What's making you happy today?

[orthodoc]

Thank you! I hope all works out.
In terms of threes, a second good thing today was that I really, really liked the gyne-oncologist. She listened, discussed options, and was generally what I wish my surgeon last year had been. Surgery next Wed, could be limited or major depending on how things go, but since there's a majority chance of things being benign, I'll hope for a hat trick of good news.

[morethanpretty]

I'm getting out of my lease early (with no penalty) and movin on up! I'm gettin' the hell outta Dodge! Finally! By Sept 15 I will be on my way to living in Bothell, WA with my best friends.
I've updated my resume and am looking for a job (so if you got any leads...). Selling most of my stuff, let my mom have my car in exchange for a Ford Escape and Della and I are gonna start a new life.

[BigV]

How exciting!

I've been to Bothell, let me know if you need any local tips. Of course, if you're moving in with your best friends, they've probably got all the tips you'll need.

Good luck and travel safely.

[DanaC]

That's brilliant news Moar. It's sounded for a while like you and della could use a good, fresh start

[DanaC]

Mum decided to fight an inappropriately issued Fixed Penalty Notice that was put on her car (whilst it was parked outside her house as it has been every night for the last 14 years without a problem!) citing 'Causing an unnecessary obstruction' as the reason.

Background to this is that, just off past mum's house is a side road, which used to be a lane/bridlepath leading into the woods and which has been gradually turned into a 'private driveway' by the two houses on that side road. They've built up their yards and properties in such a way that now, the only access to the woods is up a little set of steps at the top of their 'driveway', badly signposted as a public footpath, overgrown and no longer able to accomodate the horseriders that used to go that way during the summer months (years ago, before mum moved in).

They've also built right up and into the land owned by mum's landlords, and the other houses on her row. After some years of complicated legal dealings and a lot of cost, the owners of mum's house along with the previous owners of her neighbour's house gave up trying to get their landrights enforced.

They've blocked access to the rear of the little row of cottages, and had to be more or less threatened with further legal action if they didn't at least provide keys to the new locked gateway.

A year or so ago the council improved mum's road, and instaled a 'dropped kerb' right outside her house. She thought nothing of it, and nobody informed any of them of any change in parking. next thing is, about 6 months ago Mum got up one morning to discover council workmen painting a white line across the mouth of the 'drive' and extended along in front of mum's house and her neighbours.

She continued to park there, because she absolutely wasn't causing an obstruction and because the men painting the lines told her not to worry, it isnt enforcable. That kind of white line effectively has the legal status of a 'request'.

The people on the little side road kept calling the police out over her car 'obstructing' their drive. The police came out and agreed it was not obstructing - though they did advise that she could get ticketed for parking in front of a dropped kerb.

One of the guys on the side road, and the one whose house has been built right up into the area outside mum's house (and who apparently acted in a very threatening manner to her landlady a few years ago, as well as slamming her son up against a wall by his throat) is a policeman - working in traffic or so we've been told.

4am one morning Mum had woken up for some reason and so was(unusually for that time) out of bed when she heard a car pull to halt outside her house. She looked out and saw a police car. A policeman got out, looked straight up at her bedroom window, got back into the car for a few moments (where another person seemed to be), got back out and put the ticket on her car.

A ticket which refers to her blocking access to a 'private shared driveway'.

Since it wasn't blocking anybody she kept her car there. Umming and ahhing about whether or not to pay the penalty (£30) or stand her ground on the matter.

There followed about 12-13 police visits. Some in response to callouts, others who were 'just passing' (more police patrols than that little road ever gets normally) and decided to have a word.

Some of these interactions were weird. One of them pulled up in their car whilst mum's landlords were there doing some work on the house - they said come in if you want to discuss it and the guy said no....but i'll drive further up the road if you want to come talk to me there.

One of the police who came out in response to a call out told mum she absolutely wasn't causing an obstruction, and that the guy on the road who is a policeman had been 'spoken to'. Suggested she take photos and have her day in court, but not keep parking there whilst the dispute between the council and residents over the white line had been dealt with (letters back and forth: who requested it? Who authorised it? Councillors seeming to be on board then suddenly wanting nothing to do with it, letters going missing, everybody pointing to somebody else etc).

So when the date of the magistrate court hearing started to get close, mum sought a bit of legal advice. Spoke to a really nice chap called Bill. He said if she engaged his services it would cost her £500 just to walk through the door. And there's almost no legal aid available now for this sort of thing. If she fought it it could go badly and she could end up with a four figure fine and points on her licence, plus court costs. Worrying, as she's on a basic state pension. But if she pleaded guilty at that point, having not just paid the initial fine, they could still heap a fine of several hundred pounds and points on her licence.

He didn't take her case on as such...but he did say he'd help her, for free, in his own time. He coached her on a letter to write in support of her not guilty plea. Including things like 'I will also be seeking disclosure as to the involvement of the police in this matter etc etc etc' and 'given the likely cost to the public purse of a prosecution, would the prosecutor not consider withdrawing or discontinuing', along with a request for confirmation that this case had been assessed by a Crown Prosecution Lawyer.

We dropped the letter in a week ago...two days before the hearing (which you dont attend if pleading not guilty - they then decide whether or not to bump it up to a proper trial). We've been waiting anxiously for word on the decision.

Mum just phoned them to find out how long it usually takes for notification one way or another to get sent out: The woman she spoke to checked the system and said it's been withdrawn!!!!!


Small victories are sometimes the sweetest

Soooo relieved. It's been a weight on Mum's shoulders for months.

[BigV]

Originally Posted by Sundae

has been withdrawn.

... for now.

be wary.

[footfootfoot]

Mega w00tage for me!

Landed a great job that starts in a couple of weeks. Pay is ok, not great, no bennies, but perfect for me as a transition job during this period of transition and should be fairly easy on the old brain cell, not to mention the joints. The creaky, creaky, mother ducking joints.

[glatt]

Congratulations, foot!

What will you be doing?

[Clodfobble]

Awesome, foot!

[orthodoc]

Woot! Woot! Congrats, foot!

[Chocolatl]

Good news for your mom, Sundae!

And congrats foot!

[BigV]

Major, major w00t!

[Sundae]

Hang on, hang on.
Dana's Mum has achieved a parking victory.
Mine would have long since been arrested for her parking given that she doesn't have a driving licence. Or her own car.

Congrats Danimum.
And Foot. Although I always think of Last Exit to Brooklyn when I think of Bennies. You may be better off witout them...

[Chocolatl]

Oops!

Sorry for the mix up. Hooray for DANA's mom. I think I got so wrapped up in the story that by the time I responded I'd forgotten who was posting. (That's what I get for posting in the middle of the night, up with the baby.)

[DanaC]

Thanks guys I'm so pleased for her. Bad enough the bastards have bullied her out of her parking space and pretty much used the police to further their own little land grab, but at least she isn't going to get treated like a criminal and slammed with fines and points!


@ 3ft: way to go mate! well done you.