Got a parking ticket while my car was inches thick in snow - is it legal?

feesh

Hi,
I was off sick on Monday and didn't move my car in time before the traffic warden came round (there is a 1 hour limit outside our house on weekdays, to stop commuters abusing the parking).

I had in the back of my mind that you couldn't get a ticket when your car was inches thick in snow, not sure why though. I still got a ticket though!

The PCN hasn't included my tax disc details (because it was covered in snow!) - does this make the ticket invalid? If not, I can send a doctor's note in to the parking office in my defence which proves that I was ill with the flu and a chest infection that day.

Neil_B

AFAIK snow makes no difference. Why would it?

Funny restriction? What are residents supposed to do - is there no permit scheme? Not that it helps you - just interested.

PCN compliant so far but where is the rest?
-

feesh

Neil_B wrote: »

AFAIK snow makes no difference. Why would it?

Dunno really, just an idea buzzing round in the back of my mind!

Neil_B wrote: »

Funny restriction? What are residents supposed to do - is there no permit scheme? Not that it helps you - just interested.

We live 30 miles from London and apparently it is to stop commuters parking there all day and catching the "commuter coach service" which departs from the bus stop next door at 7am, returning at 7pm.

So in a way, its a good thing, as it frees up the spaces for us residents and people using the local shops (when we get home from work we can usually manage to park right outside the house, and there are no restrictions after 6pm). But actually I would rather pay £50 a year and have a resident's parking scheme, so that I can park there all day, which I have written to the Council about....but that's another story.

Neil_B wrote: »

PCN compliant so far but where is the rest?
-

What do you mean where's the rest? That's all I got....

Crabman

feesh wrote: »

What do you mean where's the rest? That's all I got....

Hi feesh, Neil is referring to the back of the PCN, if you could scan and upload that it would help

MORPH3US

If it was burried in feet of snow then I could understand but "inches"??

feesh

MORPH3US wrote: »

If it was burried in feet of snow then I could understand but "inches"??

I thought they were meant to be able to see your dashboard clearly in case you had a disabled badge or something? I might be imagining it!

If not an illegal ticket, I will appeal on the grounds of my illness. I was genuinely not in a position to move my car safely on Monday, it was enough effort just to be able to get out of bed and make myself a drink!

Neil_B

Appeals on mitigating circumstances are rarely succesful IME.

How are you going to appeal anyway? There is no info on how or how to pay or what happens next or what you should do later if need be?
-

feesh

There is on the back of the ticket, which I will scan in shortly.

It's just a case of firing off an email to the parking office - I successfully overturned 2 parking tickets last year by doing this.

I appealed them on principle, as the road markings are badly maintained (although not illegal yet - I have checked) and the signs were turned round the wrong way, so we get non-residents occasionally abusing the parking there, which means that us residents sometimes can't get a space when we need one.....which can be a real pain when you have hip problems like I do and need to get the shopping in.

However, the Council refuses to acknowledge the inadequate road signage (as it would mean they would have to do something about it :rolleyes:) so they found other reasons to grant me my appeal instead The first time they said it was because I had mentioned in my letter that I had hip problems (even though that was NOT the point of my appeal!) and the second time they let me off because the traffic warden had only allowed me 1 minute over the hour on the ticket.

They refused to mention or deal with the crap signage. Although since my last ticket, someone has finally come and turned the signs back round the right way again! The road markings are still pretty worn out, but I think they are still just about legal - I have checked against all the relevant RTOs and on various websites.

Apparently Dacorum Council have one of the highest rates of granting parking ticket appeals in the country.

feesh

MORPH3US

I'm sure I once read somewhere that only a tiny percentage of people actually appeal parking tickets, but of those that did, 75% were successful..... or something along those lines although I could be way out with the figures.... you get the idea....

feesh

This says that Dacroum have been issuing illegal tickets and perhaps explains why they are always so quick to agree to my appeals! http://parkingnewsarchive.blogspot.com/2006/11/parking-fine-loophole-is-exposed-by.html