‘You couldn’t make it up’ – the department that penalises itself

Published: 26 February 2010
by PETER GRUNER

ISLINGTON Council was branded “barking mad” and “wasteful” this week for issuing parking tickets to itself and then refusing to pay the fines.

Following an incident, one department took the case to the Parking Adjudicator and asked for costs against another. To take a case against itself to the Adjudicator the council has to follow 14 separate steps and another 4 steps to ask for costs.

In 2007, Islington issued a parking ticket to one of its own vehicles. The department receiving the ticket disputed the validity of the Penalty Charge Notice and appealed against the fine.

The council declined the appeal so the department took the case to the Parking Adjudicator. At this stage, the council submitted no evidence so the ticket was cancelled. The department that appealed the ticket then applied to have their costs reimbursed.

The bewildered Adjudicator did not award costs, saying: “The legal status of the two parties in this appeal amounted to one and the same.”

Tim Newark, spokesman for Islington Taxpayers Alliance, said he couldn’t imagine a more wasteful system. He said: “It was a complete waste of money and time – and barking mad.”

Islington has taken action against itself on three separate occasions, according to Barrie Segal, who brought the case to light, and is   author of the book: “The Parking Ticket Awards: Crazy Councils, Meter Madness & Traffic Warden Hell”.

Mr Segal said: “The craziness doesn’t end there, because to ask for costs the council must believe that it acted wholly unreasonably or vexatiously against itself.”

Mr Segal came across the case while investigating papers available to the public at the office of the Parking Adjudicator, which is based at the Angel. He added: “You couldn’t make this up.
“It illustrates everything that is wrong with unaccountable parking enforcement in the UK.
“If they ever make another sequel to the film Dumb and Dumber I would suggest that the producers look no further than Islington Parking Department for the starring roles.
“These crazy events should give hope to every motorist who has received an unfair parking ticket.”

Islington Council says that council fleet drivers are personally responsible for parking fines incurred when parking illegally, and the driver should have appealed as an individual not as a council employee.

A spokeswoman added: “The appeals process allows drivers to contest tickets on various grounds, including when there is apparent ambiguity in parking attendants’ notes.

“The council’s parking service withdrew its case on these grounds, but the driver concerned sought costs.”

• Barrie Segal offers to help people appeal against parking tickets. www.appealnow.com