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Workers lifted my car, painted yellow lines under it, then wardens came and towed it away
Rashid Razaq28.05.09
Ruth Ducker had legally parked her cherished Volkswagen Golf round the corner from her house for two years so it came as a shock when she discovered it had disappeared from its regular spot - and in its place was a set of double yellow lines.
Her confusion deepened when Lambeth council claimed to have no knowledge of where her car was.
It took three weeks for the council to admit its contractors were behind the disappearance, and then add insult to injury by telling the 44-year-old graphic designer she owed more than £800 in fines.
In fact the car had been carefully lifted out of the way for the double yellows to be painted in Gordon Grove in Camberwell, then replaced on the new restrictions by the contractors responsible.
The same day a different set of parking enforcers spotted the "illegally parked" car, and had it towed away - after photographing it on the newly painted double yellows.
Mrs Ducker had left the runabout without its battery, meaning she knew that it had not been stolen.
She said: "My little VW disappeared a week before Christmas. I had parked for years on an unrestricted stretch about 40 yards from my home. When I returned on 19 December to replace the battery my car had disappeared and yellow lines had suddenly appeared. There's no way I could have driven onto those lines.
"Initial inquiries with the council found no trace of the car. It was three weeks before I received my first official notification."
It took a further two months and the involvement of her local MP Kate Hoey to make the council back down and waive the fines, which by now totalled £2,240.
"What they did was disgraceful," said Mrs Ducker. "I'm very grateful to my MP. When I saw the photos of my car on the yellow lines I was furious.
"I knew that to pay up would be an admission of guilt, so I decided to fight them. But I didn't get the car back until the middle of February and they offered a paltry £100 to compensate for lost road tax, insurance and inconvenience. Needless to say I still haven't received a penny."
In a letter to Ms Hoey the council said contractors had told them the "vehicle may have been lifted in order to facilitate the painting of lines" and admitted residents had not been advised of the planned work. The letter also confirmed that penalty notices were not due to be issued until the day after Mrs Ducker's car was removed.
Lambeth council blamed a "breakdown in communication" between its contractors and has now offered Mrs Ducker £150 compensation.
A council spokesman said: "This was an unacceptable case and when the council became aware of it we acted to cancel all the charges. We are very sorry for the distress this has caused Mrs Ducker.
"We have raised the case with our contractors in order to avoid something like this happening again in the future. While one case like this is one case too many, this is very much an isolated incident, and all our figures show that in general parking is becoming fairer in Lambeth."
Reader views (18)
I don't understand these references to the Lib Dems. Lambeth, the council responsible for towing away Ruth's car in this disgraceful incident, has been in Labour control since 2006 and this is an example of their so-called "fair parking" policy. Roll on 2010 and the chance to get them out.
- Pete, Streatham, London
With or without the addition of the yellow lines, the car was obviously parked in an area it shouldn't have been. The highway code clearly says "Don Not park or stop opposite or within 10 metres (32 feet) of a junction, except in an authorised parking space." There is no way from those photos, that the car was 10 meters from the junction, that is obvious from the other roads and white line markings.
- Mike, Torquay
Pete from Sutton
Sorry to disappoint you but we've got another year of the LibDem councillors in Sutton yet. It's only European elections this time around. Local Council elections aren't until next year. Visitor parking in permit zones have been severely cut in Sutton over the last few years as well.
- Cllr Paul Scully, Sutton, UK
Ruth has been treated badly. However she should be fined for having a tatoo.
- Hatchet, Newcastle Australia
Read the Text, Bob of Cheam. Its states that the Residents had not been advised of any planned work.
- Roy, london
Bobby, Cheam.
Doe's your missus work for the council mate?
Can't think why anyone would stick up for council workers otherwise.
Council workers are the "unemployable" just there to keep the dole figures lower thats all.
- P Staker, London, SW8
Some say "oh, these are just little things. Why get all worked up over it" Well, these 'little things' go on all the time, and every time they are NOT challenged, the perpetrators are emboldened and the little things become bigger things. And before the average head in the sand person realizes it, they have lost their liberty, their property, their life.
- Trunk, US
Probably a attempt by Dick Whittington to raise some revenue. Of course an "error" has been made.
T H Leeds
- Thomas Hayes, Leeds UK
Having lived in Camberwell now for 3 years I have both been victim to and actually watched Lambeth's over zealous traffic enforcement in action.
To say that their methods were devisive in one particular case I witnessed is an understatement.
It's disgusting that they apparently persecute their own tax paying residents while so many other serious crime and degredation escalates seemingly unchecked in the borough.
- John, Lambeth, London UK
"Having lived in Lambeth for around 10 years, I can honestly say that every time they wanted to do any roadworks whatsoever they used to put very large signs up for a week beforehand warning residents of any problems". Bob, you must have lived on lucky street. Having lived in Lambeth for 17 years I can tell you that the council frequently carry out roadworks without properly informing residents.
- Karl, Streatham
The Council broke the Contract Law by illegally removing property.
- William, Red Hill UK
This is ,sadly ,so typical of the USSR Great Britain. The mind boggles at the arrogance, blatant stupidity and churlishness of our seemingly mindless "rulers". It is to be hoped that the Media now start to investigate Councils and Councillors, as they have done with the Westminster Band of Brigands, with the unelected Prime Minister at it's ugly head. Plenty of surprises there, no doubt. The place I knew and loved has now changed totally beyond recognition, for the worst ,in all aspects.Well, you voted for Labour. Now you've got the REAL Labour-Communism in disguise. Don't be surprised if the Tourists stop coming. I don't even want to return to my home , the place is just so incredibly screwed up.
- Ray King, kassel germany
And we pay council tax for these muppets.
- Dom, London
It would be interesting to know why, after all these years of unrestricted parking, did Lambeth Council decide to paint double yellow lines in the first place?. Is it yet another case of bashing the motorist by forcing them to pay for residents parking permits to park outside their own home?. The same is happening here in the London Borough of Sutton. I, and neighbours, have been parking in our small unrestricted Cul De Sac for more than 20 years without any problems. The Council(another bunch of LibDem anti car hippies of course) has unilaterally decided to introduce residents parking and want to charge a substantial yearly fee merely for painting a few boxes on the road. No reason is forthcoming, other than '..it's council policy..'. Still, role on the June elections when most of the current local councillors will be booted out and will be forced to go back to their menial jobs and boring lives.
- Pete, Sutton. UK
Lambeth Council..says it all. Between them and Haringey, they are both extremely incompetent councils...
- Alan, East London
Sounds like Mr Bean is running Lambeth Council!
- Lily, North of the Watford Gap
Having lived in Lambeth for around 10 years, I can honestly say that every time they wanted to do any roadworks whatsoever they used to put very large signs up for a week beforehand warning residents of any problems and there would always be one idiot who left their car out and it always had to be removed. I find it very unlikely that this wasn't the case here.
- Bob, Cheam
Labour/Liberal council, what do you expect?
- Frank, Home Counties, England.
