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| Version 2 | Version 3 |
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| Parking fine award overturned | Parking fine award overturned |
| (about 6 hours later) | |
| A £20,000 "distress" award handed to a man from east London embroiled in a £200 parking fine dispute has been overturned by the courts. | |
| Z-Un Noon, from Tower Hamlets, east London, refused to pay four £50 fines to Newham Council and took the council to court claiming emotional distress. | Z-Un Noon, from Tower Hamlets, east London, refused to pay four £50 fines to Newham Council and took the council to court claiming emotional distress. |
| When a council representative failed to appear Mr Noon was given judgement by default and awarded £5,000 per ticket. | When a council representative failed to appear Mr Noon was given judgement by default and awarded £5,000 per ticket. |
| The council said it had not received the court summons. | The council said it had not received the court summons. |
| Mr Noon has since been ordered to repay the £20,000, in addition to £7,500 in court costs. | Mr Noon has since been ordered to repay the £20,000, in addition to £7,500 in court costs. |
| The council initially fined Mr Noon £50 for committing a parking offence in October 2007. | The council initially fined Mr Noon £50 for committing a parking offence in October 2007. |
| When he refused to pay, they called in the bailiffs and the case was subsequently closed. | When he refused to pay, they called in the bailiffs and the case was subsequently closed. |
| Computers seized | Computers seized |
| However, when Mr Noon received a further three parking fines he pursued damages for emotional distress in county court. | However, when Mr Noon received a further three parking fines he pursued damages for emotional distress in county court. |
| The court ruled in his favour in the council's absence, and bailiffs were sent to retrieve the £20,000 from the council. | The court ruled in his favour in the council's absence, and bailiffs were sent to retrieve the £20,000 from the council. |
| This was just an abuse of the whole legal system Newham Council "We first heard about the case when bailiffs came into our parking shop in East Ham," said a council spokeswoman. | This was just an abuse of the whole legal system Newham Council "We first heard about the case when bailiffs came into our parking shop in East Ham," said a council spokeswoman. |
| "They began to unplug our computers and take them away. We agreed to pay them to prevent them unplugging an important file server." | "They began to unplug our computers and take them away. We agreed to pay them to prevent them unplugging an important file server." |
| She added: "If we had been aware of the case, of course we would have made representations in court. We would not have just ignored something like this." | She added: "If we had been aware of the case, of course we would have made representations in court. We would not have just ignored something like this." |
| However, last month Bow County Court ruled in the council's favour and Mr Noon has now been ordered to repay the award plus costs. | However, last month Bow County Court ruled in the council's favour and Mr Noon has now been ordered to repay the award plus costs. |
| "There is a standard procedure for challenging parking fines," the council spokeswoman said. "This was just an abuse of the whole legal system." | "There is a standard procedure for challenging parking fines," the council spokeswoman said. "This was just an abuse of the whole legal system." |