A collective Doofus award (and an upthrust finger, plus sundry rude remarks) to the entire staff of the motor vehicle licensing department responsible for hounding Mrs. Julie Strange of Salkeld, UK. Congratulations, too, to Mrs. Strange for standing up to them as she did!
When Julie Strange received a letter from the DVLA addressed to her dead son she was understandably upset but graciously put it down to a clerical error.
She rang officials and explained that he had died almost a year before.
But the DVLA sent scores more letters, even after she sent them his death certificate to prove he was incapable of informing them about the sale of a vehicle.
Eventually, officials sent a summons demanding her son appear before local magistrates.
Feeling she had no alternative, Mrs Strange arrived for the court hearing yesterday holding the casket containing his ashes.
When the usher called for Paul Richard Strange, she stepped forward and said: ‘He’s here.’
The court fell silent as the 43-year-old housewife, her arms outstretched, asked: ‘Do you want to see him?’
Accompanied by her sister, Anne Thompson, 39, she described how the DVLA had sent scores of letters threatening her son with legal action if he failed to respond.
Mrs Strange, of Salkeld, near Penrith, Cumbria, then broke down in tears as she told Workington magistrates that her 19-year-old son died when he was hit by a train in 2006 and that she knew nothing about the car.
Unable to continue her sister took over and simply asked for the letters to stop and for the matter to be closed.
‘We just want to see an end to this,’ said Mrs Thompson. ‘We just want it to stop.’
The prosecution was immediately withdrawn.
Magistrate Jack Abernethy, sitting at Workington Magistrates in Cumbria, told her: ‘Please accept out apologies for your distress. We know how you must feel.’
. . .
Last night a DVLA spokesman said it was ‘extremely sorry for any distress caused’.
Yeah, I bet they’re sorry – sorry they’ve been publicly shown up for the doofi they are! This sort of bureaucratic nonsense makes me see red!
Grrr . . .
Peter
Unfortunately this kind of behavior is now the norm in England. A British citizen has very few rights, unless they are a violent criminal.
Make that two Grrrrs. I hate bureaucracy with a passion, heartless and souless as it is.
They were simply too lazy or inept to put their records right.
Do you all really think this will cause any difference in their behavior? I bet she still continues to get the letters….