A dad has been hounded by debt collectors after Salford City Council mistakenly sent him two fines for the same driving misdemeanour.
Paul Foulkes, from Morecambe, was visiting Manchester last November with his wife, Rebecca, and daughter. The trio had come to the city to watch a Disney On Ice show at Manchester Arena.
Ahead of his trip, Paul had booked parking at the Q-Park nearby, and followed his car’s sat-nav in the city centre. As he approached the multi-storey, he drove through a bus lane — which is monitored by cameras — and drove through it again on leaving the car park.
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However, Paul was unaware he had committed a traffic violation for several months. He says he did not hear from Salford City Council immediately after — and the first time he was informed that he had been fined was when he got a letter from debt collectors in June this year.
“I was completely baffled,” Paul, a business owner, told the Manchester Evening News . “They said we had seven days to pay, otherwise we would get the bailiffs. We tracked it down to Salford Council and they sent me the violation and I held my hands up.
“I was happy to pay the fine, but asked if they could call off the wolves, so to speak. They would not tell me why the original fine had not reached me.
“I checked with the DVLA, my address was correct. I had moved in June 2021, but I certainly changed that before this all happened.”
In total, the 38-year-old was being told to pay £174. Fearing a visit from the bailiffs, he paid up.
Paul thought that this had closed the ordeal — and put it down as an expensive mistake. However, it was only the start of another saga.
“We paid on a portal online and it said I had nothing left to pay,” he continued. “Then, on Saturday (September 17) I got another letter for £174 and again, seven days to pay it.
“That appears to be because I was caught driving in and out of the car park through the bus lane, and that’s two separate offences. They did not tell me about this with the first offence.
“It’s £348. Okay, we did it - but it’s criminal. We are a young family. It tarnished our time in Manchester.
“Never once did they say ‘you are going yo have two of these’. I put it to bed and took one for the team and paid. It’s such a shame. We loved the event.”
Now, after the M.E.N. contacted the Council about Paul’s case, the authority has acknowledged they made an error and apologised. Better yet, Paul is set to get £318 back as a refund.
A spokesperson said: “Due to an error by enforcement agents acting on behalf of the council a second fine was sent out. This should not have happened. We would like to apologise for the inconvenience and stress and as a result a refund of £318 has been authorised.
“It is vitally important that the registered keeper of a vehicle notifies the DVLA when they change address. People can receive up to a £1,000 fine (issued by the DVLA) if they do not tell the DVLA when their address changes.”
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