Yesterday I came home to find my car had a notice on it from the bailiffs saying that due to an unpaid parking fine they had immobilized my car and if I moved it I was in contempt of court.

On calling the bailiffs office I was told that I owed £198.

When advised to call the bailiff personally, he told me it was now £400 as stated on the notice on my car for "services undertaken".

This has all come from an unpaid parking fine from Dec 07. I contested Hackney Council twice on this fine, it all went quiet and yesterday this happened.

Dear DiS, have any of you had a similar problem and if so how do I resolve it?

Or if any of you work with this kind of thing please advise how I can possible contest this fine or shrink it in any way.

A large part of me feels I haven't got a leg to stand on and if I have to pay the £400 I will (Credit Card ahoy) but before I happily spank £400 to the bailiffs I feel I must enquire.

DiScuss - and for any of you about to heavily berate me and tell me I'm in the wrong and to MTFU - this is all my fault, I know it. But £400 for an unpaid parking fine is fucking unbelievable.