves an open question I would love to find out, surely there must be proof of the offence and the wardens word isnt just taken as gospel as it would be so easy to pick random cars and send them a letter 2 weeks later.

Clampers tend to take photos of the offending cars, but Council traffic wardens tend not to, but not sure if many would be willing to commit pergury to back up a ticket.

Victor

Send them a copy of the ticket, not the original ticket.

fitzparker wrote: »

The ticket was found! she cleaned out the car at some stage and put the scrunched up tickets in her bag to be put in the bin but thankfully never did.

This only proves that someone bought a ticket. It does not prove a correct ticket was displayed on the day.

coylemj

GerardKeating wrote: »

Clampers tend to take photos of the offending cars, but Council traffic wardens tend not to....

Dun Laoghaire Rathdown co. co. wardens have cameras and take several photos per ticket issued.

OP seems to be of the view that producing a ticket will 'close the case', I wouldn't be so confident it will.

coylemj

coylemj wrote: »

Dun Laoghaire Rathdown co. co. wardens have cameras and take several photos per ticket issued.

OP seems to be of the view that producing a ticket will 'close the case', I wouldn't be so confident it will.

Like he said post 4, there's a hundred in the bin on way out

GerardKeating

Victor wrote: »

Send them a copy of the ticket, not the original ticket.This sonly proves that someone bought a ticket. It does not prove a correct ticket was displayed on the day.

Depends if paid with cash or card

coylemj wrote: »

Dun Laoghaire Rathdown co. co. wardens have cameras and take several photos per ticket issued.

Not been there for a decade or more...

coylemj

GerardKeating wrote: »

Depends if paid with cash or card

It doesn't.

Even if you can show that you bought a ticket using a card, it doesn't prove that you were buying it for your car. Alan and Brian could meet up for a coffee, Alan uses his debit card to buy a ticket which they display on Brian's car. Alan gets a ticket for non-display and relies on the transaction as 'proof' that he bought a ticket for his car.

Sounds far-fetched? I bet the people in the council have heard every excuse in the book. Either you pay using the parkingtag app or you buy a ticket and display it on the dash. If you buy a paper ticket, how you paid for it is irrelevent.

fitzparker

coylemj wrote: »

It doesn't.

Even if you can show that you bought a ticket using a card, it doesn't prove that you were buying it for your car. Alan and Brian could meet up for a coffee, Alan uses his debit card to buy a ticket which they display on Brian's car. Alan gets a ticket for non-display and relies on the transaction as 'proof' that he bought a ticket for his car.

Sounds far-fetched? I bet the people in the council have heard every excuse in the book. Either you pay using the parkingtag app or you buy a ticket and display it on the dash. If you buy a paper ticket, how you paid for it is irrelevent.

Sounds a bit far-fetched.

I sent an email of parking ticket, fine cancelled, was straight forward enough.

An update when asked about ticket left from warden, they did send a picture of the car showing a ticket in wipers ( this was at 11am, my wife did not get out of work until 6:30) where the ticket went is anyone's guess, but it at least answered my question of proof which im happy enough with.

Email also said there was a ticket in the window but was the wrong way around and warden couldn't see it properly.

coylemj

fitzparker wrote: »

An update when asked about ticket left from warden, they did send a picture of the car showing a ticket in wipers ( this was at 11am, my wife did not get out of work until 6:30) where the ticket went is anyone's guess....

Schoolboy prank - put it under someone else's wiper to give them a fright. Victor Meldrew moment.

fitzparker wrote: »

Email also said there was a ticket in the window but was the wrong way around and warden couldn't see it properly.

That and the fact that you could produce the ticket after 11 days made a compelling case to cancel the fine.