A MAN has been threatened by the bailiffs over a £750 fine after a car he had sold was parked in a bus lane five days in a row.

David Powell, 66, a retired psychiatric worker from Monkwick Avenue, Colchester, purchased a second-hand vehicle for £900.

After being told by his doctor he would be unable to drive for three months due to his new medication, he sold his car just six weeks later for £300 less.

While informing DVLA of the transfer of ownership, he was told the process may be delayed by as long as six weeks due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Shortly after the sale, Mr Powell received a string of parking fines from Essex County Council after the new owner of the car, which was still registered in his name, pulled up in a bus lane five times.

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The new owner eventually paid two of the five penalties, but Mr Powell continued to be hounded for payment in relation to the remaining three.

After being threatened with court action and submitting a host of documents proving his case, he eventually was given the impression the situation had been resolved.

Two days ago, however, Mr Powell, who is awaiting a gallbladder operation, says he was paid a visit by enforcement agents.

He said: “The bailiff bums started banging on my door at 7am with a £754 bill, even though this had been put to bed about three months ago.

“I told them I thought this had passed and I had gone to the solicitors and verified my information to send to the courts.

“They just said if I did not pay, they would take items in my home to the value of the fine, but I told them to push off and they were not having anything from me.”

After standing firm and refusing to comply with the bailiffs’ orders, defiant Mr Powell was instead served a notice as a final warning.

He now expects he will soon be threatened once again with being taken to court unless he coughs up the hefty bill.

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“I am still waiting for the information to come back, but I have never known something so mind bogglingly for such as simply thing,” added Mr Powell.

“It’s like headless chickens running around, but they have no sympathy at all and in their minds, they are right and that is the end of it, but this story is not over.”

A spokeswoman from DVLA said: "We would encourage anyone who is planning on selling their car to let us know online as quickly as possible to ensure the vehicle’s record is updated promptly.

"The online service is the quickest and easiest way to notify us and will update the record immediately.

"It is available between 7am and 7pm on gov.uk/sold-bought-vehicle."

A spokesperson for Essex Highways has now added: “Mr Powell currently has three unpaid Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs) for driving through the Bus Gate in Maldon Road, Colchester.

"We obtain keeper details from the DVLA and send all correspondence for each vehicle to the owner they give to us.

"We have not received evidence that the vehicle had been sold, meaning all PCNs were sent to Mr Powell. When they were not paid, the cases progressed to debt collection.

“We have placed all the cases on hold with our recovery agents for two months.

"This will give Mr Powell the opportunity to provide us with the evidence that he has sold the vehicle using one of the methods stated on the PCN paperwork he has received.

"If we receive this evidence, all cases sent to Mr Powell after the date of sale will be cancelled. However, if any PCNs were sent to him before the sale of the vehicle he will still be liable to pay these.”