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'Cars will be seized from innocents under new law'
London Innocent motorists in London face having their cars seized under a new law, a watchdog warned today.
- Evening Standard
- Published: 00:00 February 27, 2007
London: Innocent motorists in London face having their cars seized under a new law, a watchdog warned today.
Caroline Sheppard, the chief parking adjudicator for England and Wales, raised the alarm about the legislation being "sneaked through" parliament.
She warned that the Transport for London Bill will give town halls powers to seize vehicles without a court order.
No record
Drivers of second-hand cars could have them towed away because of three unpaid parking tickets belonging to previous owners.
Sheppard said: "Your car could be parked quite legally outside your house and because on their list it has notched up three penalties it can now be seized.
"The DVLA [Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency] does not record penalties incurred by a vehicle. Therefore if you buy a second-hand car you have no record of knowing whether it carries unpaid penalties."
Transport for London (TfL) claims the new law is needed to stop those living outside the capital flouting the £8 (Dh58) congestion charge.
A spokesman said: "People can drive in and out of the capital, failing to pay these charges and we have no ability to enforce. It can go through the normal court process, using bailiffs, but that takes a long time. It is the problem of permanent evaders."
However, Sheppard criticised the legislation and stressed that before motorists could appeal against their vehicle being impounded they faced having to pay £180 (D1,296) for each outstanding parking fine, as well as a removal charge of £150 (Dh1,080) and a daily fee for storing their vehicle. Currently councils can normally only seize cars if they have three unpaid fines and are parked illegally.
Sheppard stressed the burden of proof would fall on motorists to successfully argue that they were not responsible for outstanding fines. Town halls will also be able to share details of parking fines.
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