What to do? Parking infringement received incorrectly addressed

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fearandloathing

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Topic # 239762 2-Aug-2018 19:52

Received a Wellington Parking infringement reminder today.

My Address, Same last name, different first name. Not one of our vehicle registration numbers.

Should I ignore it, return to sender, call them.

Has someone registered a car to our address, has a clerk incorrectly entered information when filling out the reminder or just taken a guess at the address?

No date of birth or gender on the reminder notice.

Zero chance of being my car.

wazzageek

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Reply # 2067126 2-Aug-2018 20:07

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I would suggest that you return the letter to sender.

I don't know that I'd bother calling them, unless there are follow up letters.

coffeebaron

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Reply # 2067130 2-Aug-2018 20:08

If its not you, then just RTS.

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Dratsab

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Reply # 2067143 2-Aug-2018 20:46

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I'd call them. I wouldn't want bailiffs turning up at my place at some point in the future due to unpaid fines. I would have zero faith in WCC staff handling this appropriately on the basis of a letter merely being returned.

Technofreak

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Reply # 2067171 2-Aug-2018 21:34

At the very most I'd RTS. In my experience these notices are due to incompetence on the part of the issuer. They don't deserve any response.

Be prepared for the council to get heavy no matter how you respond. Ask for photographic evidence. When I asked for that they finally relented.

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BlinkyBill

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Reply # 2067215 3-Aug-2018 04:58

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Obviously it’s a mistake. Mistakes happen.

Equally obviously you need to write to then at the address shown and point out the mistake to them. If you don’t write, it didn’t happen.

BlinkyBill

DaveDog

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Reply # 2067232 3-Aug-2018 08:43

fearandloathing:

Received a Wellington Parking infringement reminder today.

My Address, Same last name, different first name. Not one of our vehicle registration numbers.

Should I ignore it, return to sender, call them.

Has someone registered a car to our address, has a clerk incorrectly entered information when filling out the reminder or just taken a guess at the address?

No date of birth or gender on the reminder notice.

Zero chance of being my car.

If the letter has arrived and is addressed incorrectly, then I'd return to sender. But, that said - if you've opened it then I think you should probably call them.

Mistakes happen, no need to be difficult about it I reckon...

networkn

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Reply # 2067271 3-Aug-2018 09:36

DaveDog:

Mistakes happen, no need to be difficult about it I reckon...

This. SO MUCH this! Some of these other responses are awful.

Mspec

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Reply # 2067276 3-Aug-2018 09:40

I would go NATO on their arse, kick and scream organize a protest and bring it to the media's attention that is what most people do.

Or you could rts with a polite note saying this is not me or quick call to say an error has been made and get a ref number from them so you have a record you have spoken to them.

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fearandloathing

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Reply # 2067289 3-Aug-2018 09:59

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Turns out you just need to return to sender, saying not at this address.
I also had to phone NZTA and have them remove my address from the registered vechicle.

Technofreak

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Reply # 2067486 3-Aug-2018 14:48

networkn:

DaveDog:

Mistakes happen, no need to be difficult about it I reckon...

This. SO MUCH this! Some of these other responses are awful.

My experience with these particularly one with the Auckland City Council was that a polite reply stating it wasn't my car didn't get me very far. So far as they were concerned I was a criminal and it was up to me to prove I was innocent. It's my understanding that in this country one is innocent till proven guilty.

They only relented when I asked for them to prove it was my car. I don't remember ever getting an apology out of them for making a mistake.

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networkn

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Reply # 2067488 3-Aug-2018 14:49

Imagine how many emails they get with people trying to get out of fines by claiming all manner of things. Did you provide evidence that it wasn't your car?

DaveDog

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Reply # 2067552 3-Aug-2018 15:59

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Technofreak:

networkn:

DaveDog:

Mistakes happen, no need to be difficult about it I reckon...

This. SO MUCH this! Some of these other responses are awful.

My experience with these particularly one with the Auckland City Council was that a polite reply stating it wasn't my car didn't get me very far. So far as they were concerned I was a criminal and it was up to me to prove I was innocent. It's my understanding that in this country one is innocent till proven guilty.

They only relented when I asked for them to prove it was my car. I don't remember ever getting an apology out of them for making a mistake.

You might find this clip useful... (nb. might contain the odd offensive word)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b0erAlOK8Ts

Technofreak

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Reply # 2067752 3-Aug-2018 20:28

networkn:

Imagine how many emails they get with people trying to get out of fines by claiming all manner of things. Did you provide evidence that it wasn't your car?

Yep, I can imagine they do get a few emails. Based on my experience they'd get a few less if they were a bit more careful.

Provide evidence? How might I do that?

The infringement notice had the correct description (Make, Model, Colour,) and the correct registration for my car. There was nothing I could dispute in that regard. I could easily prove I wasn't in Auckland, bar finding someone who could sign an affidavit that they knew my car wasn't in Auckland, I had no way to prove it wasn't my car.

So far as evidence goes I felt is was up to them to provide evidence, which I knew they wouldn't be able to do.

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Nil Einne

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Reply # 2067989 4-Aug-2018 15:16

Technofreak:

Yep, I can imagine they do get a few emails. Based on my experience they'd get a few less if they were a bit more careful.

Provide evidence? How might I do that?

The infringement notice had the correct description (Make, Model, Colour,) and the correct registration for my car. There was nothing I could dispute in that regard. I could easily prove I wasn't in Auckland, bar finding someone who could sign an affidavit that they knew my car wasn't in Auckland, I had no way to prove it wasn't my car.

In that case your case sounds very different from the OP's. Your case seems to be one where there was a dispute over whether your car was the one illegally parking at the place and time. No one disagreed that the car in question belonged to you.

In the OP's case it seems to be the exact opposite. No one thinks the car in question belongs to them. It sounds like they have the wrong address for the car for some reason is all.