Unreasonable time lapse before receiving "Notice to Owner"

[Jimbo_Bimbo]

We received two Bailiff correspondences for PCNs that were issued more than 3-years ago in Hammersmith & Fulham. Although we have successfully appealed and have been granted the cancellation of these charges by the Northampton Clearing Court due to the fact that we both moved house and changed car more than three years ago and never received any further correspondence from H&F even though we were paying for a mail re-direction service, H&F have now issued new notice to owner certificates without the opportunity to pay at the discounted rate.

Is it legal for H&F to re-open a PCN after such an unreasonable long period of time?

H&F have conceded that they have not pursued this matter in the interim and the reason that it went to bailiff was that when they re-opened the case earlier this year, they were writing to an old address for a vehicle that we have not owned for more than 3-years.

We had some charges that were overturned by Northampton from other Councils for PCNs issued a few months before who either cancelled the PCN altogether or re-issued the original charge allowing the discounted rate.

There appears to be a wholly inconsistent approach by the individual Councils

[Amy]

Re: Unreasonable time lapse before receiving "Notice to Owner"

I am confused.

We received two Bailiff correspondences for PCNs that were issued more than 3-years ago in Hammersmith & Fulham.

Have you recently received these bailiff letters or are these from when you appealed originally?

Although we have successfully appealed and have been granted the cancellation of these charges by the Northampton Clearing Court due to the fact that we both moved house and changed car more than three years ago and never received any further correspondence from H&F even though we were paying for a mail re-direction service, H&F have now issued new notice to owner certificates without the opportunity to pay at the discounted rate.

When you appealed successfully, were you sent a Notice of Acceptance or a Notice of Rejection together with a Notice of Appeal? If the former then they should not be pursuing you for these PCNs and if the latter - did you appeal?

We had some charges that were overturned by Northampton from other Councils for PCNs issued a few months before who either cancelled the PCN altogether or re-issued the original charge allowing the discounted rate.

The PCNs would be cancelled completely if you received a Notice of Acceptance, but reissued if you received a Notice of Rejection and failed to appeal.