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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Parking ticket with wrong registration!

38 replies

Kittypillar · 14/07/2019 15:58

So DH and I popped out to town quickly to grab a few things, parked the car and, in the rush to get things before the shop closed & while wrestling a screaming baby into a pram, forgot that the street we parked on still charges for parking on a Sunday (I know, we're such idiots🤦🏻‍♀️)

Anyway, we got back to the car to find a parking ticket (from our local council) smacked on to our windscreen. Both felt a bit grumpy about it but realised we'd screwed up... Until we've opened the ticket and realised that not only is the make of the vehicle incorrect, they've also got the license plate completely wrong. The plate they've used isn't even remotely similar to the one on the ticket! The times and colour are correct but that is it.

DH seems to think that would make the parking ticket unenforceable and wants to leave it. I'm a bit more risk averse in general than he is and I'm worried that could backfire, especially as the ticket warden has probably taken photos. I'm also worried that some poor sod whose license plate it actually was is going to get a letter about a parking fine when it wasn't actually them!

I've said that I think we should contact the council about it, just saying it got left on our car but the ticket isn't for our car. I mean, we did actually make a mistake so it's not like it's totally unfair! DH thinks I'd be bonkers to do that. AIBU? What would you do?

OP posts:
Singlebutmarried · 14/07/2019 15:59

Can you be sure that someone hasn’t just ripped the ticket off of their car and put it on yours?

The copy they will have will have the other car’s details.

I’d bin it tbh

Davros · 14/07/2019 16:00

Don't leave it, challenge it but you should win. I had a couple that had the street name wrong, very similar but not the same, and I had broken the rules. Both cancelled heh heh

BaaRamU · 14/07/2019 16:00

Contact your local council with all the details telling them they've got the number plate wrong. They'll probably cancel the ticket. I had it with a work vehicle where they got the number plate wrong by one digit (it was definitely meant for our vehicle) and they cancelled it straight away.

Borderterrierpuppy · 14/07/2019 16:01

Ignore it, how can they chase you if they don’t have your details.

LizziesTwin · 14/07/2019 16:02

I had one cancelled as the details were incorrect.

Davros · 14/07/2019 16:02

Actually if it's not your car reg I'm not sure you do need to do anything. They can hardly chase you for payment, they don't know who you are

WoogleCone · 14/07/2019 16:02

It may have fallen from another car and picked up and put on yours by mistake by a passerby?
I'm also risk averse and would want to call, but perhaps the conversation can go along the lines of ' there was a ticket on my car but the reg is wrong, just letting you know so the rightful owner doesn't get In trouble'. They can then check their pictures if they have them and confirm if it's actually meant for you.
And if they say it's an error and it is actually yours then you're only paying what you actually owe for the mistake

MotherOfSoupDragons · 14/07/2019 16:02

Bin it. Someone has dumped their ticket on your car, hoping you'll panic and pay it. Happened to me. No need to inform anyone. The council will chase up the correct person when the fine isn't paid.

Cheeringmeup · 14/07/2019 16:03

A similar thing happened to us a few years ago. The number plate on the ticket was only wrong by one letter, so we thought we’d just wait and see - if we got a letter about it, we’d pay it. Never heard any more about it. I’d bin it.

Thorilicious · 14/07/2019 16:06

I'd contact them, just in case someone has swapped the tickets over.

bobbypinseverywhere · 14/07/2019 16:10

someone has definitely taken it off their own car and put it on yours!

Mileymileymoomoo · 14/07/2019 16:11

DH had one cancelled as there was one digit of the ref wrong.

If it’s massively out I wonder if it was on another car and they’ve put it on your car as PP has said.

Chunkers · 14/07/2019 16:21

You can check the reg to see what make / model / colour of car it is here. www.check-mot.service.gov.uk/

Shelby2010 · 14/07/2019 16:28

What if your ticket is on another car - either someone swapped them or the traffic warden made a mistake? If the traffic warden has put you in the system then you’ll still have the fine even if you cancel the other person’s ticket. Maybe they put it on your car so you’d either pay it or get it cancelled for them??

transformandriseup · 14/07/2019 17:22

If the registration is wrong then surely if you ignore it nothing will happen. My dad had the same thing 10 years ago and got away with it but things may be different now technology is better

Longdistance · 14/07/2019 17:27

The wardens take photos of the cars these days so there will be a record of the vehicle who originally had the ticket. They’ll chase payment with the owner of the vehicle.

PuppyMonkey · 14/07/2019 17:30

I’m not sure I’d be able to ignore, as PP say, the traffic warden may have put your details on another car by mistake. I’d take a photo of it with the ticket on exactly how you found it, showing time, date etc then contact the local authority or whoever it is and they’ll cancel it (and the one that’s maybe in the other car should do the same).

Todaythiscouldbe · 14/07/2019 17:33

Have you been online to check the photos? When we got a ticket there was about 8 photos of our car linked to the reference number

Original poster
Kittypillar · 14/07/2019 22:56

Have you been online to check the photos?

I did wonder this! Tried to go online to check but it won't let me do it just using a license plate. Asks me for a name, home address etc as compulsory boxes on the online form, and I'm thinking it's probably an idea to query it first without doing that.

Just checked the license plate that was on there and seems the colour and make of car that was on our ticket matches. So maybe someone else got it and left it on our car? Or maybe the warden mixed them up by accident?

Either way, think I'll be contacting the council and querying it at the least. Thanks all!

OP posts:
Terrarium · 14/07/2019 22:59

'I found a ticket on my car but it's not for my reg. Can you confirm that it's not meant for me?'

smartcarnotsosmartdriver · 14/07/2019 23:02

Some absolute rocket that I work with once said she used to move parking tickets from one car to another, just because she could...

Staysexyanddontgetmurdered · 14/07/2019 23:04

This happened to me once, admittedly it was in Italy but exactly the same situation. The traffic warden had just written two tickets out and put the wrong one on my car. The other car had mine. I still had to pay Sad definitely double check though.

mummy1970abc · 14/07/2019 23:12

I would say that you need to put your hands up. Ring the contact number to pay the fine. Give them your registration number. Tell them that you no longer have the parking ticket. Ask them to confirm the details - once they give them to you in writing - pay it.
If they are unable to give the details to you in writing then ask them to confirm, in writing, whether you are liable or not.
Problem solved.

Pollywollydolly · 14/07/2019 23:17

Hi This ticket is unenforceable. I guess someone put it from their car onto yours in the hope that you would not notice and pay up. You generally have 28 days to pay and if it's not paid in that time the council will obtain the owners details from DVLA and issue a Notice To Owner. Without the correct details they won't get your name and address so you won't receive this and won't hear anything more.

Mammatron · 14/07/2019 23:20

I got a parking ticket but with one letter wrong, I didn't realise until I rang to pay the fine and the system didnt recognise my correct reg number. Checked with a solicitor friend of mine and it was therefore unenforceable as they hadn't recorded it correctly Smile