DVLA fines clamped residents
Tuesday 18th August 2009, 11:20AM BST.
Susan Donaldson, from Field Crescent, Harlescott, Shrewsbury with her DVLA clamped car.
Angry residents who had their cars clamped during a blitz on illegal parking say they have been stung for a second time after receiving fines from the DVLA.
Up to 12 vehicles are believed to have been clamped in the Harlescott area of Shrewsbury at the end of July, with residents having to pay £260 to get their cars released.
After paying the fine Susan Donaldson, of Field Crescent, said she was “shocked” to receive a letter from the DVLA demanding a further £249 for having an untaxed vehicle.
Miss Donaldson, 27, said her Vauxhall Corsa had been clamped on a concrete area off the road but she did not know it was still classed as the highway.
She said she had been in possession of a statutory off-road notification. Miss Donaldson, who lives with partner Tony O’Gorman and their two children, said she believed she had the right to leave her car parked on the concrete area as the family has paid about £110 a year for the last three years in service charges to Severnside Housing.
She said she is planning to ask for an extension to the payment deadline and appeal the fine.
A spokeswoman from the DVLA said to-day: “Whilst wheelclamping teams are auth-orised to charge fees relating to the clamping of the vehicle, these fees do not discharge the alleged offence of an unlicensed vehicle being kept or used on the public highway.”
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Not knowing it was still the highway is no excuse… she should’ve checked.
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if you dont like it – get rid of your car and walk instead thats what legs were designed for.
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If they couldn’t use the cars because they had been registered as “off the road” with the DVLA, why not just leave the clamps on, it would prevent thieves taking off with ‘em.
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Hey come on Guy’s,
Surely one bite of the cherry is enough? The vehicle’s were removed after payment of the first fine as I understand it.
OK so the owners were wrong to park as they did, they paid the price for that, this second Fine is well over the top!!
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Can someone please explain to me why despite the fact that this woman has a driveway – you can see it behind her – she didn’t park her car on that?
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It is all a bit of a mystery realy how can it be the highway?? it is not on the side of the road but off it, i would go to court.We have not got a rule here that only applys to some and not others have we???.
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One more thing , although this is not a dvla problem but actualy is a growing problem not addressed , people who live on private estates who park vans and caravans in their driveways and on the side of the road . On many of these estaes actually the bulk of them under the planning No vans or caravans to be parked in driveways whether you own the property or not .Time for action and time for some on the spot fines for these lot who are ignoring the LAW
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If a piece of land can be used by any memebr of the public and access is not restricted then it is a public highway – the first fine was for parking illegally, the 2nd for keeping an unlicensed vehicle on the public highway (it doesn’t actually have to be a road!) Pay the fine and shift the car (that is you don’t want to get caught again) We don’t want clapped out bangers left all over the place!
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Andrew @9 – a ‘highway’ in law generally means not only the road itself but also the kerbs verges and adjacent land up to the curtiledge (boundary) of a private property.
Remember that all those inconsiderate people who park half on the kerb so wheelchairs and pushchairs can’t get past !!!
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The definition of public highway is a “way over which all members of the public have a right to pass and repass”. There are various types of public highway – the most common are footpaths, bridleways and full vehicular use highways.
Generally, the public highway extends over the whole width of a road, path, verge and other land up to the boundaries of adjoining properties and fields.
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Anyone familiar with field crescent will know that this special ‘concrete area’ does not exist. The road simply widens at the end to provide resident parking and room to turn. The service charge to severnside will be for the upkeep of the lawn area immediatly outside the properties. Severnside do not own the road.
The resident chanced her luck and got caught – stop moaning and just pay up!
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women parking what can i say!
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