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#Post#: 57011--------------------------------------------------
Birmingham CAZ PCN
DIR By: fox10
Date: February 6, 2025, 3:37 pm
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Good evening,
I hope you are well.
I was surprised to receive the PCN below from Birmingham council
for my car even though it is a Euro 6 (ULEZ) compliant vehicle
as I live in London. As I thought there had been some sort of a
mistake or database issue, I sent them a copy of my V5 and ULEZ
statement proving compliance but today to my horror they have
sent me a rejection below. Please advise what do I do now? Do
I contact the DVLA and ask them to update their database - do I
have any scope for appealing this? This feels like a money
grab. Any help much appreciated. Thanks
HTML https://i.postimg.cc/L8TfDr35/Birmingham-CAZ-PCN-page-1-edit.jpg
HTML https://i.postimg.cc/JnxQ0HSK/Birmingham-CAZ-PCN-page-2.jpg
HTML https://i.postimg.cc/d086MxBb/Birmingham-CAZ-rejection-page-1.jpg
HTML https://i.postimg.cc/d1wBJjNL/Birmingham-CAZ-rejection-page-2.jpg
HTML https://i.postimg.cc/s2FmNrpP/Birmingham-CAZ-rejection-page-3.jpg
#Post#: 57023--------------------------------------------------
Re: Birmingham CAZ PCN
DIR By: fraser.mitchell
Date: February 6, 2025, 5:52 pm
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As you have found out, the emissions standards for these CAZ are
a complete dog's breakfast and our supine governments and
officials couldn't care less. However, perhaps the key statement
is here on the London LEZ webpage: -
--- Quote ---
> The LEZ is enforced based on manufacturer declared emissions
of the vehicle rather than age, but:
>
> Euro VI (NOx and PM) engines are generally those first
registered with the DVLA after 1 January 2014
>
> Euro IV (PM) engines are generally those first registered with
the DVLA as new after 1 October 2006
>
> All vehicles which meet the ULEZ standards will also meet the
LEZ standards
--- End Quote ---
On addition, Birmingham state in Section 1 5th para.that if you
believe your vehicle is compliant you should contact the DVLA.
If it were me, I'd not hesitate and would immediately register
an appeal with the Traffic Penalty Tribunal on the matter,
because this sort of thing needs sorting out. I do note,
however, that Birmingham are no re-offering the discount whereas
they weren't previously. Maybe they've been overwhelmed by
appeals to TPT and somebody in their parking dept said,
"re-offer the discount and 99% of people will pay".
Birmingham and Bristol seem to be the odd men out of all the
non-London CAZs, so one has to wonder how their standards differ
from everybody else.
HTML https://vehiclecheck.drive-clean-air-zone.service.gov.uk/air_zones/compliance
#Post#: 57030--------------------------------------------------
Re: Birmingham CAZ PCN
DIR By: Enceladus
Date: February 6, 2025, 9:44 pm
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Euro-6 became mandatory for a diesel car 1st Sep 2015. Your BMW
was registered in July 2015 so it's highly likely that it's
Euro-6. However there is a possibility that it was registered as
Euro-5.
Please post up the emissions section of the V5c.
Is there a Euro status entry on the V5c?
And what is the exact model of the BMW?
And does the BMW have a personal registration plate?
#Post#: 57152--------------------------------------------------
Re: Birmingham CAZ PCN
DIR By: fox10
Date: February 7, 2025, 4:44 pm
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Good evening,
Thank you for your replies. Yes, totally agree I will be
appealing, I followed Birmingham's advice and phoned the DVLA
CAZ customer service team (0300 029 8888) and spoke to a nice
lady (Linda) who checked my car details and confirmed it is euro
6 but she said when it was registered the Euro 6 was not
recorded in the right box of the V5 (Euro status section) please
see screenshot below. Apparently it sounds like a common
problem. Anyway she took all my details and had to refer it to
another team so they can update the database. She said that
they may send me a new v5, however it can take up to 15 working
days to process.
In the meantime, BMW have swiftly sent me a Certificate of
Conformity so I am waiting for the DVLA to their bit and I have
all my ducks in a row before lodging an appeal. I will let you
know how I get on. thanks
HTML https://i.postimg.cc/CM4tVT5X/bmw-435d-v5-Euro6.jpg
#Post#: 57155--------------------------------------------------
Re: Birmingham CAZ PCN
DIR By: fraser.mitchell
Date: February 7, 2025, 5:45 pm
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So the DVLA phone number works and there is a real person at the
other end; wonders will never cease !
Very well done on tracking down what has gone wrong; a simple
clerical error when the data for the V5 was entered.
#Post#: 57213--------------------------------------------------
Re: Birmingham CAZ PCN
DIR By: Enceladus
Date: February 8, 2025, 1:23 pm
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Your BMW was first registered in July 2015.
As I understand it the DVLA only started to issue V5c documents
with included the EURO status field in September 2018. I'm not
sure if the Euro status field gets populated reliably and
correctly when a new V5c gets issued post 1st Sep 2018, EG on a
change of owner/RK or a personal plate.
In the case of a diesel car the ULEZ checker will look for Euro
6b compliance by checking the NOx and particulate matter fields
where the car's 1st registration predates 1st September 2015. On
and after the 1st Sep 2015 it wouldn't have been legal to
register a non-compliant car so no need to check. The CAZ
checker should be checking the same things, ie the NOx and PM
levels.
That why I asked you to post up the emissions section of the V5c
and whether or not the V5c had a EURO status entry.
I would register an appeal with the Adjudicator at the TPT asap
and request a personal (telephone) hearing. Tick the box that
indicates further evidence will follow.
The Certificate of Conformity from BMW should be sufficient. A
new updated V5c icing on the cake.
My guess is that council will 'do not contest' when you register
the appeal to the Adjudicator.
You could consider writing back to the Council pointing out that
the BMW Certificate of Conformity confirms that the vehicle is
Euro 6 compliant, that it's not your problem to deal with errors
in their database lookups. Since no contravention of the
charging scheme occurred the PCN should be cancelled. See what
comes back.
#Post#: 57892--------------------------------------------------
Re: Birmingham CAZ PCN
DIR By: fox10
Date: February 12, 2025, 5:41 pm
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HTML https://i.postimg.cc/hPcVpGs7/Screenshot-2025-02-12-233825.jpg
Thanks, I'll submit the appeal and let you know what happens.
#Post#: 58199--------------------------------------------------
Re: Birmingham CAZ PCN
DIR By: fox10
Date: February 15, 2025, 4:27 am
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The new V5 has arrived with updated Euro status. I have sent
Birmingham a message but do I also submit an appeal with the
Adjudicator at the TPT or do I give Birmingham some time to come
to their senses.
#Post#: 58202--------------------------------------------------
Re: Birmingham CAZ PCN
DIR By: fraser.mitchell
Date: February 15, 2025, 4:51 am
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Best to register an appeal at the TPT. You don't want to miss
the deadline for this if Birmingham are obdurate. Never trust
local authorities in these matters.
#Post#: 58243--------------------------------------------------
Re: Birmingham CAZ PCN
DIR By: Enceladus
Date: February 15, 2025, 7:57 am
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And upload the new V5c, the BMW Certificate of Conformity and
the DVLA email as additional evidence on the Traffic Penalty
Tribunal portal.
The issue is not whether the compliance database lookup was
correct on the day, something that you have no control over,
it's whether or not your car met the emissions standards on the
day.
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