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I have an issue with bailiffs relating to a council parking charge from 2015. The charge was appealed and went through to the Traffic Penalty Tribunal stage, where my appeal was rejected. Unfortunately I misread the final e-mail and assumed that the charge had been deemed invalid. Whilst the appeal was in progress I emigrated to Germany, but kept the council updated on my address (I received documents relating to my appeal whilst in Germany). I heard nothing for almost a year.
Yesterday, however, bailiffs chasing the charge turned up at my parents' house in the UK with a bill for over £500. When I contacted the council about this, they said they had been sending reminder letters to my old UK address (different from my parents' house), not the German one which they should have been aware of. I currently use my parents' house as my UK correspondence address, but am a full time German resident.
I would like to settle the issue to avoid potential stress for my parents and problems for myself if I return to Britain. I am, however, unwilling to pay fees beyond the additional PCN and late payment fees as the council did not inform me of any ongoing enforcement action through administrative error and the bailiff's fees include charges for visiting the wrong address, where the enforcement notice was incorrectly served.
What are my options? The council say I need to go through the bailiffs, the bailiff I am in contact with by phone is unwilling to discuss the fees, and I am waiting to hear back from the head bailiff.
Yesterday, however, bailiffs chasing the charge turned up at my parents' house in the UK with a bill for over £500. When I contacted the council about this, they said they had been sending reminder letters to my old UK address (different from my parents' house), not the German one which they should have been aware of. I currently use my parents' house as my UK correspondence address, but am a full time German resident.
I would like to settle the issue to avoid potential stress for my parents and problems for myself if I return to Britain. I am, however, unwilling to pay fees beyond the additional PCN and late payment fees as the council did not inform me of any ongoing enforcement action through administrative error and the bailiff's fees include charges for visiting the wrong address, where the enforcement notice was incorrectly served.
What are my options? The council say I need to go through the bailiffs, the bailiff I am in contact with by phone is unwilling to discuss the fees, and I am waiting to hear back from the head bailiff.
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