I managed to get the parking tickets revoked by appealing to my local ward councillor. My councillor contacted the parking department, who then admitted there had been a technical issue with the reminder system. All of the tickets were then cancelled. Another thing I was told during the process is that if you apply online for a resident permit, in theory as soon as you submit the application online you get 1-2 weeks of cover based on your number plate, so simply applying for a new permit should put a stop to getting any further parking tickets ... BUT ... please call Wandsworth parking to double check this as it's not a published benefit and the policy may have changed by the time you read this. In my view parking wardens should put a reminder notice on windscreens instead of a parking fine in the first few weeks after a resident permit expires, would save a lot of angst and faff.

Wandsworth’s argument was that it was my responsibility to remember to renew which I accept. However, the gist of my letters to them was that they had set a precedent by always sending reminders that I had (rightly or wrongly) come to rely on and therefore should accept responsibility. I also pointed out that there would be no logical reason for a resident to deliberately want to let their permit expire so why would we? Surely an automated system should be able to generate a reminder on the expiry date if it hadn’t been renewed.

In my case I was abroad and my neighbour alerted me to the first ticket, but Wandsworth deleted all my details from the system when the permit expired so I was not able to renew online without rescanning all my documents. I felt this was also unfair.

They said an email had been sent to me (it hadn’t) so I did a freedom of information request to ask for copies of all emails sent to me, but they couldn’t provide that information.

I don’t know if you’ll be successful but I was so livid I would have been prepared to go to court over it, so best to decide how far you’d go I guess!

Good luck

I just got 3 parking tickets in exactly these circumstances. No reminder either via post or email to renew my resident permit, forgot to renew. Then come home after being away a few days and 3 tickets on my windscreen. Grateful if any updates on how to fight this.

Hi Jingo,

I am currently facing the exact same situation as you did last year, having received a PCN for an expired permit that I didn't receive a renewal reminder for.

I plan to challenge it but wondered if you had any specific advice on that process based on your successful challenge?

Thanks

Well done jingo_x! So glad you were successful, would like to think that it will lead to WBC taking a different approach in these situations and also sorting out the problems with the new IT system which does not seem fit for purpose.

Just by way of an update.  My second representation was accepted and my PCN cancelled.  It's taken 3 months and a good deal of man/woman hours to get to this point, but I fell it was worth it.  Unfortunately none of my specific points were addressed in the letter, but I still feel it was worth making  a stand!

For anyone that is following this thread.  I received answers to my Freedom of Information request today (not all, but some).  As I was asked to activate my new parking account on 16th May 18, I used that as a 'launch date' for the new system and asked for the total number of parking tickets issued 5 months before that date and 5 months after.  Interestingly there was a 28% increase in the number of parking tickets in the 5 months after 15th May.

That's not good surely?

Still waiting for a response to my second representation.

 

Emma_gulson:  I don't know if this applies to Wandsworth parking tickets, but I once appealed against a TFL penalty for stopping in a yellow hatched box (and won:  the CCTV showed a mother with a buggy jumping the pedestrian lights, so I had the option to stop or run her over).  I was very impressed by the process, which was before an independent QC and was careful and methodical and fair.  I was given ample time to present my case and felt it was listened to carefully.

I don't know if it is the same process for Wandsworth parking (it may not be) so I suggest as a first step that you ask them how the appeal process works in practice ie who hears the appeal, where is it, how long etc.  If it is the same as TFL then firstly don't worry too much about the process, and secondly get all your evidence together carefully and methodically, with as much in writing as possible and notes of the points you want to make verbally.  Then go through it with a friend, to make sure it all holds together.  Don't rely on a hard luck story - get evidence eg if you have had reminders before, but not this time etc.

Good luck

Exact same thing happened to me - got 3 tickets while away on holiday, and they let me off 2 but refused to budge on the last one. So I am refusing to pay and sending "representations" later today - after that I assume it will go to court, which I am not sure how I will do given I have just had a knee op and also have a 20 month old! - and apparently you sit around for hours waiting for your court appearance - but I really think this is totally unfair and as jingo_x says, we need to start standing up to them and letting them know they can't get away with it....

This happened to me too and didn't get excused and had to pay the fine. I have lived at the same address since the parking permits were first introduced. In the beginning the council sent out reminders in the post and then reminders by email -apparently now it is up to us to remember?! I would like to point out that for the last 3 years the free 10 visitor parking permits that we are entitled to never automatically come with the new permit. I have to literally call and also send several emails.  I was told by the council that  some people might not want them-really ?!  Who on earth would not want them for visitors if you pay for having a parking permit?!  Pretty lame excuse in my books . Secondly there is no box to tick to receive them when you make your new permit application, this makes it a struggle and I think most people give up. Considering they are worth £30 , I would say most people would [and should ]automatically receive them for friends, family and workmen.This last time , I asked for both myself and my husband and had to write to the head of the council and complain as I was not getting anywhere. The excuse was that there were system errors with Parking -hmm-I'd say that there has been for a long time ! I said something was not right-and had an apology and they arrived. Surely it should not be made to be this hard for us, and needs sorting -don't offer if they don't intend to give them and send us a reminder . I'd imagine many residents have  had these problems? Don't make us pay for their bad system.

It would also be interesting to ask, via FOI:

how much the transition to the new parking IT system cost
if the cost went over budget
why it all went so horribly wrong and what the council has done about it

There were quite a few threads on this. The new IT parking system has been a total disaster.

Same thing happened to me - I had pretty good grounds for contesting, and it still got rejected and we’ve had 3 parking tickets subsequently. I’ve got off 2, but they wouldn’t budge on the first. Their whole system is a shambles

Thank you all for sharing your similar experiences and frustrations.  I have collected so many similar tales here and on local Facebook groups that I am convinced something needs to change and WBC cannot keep turning a blind eye to this.  I'd encourage others to stand their ground as well so that the adjudicator will see the extent of the problem.

I provided good evidence with my appeal that I had e-mailed the parking queries inbox and sent a message to Wandsworth Council via Facebook when I was trying to renew 3 hours after the expiry of my 'grace period'.  All that evidence has all been ignored and a standard 'tough luck' rejection letter sent.  At this point I don't really care if the fine is £55 or £110, but I do want this to stop for other people's sake - even if all I achieve is to get Wandsworth to send an e-mail to all residents to tell them to start keeping track of their own renewal date because their own system is flawed.  Annoyingly I used to keep a record of the date when I first moved here from Lambeth, but got out of the habit because the reminder system worked so well!

I raised a Freedom of Information request back on the 12th October to try and find out how much money the council has made from fines to residents whose permits have lapsed.  Sadly it took 17 days to get an acknowledgement e-mail from the FOI department so not sure how long it will take.  If anyone else wants to ask for information the e-mail address is foiw@richmondandwandsworth.gov.uk 
 

Yes, we were caught out in September. Exact same scenario. We have appealed.

I had exactly the same experience this summer.  I went on holiday leaving the car at the airport, got home and parked outside the house only to find a ticket on the windscreen later the same day.  There was no reminder and to add insult to injury I then had to re-load all my documents as they have changed systems.  I appealed and genuinely assumed that the ticket would be cancelled, even attaching flight details showing I had been away, but like other posters on here, received a gruff letter telling me where to go.  I have paid as otherwise if I appeal at this point I lose the opportunity to benefit from the discount.  It's utterly ridiculous in my opinion.

Jonathan