Barrier Free.
Friday, February 5th, 2010Victory at last, if victory is what it is. After three and a half months jousting with bullies and sweating under their threats of imprisonment and large fines, I today received a letter from Pierse & Fitzgibbon, Solicitors, Market St. Listowel. Verbatim it reads:-
National Roads Authority v PAUL MALPAS
M50 Barrier-free Tolling System
Re: Our Client National Roads Authority
Ref No: U11-0836-5756
Dear Sir,
We refer to the above and previous correspondence herein, in particular your letter to these offices. We referred the matter to our client for investigation who confirmed that the difficulty arose due to an incorrect car registration number being identified i.e. the licence plate number the payment was made against was 012874RN instead of 01RN2874.
Therefore we confirm the above referenced matter has now been closed.
Yours faithfully.
Pierse & Fitzgibbon.
Regular readers will be aware from previous blogs that this appears to be the end of this saga, see Money For Old Rope posted on 1 February 2010, Old Monkey Face posted on 17 January 2010, Back On Track posted on 15 January 2010, No Posts Today posted on 13 January 2010, and Hoping And Praying posted on 13 December 2009.
After these three and a half months anyone with a lesser mental constitution would have been battered into submission. Letter after letter, from first of all eFlow, then from Pierse & Fitzgibbon threatening imprisonment or a massive fine and a mention in Stubb’s Gazette would surely have tested the resolve of most and I really feel sorry for any more sensitive soul who as had to bear the brunt of this Government inspired brutality.
After hours of letter writing and blogging to receive the above letter with its dismissive and disrespectful tone is just plain ignorant and something you do not want from Government Agencies in a democratic country, especially when I paid my dues within days of incurring same, while the drinking chums of that same Government walk away with millions of euros on a daily basis. It reminds me somewhat of the First World War. We are just cannon fodder.
The letter should have been apologetic and I hope to get one and that is why the matter is not closed as far as I am concerned. I am writing to Pierse and old monkey face today demanding an apology and/or the payment of my €350 costs for fighting my corner. Bullies do not like to be faced up, so I am expecting them to go into a funk and lie down. I will keep you posted.
Below is my letter to them:_
Messrs Pierse & Fitzgibbon, 5 February 2010 Market St. Listowel, Co. Kerry.
National Roads Authority v PAULMALPAS M50 Barrier-free Tolling System
Re: Your Client National Roads Authority
Ref No: U11-0836-5756
Dear Sirs,
I refer to your letter of 2 February 2010 referring to the above and that the above referenced matter is now closed. I unfortunately disagree, after many telephone calls, e-mails and letters setting out my defence on this matter, I am not happy to be parked up. I want an apology from yourselves or your client or the payment of the €350 costs that I have been put to in this defence and as asked for in my recent letter to yourselves.
If I have heard nothing from you by 19 February 2010 I will send all the relevant papers to the Ombudsman who will advise me of my rights when faced with the bullying tactics of yourselves and eFlow in the future.
Yours Faithfully
Paul Malpas