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All Categories > Public > Tenant Issues > Clamping and IS Traffic Man
Total Posts: 3 - Pages (1): [1]
Author: Andrew Osborne
Posted: 02 May 2006 - 04:23 PM
Subject: Clamping and ISTM
Hi,

I don't know if I'm posting this in the correct part of the forum, but I was wondering what other residents thought about the implementation of wheel clamping on Mansford Estate by THCH, in conjunction with IS Traffic Management. I was curious, because my wife and I have just had some unfortunate(and expensive) dealings with them:

My wife's car was towed and removed on Bank Holiday Monday 1st May 2006 by IS Traffic Management, from our legally permitted parking bay. We didn't realise it had been removed until Tuesday 2nd May, when we phoned the police thinking it had been stolen. They informed us that it had probably been clamped and towed, as the car's tax disc had expired on the 1st May. My wife was aware of this expiry, but unable to get a new tax disc as it was the Bank Holiday. Under DVLA rules you are allowed 14 days grace before you must renew your disc. My wife retrieved the car from ISTM(in Essex), at a cost £380 (the maximum fine, and she had to take the day off work to do so, losing a further day's wages). Apparently, ISTM clamped our car at 6am and towed it away at 8am, so it was highly unlikely that anybody, let alone us, will have seen their clamping notice. I find IS Traffic Mangement's behaivour extremely cynical--it is worth pointing out that their notices make no mention of tax discs. The whole ordeal has been more than a nuisance and has left us feeling exploited.

I have complained the THCH and am awaiting a reply.

A friend of mine, that lives on Mansford Estate, mentioned that a delivery van outside of her house narrowly avoided clamping after being alerted by a neighbour, who said that ISTM contrators had been seen hiding behind some bushes nearby and sneaking up on the vehicle.

Are the residents of Mansford Estate best served by the implementation of such aggresive parking regulations?

At the moment, I feel our car would be safer parked on the street.

Any thoughts?

Cheers Andrew
Author: Mike Meir
Posted: 04 May 2006 - 07:19 PM
Subject: re: Clamping and ISTM
Hi Andrew

While this doesn't directly affect me (not a driver), it does seem to me that IS Services really ought to be goven ASBOs, since they have covered the walls with graffitti, and behave in an extraordinarily anti-social way.

At the last but one meeting of the Area Resident Board, I recall we were advised that IS services had been instructed that they should not tow away cars immediately their tax disk expired. They were meant to allow 48 hours grace. Therefore they were acting outside the brief that THCH gave them, and therefore you should contact THCH and get the money (together with the costs assocaited with picking up the car, together with damages) returned to you by THCH. In case THCH object that you should deal with IS you should point out that your contract regarding the right to park the car is with THCH as the successor to LBTH, and that it has nothing directly to do with IS Services.

I find THCH's apprach to many issues extremely arrogant. The imposition of these charges and legally rather questionable procedures was done with absolutely no consultation with residents of Mansford, nor was it mentioned in the offer document as far as I remember.

The process seems to me extremely high handed. If they don't want unlicensed vehicles on their (I think it was supposed to be our) estate, then fair enough. But a more reasonable procedure would be to get IS to put a note on untaxed but otherwise legitimate cars to advise their owner that they are liable to be towed after 10 working days (the margin allowed by the DVLR). But this doesn't occur to them: they seem to take a gleeful pleasure in setting up an expensive trap and letting people fall into it.
Author: Andrew Osborne
Posted: 06 May 2006 - 03:33 PM
Subject: re: re: Clamping and ISTM
Mike,

Ha. I was reading just about ASBO's against clamping firms.

Thanks for your reply and for forwarding my post to other residents. It's interesting to find out that ISTM may have acted outside their own contractual terms with the THCH. The THCH have said they'll reply to my complaint within 12 working days, so I'm looking forward to their response. The ISTM complaint form is pretty water-tight and gives us little chance of recovering our fine, so it's unlikely that we'll pursue it with them. Perhaps we'll be reimbursed, but I guess we'll just have to play it by ear.

My downstairs neighbour was clamped by ISTM yesterday, whilst she was dropping her mother and children in the house. Ironically, she can't get a permit for the car, that she occasionally borrows, as it's not held in her name. Anyway, they clamped her and attempted to drive off after she went inside to borrow the money for the fine from her mother. Luckily, other residents prevented the ISTM van from moving and they were forced to accept her £85 payment--I imagine they were hoping to get away so that they'd have an excuse to tow the vehicle. It was all quite an unhappy scene. Obviously, the size of the fines is quite an impostion on low-income residents.

Some other Adrian Boult House residents told me that ISTM clamped two vehicles on the day of the Local Elections, that were parked on the main road outside the Polling Station. The police intervened and told ISTM to remove the clamps, because they were interfering with people's right to vote. They have also clamped cars privately parked outside the church, where ISTM has no right to operate. In that instance a barrister was called to intervene.

Hopefully, my complaint to the THCH will alert them to ISTM's behaivour, but as I've had no previous dealings with them, so I'm not sure how they'll respond. I'll keep you informed.

Thanks again,

Andrew
Total Posts: 3 - Pages (1): [1]
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