Okay. last wednesday, I got in from work at about 4:30pm and was greeted with my Wife telling me that my van had been clamped on my driveway! She said that she had spotted 2 yellow stickers on the back of the van, but no clamp, and the usual pouch stuck to the passenger window from a sheffield clamping company.
This is what was on the back-note one on top of the other
Peeling the top off revealed this
Inside it read that i would have to pay £100 to have the clamp removed. I phoned up this clamping place and was told that it had been clamped because it wasnt taxed. I said it was SORNed and it was on my driveway. She said it was overhangin the pavement, so was deemed "on the road". I explained that I lived at the very bottom of a T shaped cul de sac in the top left corner of the T where no-one EVER went except me. The van cant be seen from anywhere but at the top of the street and is blocking no-ones sight or driveway and is tucked up to the front of my garage. In effect, as far out of the way as it could possibly be. Did that matter to her? ...No. So, fair enough I said, can't argue with the law, but there is no clamp on the vehicle. She then accused me of removing the clamp and I would be taken to court for the unauthorised removal.
I replied that I had witnesses to say that I didnt remove the clamp. She insisted that one was fitted. So I asked to speak to the "gentleman" that did it. Of course he had gone home.
She phoned back a few mins later to say she had spoke to him and he tried to get the clamp on the back left wheel, but couldnt do it so he put it on the front left.
Again I said that there was no clamp there. Then again came the usual threats of court action. Yeah, yeah...
She then phoned back a few mins later and said she had spoke to the gentleman again and he couldnt remember if he had fitted it or not..............Then it all became clear. The first yellow sticker (clamping notice) was put on just before he got the clamp out, then he found he couldnt fit it and stuck the second sticker on top to say it was untaxed.
I calmly explained that this would sound extremely stupid in court when he said he couldnt remeber fitting a clamp to one of the countries most unusual vans!!!!! I also said it was impossible to clamp the van due to the lowness of it and the big wheels and the gfx.
She phoned back AGAIN to say that they would remove the van from their records due to the uncertainty of it all (no doubt due to the gentleman talking absolute rubbish) , but I would have to move it further away from the pavement because it would be checked again and officially clamped-even though it isnt and I would have to pay.
I agreed to this and organised with my next door neighbour to move it onto their drive while I had a think about its resting place over the next few days/weeks. All this mainly due to the fact that I couldn't get the van further up the drive since it is touching the garage now.
BUT,.......all the suspension is loose, no dash, no wires connected, no headlights, no steering column, no indicators, no wipers, no anything in fact!!!!
So, it was decided that I would put the van back together over the next few days and get it MOTed and taxed. Then I could park it where I liked!! To give me some motivation, I booked it in for an MOT on monday 22nd (today-a few hours ago in fact!!). That gave me 2 full days and 2 nights after work and an extra morning to get it all done...........
Some chance my Wife said. So, 4 hours after work thursday and friday. 8 am till 8 pm saturday with no break. 7:30 am till 8 pm sunday and 6:30 am till 12:30 pm today.
Made it (except for the front grille design), with some dandy temporary welding and fabrication for the headlights ...........
Did it pass?...............................................
