Bailiffs called in over £1 parking ticket row
From Shields Gazette

16 July 2009
By David MacLean
BAILIFFS visited the home of a 'depressed' woman over an unpaid parking fine

Christopher Haine paid £1 for an hour's stay in the Mile End Road car park in South Shields using his wife's car, as he tried to find a venue to hold a family Christmas party in December last year.
He was late back to the vehicle and slapped with the standard £25 fine

He claims he appealed the charge at the time because he says he'd overpaid by 30p for his ticket at the meter in the first place.

He says he thought no more about it, until bailiffs, acting on behalf of South Tyneside Council, turned up at his home in Morpeth, Northumberland, and told him they would return, as the fine had increased to £80.

They told him he'd be charged £32.20 for any future visits from the bailiffs.

Mr Haine says that even though his wife had been receiving letters addressed to 'The Company Secretary', they were left unopened because she assumed it was junk mail.

She also suffers from depression and has spent time in hospital due to ill-health.

Today South Tyneside Council promised to waive the bailiff fees, but insisted the original fine is paid.

Mr Haine, of Fourth Row, Linton, said: "Any business correspondence is usually addressed personally, but when it's addressed as 'The Company Secretary' it's usually junk mail.

"It came as such a shock that a £1 parking ticket dispute had ended up with bailiffs on my doorstep.

"I'd only visited South Shields to organise a Christmas party, which injected about £350 into the economy, instead I've been landed with a huge bill just to park."

A council spokesman said it sympathised with Mrs Haine, but said the Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) was issued correctly.

He said: "While we have sympathy with Mrs Haine and do not wish to cause her any unnecessary stress, we must point out that the PCN was issued correctly.

"Mr Haine had parked for longer than his ticket allowed, and a photograph shows that 23 minutes after the time of expiry no one had returned to the car.

"The Parking Team have no records of any communications with Mr Haine regarding the issue of the original penalty charge notice.

"Our correspondence over the past seven months was addressed to The Company Secretary because this was the title and name on the DVLA's records.

"As a gesture of goodwill, the council has spoken to the bailiff who is prepared to waive his fees on this occasion, therefore reducing the amount owed to £80.

"However, the PCN cannot be waived, and the amount outstanding must be paid. We have written to Mr Haine explaining the situation."