Tfl Penalty (wrong address)

[Nceen]

My neighbour have just given me two letters from Tfl requesting payment for penalty charge which has now been increasedoing to £120.00. The letter is in my son's name (who is under 18) and the address details are correct except for the door number.
I don't know if I should make contact with Tfl and explain the situation and offer to pay the fine before it escalates further.

 

[Hadders]

If your son committed the offence then pay the penalty pronto to avoid it escalating.

If your son denies the offence then post more details so we can offer further advice.

 

[Nceen]

Hi he is not denying the incident.
I am willing to pay the penalty but do I need to send an email to IRCAS or TFL explaining the mix up with address and give them the correct details.

The penalty recent notice is from the 1st of August were it was a final reminder for £120.00.

 

[Adlington]

If you are willing to pay, why bother sorting out the mix up with address first?

 

[IanD]

If you are willing to pay, why bother sorting out the mix up with address first?

Because they might go back to the original penalty?

 

[Adlington]

But I guess the penalty notice has some sort of reference number (I've never seen such a notice), and when it's paid, never mind by whom at whatever address, that's the end of the story?
Or is it much more complicated than that??

 

[Clip]

A wrong door number does not invalidate nor set back the claim to the original penalty - its purely an administrative error.

Pay the fare to tfl who have written to you to the address given and that will be the end of it.

Oh and if you haven't already then read the riot act to your son

 

[Nceen]

Hi the penalty notice has a specific number.
I was hoping that making contact first and explaining the situation they may only charge me the original penalty of £40.00.

 

[Romilly]

I think that there are three possible scenarios here: (i) your son gave the wrong house number; (ii) your son gave the right house number but it was recorded wrongly; and (iii) your son gave the right house number, and it was recorded correctly, but the wrong house number was then used (simple copy-typing mistake) when your son was written to.

If it is case (iii), but only their records will show whether it is, then there is a good argument for reinstatement of the original penalty amount. If it's case (ii), it's your son's word against the inspector's as regards what was actually said. If it's case (i), it may well be that your son gave the wrong house number without realising his mistake because of the pressurised situation, but a "seen it all before" penalties office may suspect that the mistake was deliberate.

What you say to them depends on the scenario, but you want to avoid bringing upon your son a prosecution for providing a false address.

 

[Adlington]

A bit more general question: Is Joe Bloggs of 42 Acacia Avenue, responsible for a penalty notice sent to Joe Bloggs at 38 Acacia Avenue?

 

[gray1404]

I would agree on paying it to get rid of the matter and settle it. However it doesn't seem fair that because of an administrative error by TfL that you and your son should loose out on the opportunity to pay the lower settlement amount. Had you have received the first letter, by the sounds of it you would have paid it right away. So it seems unfair that you are having to pay more because of their error.

How old is your son?

 

[gray1404]

And how much where they asking for in the first letter and how "over due" is it now?

 

[najaB]

A bit more general question: Is Joe Bloggs of 42 Acacia Avenue, responsible for a penalty notice sent to Joe Bloggs at 38 Acacia Avenue?

Are they one and the same Joe Bloggs or two people who live next door to each other and share a name?

 

[Adlington]

Let me rephrase my question: There is a penalty notice sent to J.B. at 42 Acacia Avenue. There is no J.B. at that address, so the letter gets redirected (by a friendly postman or a helpful neighbour) to J.B's actual residence at 38 Acacia Avenue.

Is Joe Bloggs legally obliged to pay the penalty, issued (on the face of it) to somebody else?

 

[najaB]

Is Joe Bloggs legally obliged to pay the penalty, issued (on the face of it) to somebody else?

It wasn't issued to somebody else. It was issued to Joe Bloggs, just at the wrong address.

Your address isn't part of your legal identity.

 

[Nceen]

Hi I after much thought I have decided to pay the penalty.
Just because I want the matter resolved and hope that even though I paid it late that will be the end of it.

In regards to my son who is has been warned about travelling without correct payment.

In regards to the wrong address i think it was a TFL error as my son reports that they took his Oyster number directly of his Oystercard which is registered to our home address.

Thanks for all your advice.

 

[Hadders]

Hi I after much thought I have decided to pay the penalty.
Just because I want the matter resolved and hope that even though I paid it late that will be the end of it.

In regards to my son who is has been warned about travelling without correct payment.

In regards to the wrong address i think it was a TFL error as my son reports that they took his Oyster number directly of his Oystercard which is registered to our home address.

Thanks for all your advice.

I think that's the wise thing to do in the circumstances. Once the payment has been made you could write a letter to TfL stating what has happened and the confusion over the address. They might refund part of the amount paid.

 

[MikeWh]

In regards to the wrong address i think it was a TFL error as my son reports that they took his Oyster number directly of his Oystercard which is registered to our home address.

If that is the way that they got your address, and the address that the Oyster is registered to is definitely correct, then I would send two cheques along with the incorrectly addressed envelope and a note explaining that you don't feel you should have to pay the full amount. If they agree then they will bank the £40 cheque, otherwise, they will bank both £40 and £80 cheques.

 

[gray1404]

I would defiantly follow the advise given here - pay the amount but in doing so explain to them the error that they may have made and request that you only have to the lower of the amount. I would also politely point out to them that you have responded as soon as possible once you became aware of the problem.

 

[swt_passenger]

Do TfL not give you a copy of the PF paperwork on the day? Does this not give payment procedure details?