Am I liable to pay a fine for an offence which I can't prove I didn't commit?

I sold a vehicle recently, which was later caught using a prohibited to cars bus lane. In this time the DVLA had not had time to update their systems therefore the PCN came to me. Unfortunately I did not keep a record of the new owner’s address, I asked the prosecuting council to contact the DVLA once again to get the new owner's details, but they have refused to do and told me it’s not their responsibility.

I am being constantly threatened by the council with bailiffs and the only way to avoid this is to admit that I was the driver and therefore pay the fine. However I was not the driver, nor the owner, and I find this completely unfair. What can I do?

Asked on 28 August 2013 by NPOkeden

Answered by Honest John
I cannot overemphasis how important it is to keep records when selling a car. If you had kept the buyer’s details then you would be able to avoid a situation such as this. Sadly you’re now facing the consequences and will have to pay the fine or prove (with a name and address) who the new owner is.
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