He parked his car outside his own house and woke up to £35 problem
A fuming homeowner has vowed to fight the council after he was handed a £35 parking ticket for parking his car outside his house. David Miller was slapped with the bill after leaving his Jaguar F-Type on the 6 metre long tarmac outside the gate of his three-bed detached house in Chester, on the evening of Sunday, January 11.The 49-year-old business consultant was unable to leave the vehicle in his two-car driveway because building materials from a recent roof renovation blocked his spot. But, the next morning (January 12), he was shocked to find a parking ticket placed underneath his windshield wiper.David said he had previously parked his car on the tarmac - which is council-owned - for ease over the past ten years with no issues. He also claims his vehicle was well away from the road or near any nearby yellow lines which run past his house.David appealed to Cheshire West and Chester Council the same afternoon to have the penalty rescinded, but it was rejected a day later. Now, he has vowed to take on the council alongside a solicitor's advice,David says the solicitor has told him there are a 'multitude' of reasons why he isn't liable. Things in his favour include signage, and how the drop curb causes a break between the yellow lines on the highway and the road.David said: "I was shocked when I saw the ticket on the windshield. The car was well behind the yellow lines, it’s wasn't impeding any pedestrians as the path is on the other side of the road."I had always assumed I could park there - I had done for ten years with no issues. I see it as a money-making exercise from the council - an excuse for them to pick on neighbourhoods for no reason."I have had neighbours get tickets for parking on similar tarmac outside their houses and they have been rescinded. Why is mine being treated differently?"According to the council, the tarmac where his car was parked is part of the adjacent highway which holds double yellow lines restricting parking. Yet, David disputes their reasoning saying that the tarmac acts as part of his driveway connecting his house to the road.He said: "It isn't like it leads to a footpath, or anyone else's houses, mine is the only one it takes you to. It forms a small road from the highway to my house. The car being there isn't blocking anything or causing any inconvenience to anyone."Following the posting about the incident on social media, David said a local solicitor reached out to him and said he would help him challenge the council's decision again. He said: “If you look at it from a legal perspective, I suppose the council are within their rights to do it, in the letter of the law, but from a common-sense perspective, it’s part of my drive. It’s not restricting any traffic coming into the road.“If traffic wardens are going to be coming around on a regular basis, we have two cars and I can park inside the gates – but sometimes for space when we have friends and family round, I’ll park on the tarmac or they’ll park their car there. Does that mean they’re at risk of getting a fine? Or will they need to park elsewhere, which is an inconvenience for them?”A spokesperson for Cheshire West and Chester Council said: "Following complaints about parking in this area, the Council’s Civil Enforcement Officers increased their visits to ensure compliance with the Traffic Regulation Order (TRO). This location is adopted by the local authority and is fully enforceable."The council say the double yellow lines in fact "extend from the centre of the carriageway to the land boundary, which in this case is the residents’ fence". They added: "Vehicles parked on this land or the adjacent grassed area are considered to be in contravention of the restrictions."
