Haringey admits it removed and crushed car that had broken down

Haringey council has admitted that it towed away and later scrapped a car that had broken down, but has refused to pay the owner compensation.

Albert Konadu said that he pulled over after experiencing problems with his BMW one evening in June 2014. He left it parked on Fortis Green Road, Muswell Hill, with a note on the windscreen explaining his car had broken down. He said that when he returned with a mechanic the next morning the car had gone.

He initially thought the car had been stolen and contacted the police, who informed him it had been towed away because he had parked on a yellow line.

Konadu went to the car pound a few days later where he discovered it would cost him £265 to get back his car plus £40 for each night in the pound. Konadu did not pay the release fee, so the car remained at the pound. He said he made representations to the council and, while awaiting a response, the car was scrapped in November 2014.

In March the council admitted that it should not have issued a ticket to a vehicle that had broken down, and agreed to cancel the PCN. The council decided not to contest the case in front of an adjudicator.

However, Haringey has since rejected Konadu’s request for compensation for loss of his car.

A Haringey Council spokesperson said: “We are currently dealing with this matter and will be in touch with Mr Konadu. It would be inappropriate to comment further until we have made contact with Mr Konadu.”