I disputed a parking fine because I had bought a ticket. No fine was on my screen and I did not know about it until a letter arrived almost a month after. I did not have the relevant ticket but there paperwork showed a ticket on my dashboard. I sent their form back and had a telephone conversation and emailed them but have not heard from them since which was in March. I assumed that it had been dropped. I have not received any other correspondence or communication from them. I have been in Germany from Sunday to late Wednesday night but my parents came home to find the clamp on my car on Tuesday (the car is on their own private drive) a letter was left saying it would cost £410 my father telephoned them and told them that I was working in Germany and would not be back until today. At no time were we told that they would tow my car away. They did this yesterday and when my father rang them they put the phone down. I have phoned the council today but they are not being any help and have told me that I have to pay the baliff and then try and get the money back from them. The baliff is not answering my phone calls and I don't know what to do next? Help please.

First where are you? Any question about law needs to include your general area as laws vary.

Second, it depends on who put the clamp. If it was a private firm, then they probably were not allowed on private property. But a government agency would probably have been.

I am in Essex England. It is a baliff sent by the local council.

Then you are out of luck as they did this legally. You will now owe a fortune to get your vehicle back.

In the future try not to do things over the phone as most people who work in government offices could care less about a phone call. It's the person standing in front of them that they pay attention to. Hard and expensive lesson to learn on your part.