Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!
Legally parked car illegally towed away. Trying to help a disabled friend. Resolved!!!!
I am trying to help a friend of mine, and am a little bit stuck. He’s suffering from severe depression and is unable to work, so is on benefits. He’s got a car that he hardly ever uses, so he was planning on selling it to help him with bills etc. He had parked it on a residential road with absolutely no parking restrictions, as he cannot afford a parking permit. It was not in anyone’s way whatsoever. Then a friend who lives near where he parked told him his car was gone. Due to his mental disability, he was unable to deal with this. I called Haringey Council car pound, and the car had been towed as they claimed it was dumped. Which it wasn’t. It was in good condition, no broken windows, flat tyres etc. The Council claim they have sent my friend a letter asking him to confirm that the car was not dumped. He never got the letter. They now want him to pay £200 + £40 per day. If he does not, the car will be destroyed at his cost.
He has not got the money to get the car out, so the cost just increases. So does his depression, this is more than he can even begin to consider dealing with. The added stress of money worries has made it worse. I have tried calling the Council on his behalf, but there is “nothing they can do” apparently.
The whole situation is absurd. Tjhey have kidnapped his legally parked car, they have not notified him like they should have, and are now effectively bullying a disabled man, refusing to let him have is car back, as he does not have the money to pay the ransom. And he certainly won’t have ythe money to pay them when they destroy his car. The car that was meant to pay for his food and rent for the next few months, he was trying to get to the stage where he could face dealing with selling it.
This is just so unfair, and it’s breaking my heart seeing what this does to him. Does anyone have any idea how to get this whole sorry mess sorted out?
Tags for Forum Posts: bastards, car, council, illegal, towed
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by james walsh on
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Contact immediately the CAB http://www.haringeycabx.org.uk/ Meanwhile, contact the parking department once more and tell them to put this case on hold while you get legal advice from CAB. You can do this by telephone but send a confirmation email or registered letter. Meanwhile get a letter from your friends GP confirming his disability/illness, make a copy and send it to the relevant parking department MANAGER. P.M. me and i'll try to help further.
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Permalink Reply by Anette on
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thank you James, much appreciated! I guess my friend has to go to CAB himself? I'll ask him to get doctor's letter sorted asap. Any idea who I need to speak to in parking? They passed me around like a parcel last time, until someone claming to be a "manager" told me in very poor English there was nothing he could do. He refused to pass me to someone else. Really frustrating!
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Permalink Reply by Alan Stanton on
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I'd fully endorse James' advice. And though it may be gilding the lily, I'd add an email to Ann Cunningham Head of Parking ( ann.cunningham@haringey.gov.uk ) explaining the position as you have set it out - with any extra relevant detail. And also listing the steps you and your friend are taking to establish that his car was not abandoned and that medical evidence has been sought. You could ask Ms Cunningham what extra information she needs.
Two points to consider. I am puzzled why action would be taken on a car parked in a road with no restrictions and displaying an up-to-date tax disc, if nobody had complained e.g. that it was causing an obstruction.
Are you sure the road was public highway? Some residential streets are "unadopted" - private roads where enforcement is not done by the Council.
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Thanks Alan, really helpful. The car was displaying a valid tax disc, and it was parked on The Chine, N10, which is, now that I have checked, a private road. Urgh. It was not causing an obstruction though. How was my firend meant to know this road was private? It's not marked as such. How does this change his position? This is a complete jungle, and he's now facing feed close to £1000, as he's got problems raising the cash, and they refused to freeze it when I called.
Does anyone know what the rules are on a private road?
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The Chine is part of the Rookfield Estate - a group of private roads at the foot of Muswell Hill. If that was where your friend parked, I'd be surprised if there are no signs. There's a residents' association which manages the streets.
A Google search gives this website which unfortunately doesn't have contact details. However, do I understand that you discovered this for yourself and called them? I suggest you try to find out who is the chair/secretary of their association and explain to them about your friend's medical background.
But I now don't understand why Haringey Parking Service are involved with a private road. Maybe things have changed since the last time - many years ago - we visited someone living there.
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Google Earth shows a street sign: "Private Road Unadopted"
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Thank you again Alan, saves me a trip up there to have a look, was going to do that today. I have no idea why the HPS are involved either, hopefully they have made a mistake and he can get the car back. I might be dreaming here though.... it's a complete nightmare! @ Clive, I know the car is taxed, and I believe it's insured too, so there must be another reason.
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Permalink Reply by John D on
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Was it taxed, with MOT and insured ?
If not, they are probably in the right.
If it was, then maybe going round to the Council in person would be a good idea.
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Permalink Reply by JulieB on
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It sounds absurd - before our street was CPZ'ed we used to have lots of dumped cars and I would complain about them. But if they had a tax disc the council refused to move them. The worst was a big van left right outside our house for 8 months.
So they must have changed their policy or made a mistake.
I hope you can sort it out for him.
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Permalink Reply by Clive Carter on
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I recently recieved a renewal form from the DVLA for my motorcycle. There was a (standard) form inside to the effect that the law is now such that the authorities can take action over a vehicle that is uninsured, whether or not it is being used, i.e. just kept, presumably anywhere, unless a SORN is in effect.
Could that be the reason your friend is having this aggravation Anette?
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Permalink Reply by John McMullan on
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So Anette, over this we've learned a couple of important things. One is that the mentally ill do strange things sometimes, that's why we should treat them with a bit of sympathy. The other thing is that a private landlord can be far worse to deal with than the council.
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To be fair, John, perhaps we should wait till Anette confirms she's made contact with the chair and/or secretary of the Residents' Association (or their managing agents) and what response she gets.
It may also be unhelpful to make generalisations about "the mentally ill". As MIND points out "one in four people are likely to experience a mental health problem every year."
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