Legal Loopholes for parking tickets?

missk_ensington

Hi everyone,

Got a parking ticket last week for putting TWO pay and displays on my car! Was at opticians and asked if I would be waiting much longer, they sais yes, so I ran out and put another on my window.

Came back and I ahve a ticket 'Contravention Code 84 Parked with additional payment made to extend the stay beyond time first purchased'.

I read some time ago in a paper somewhere that loads of tickets cannot be issued, one was if the lines/car park was not well maintained etc etc etc, a disabled sigh must be at eye level.... Is anyone familiar with these clauses?
I can't find them anywhere on the internet and I have to get my appeal in today!!!

Can anyone make any suggestions???

mrbadexample

Can you give us more details? I'm guessing the car was in a Pay & Display car park? What part of the country was it in? What information is on / near the machine - i.e. does it say you can't do what you did?

I must admit, it sounds harsh. It's not as though you tried to evade payment.

raymond

Some have a max time limit which you may have exceeded ... usually says "Max stay 1 hour" or similar.

MarkyMarkD

You are NEVER allowed to "feed the meter" or buy extensions in this way.

Mostly it's because the car park has a maximum time allowed, or because the rate of charge increases the longer you are there (e.g. 4 hours costs more than twice as much as 2 hours).

I think you should pay up, as you are guilty of the offence recorded.

missk_ensington

It was pay and display in Rochdale and maximum was 4 hours (I put on a 2 hour, then had to add 1 hour)

I couldn't physically move my car if I wanted to, I was at Specsavers my appointment was 4pm and ticket run out at 5pm (had done some shopping first) by 4.35pm I hadn't been seen by optician so asked how long I would be, they said at least 30 min so I said I'd better run and put another ticket on. By this point I'd already removed my contact lenses and binned them for my check and was as blind as a bat! (Nearly got run over just going back to the car!)

It cost me £1.40 for 2 hours then £1 for an hour, I could have just paid £2 for 3 hours in the first place, so clearly I wasn't putting an additional ticket on to make it cheaper!

hjb123

I would have taken the first ticket out and pu the new one in - did you leave them side by side?

waster_2

MarkyMarkD wrote:

You are NEVER allowed to "feed the meter" or buy extensions in this way.

Not strictly true anymore! Westminster now allow you to “feed” their meters.

mrbadexample

missk_ensington wrote:

It was pay and display in Rochdale and maximum was 4 hours (I put on a 2 hour, then had to add 1 hour)

I couldn't physically move my car if I wanted to, I was at Specsavers my appointment was 4pm and ticket run out at 5pm (had done some shopping first) by 4.35pm I hadn't been seen by optician so asked how long I would be, they said at least 30 min so I said I'd better run and put another ticket on. By this point I'd already removed my contact lenses and binned them for my check and was as blind as a bat! (Nearly got run over just going back to the car!)

It cost me £1.40 for 2 hours then £1 for an hour, I could have just paid £2 for 3 hours in the first place, so clearly I wasn't putting an additional ticket on to make it cheaper!

It must be worth a letter explaining the circumstances. The worst they can say is no.

MarkyMarkD

waster wrote:

Not strictly true anymore! Westminster now allow you to “feed” their meters.

OK! Nearly true everywhere.

missk_ensington

Yeah I put them side by side (was having a blonde moment!)

Have written a letter explaining, feel like going to Specsavers and demanding £30 for the fine as it was their fault making me take my contact lenses out and sitting in the waiting room blind as a bat!

Thanks for all your advice!

hjb123

missk_ensington wrote:

Yeah I put them side by side (was having a blonde moment!)

Have written a letter explaining, feel like going to Specsavers and demanding £30 for the fine as it was their fault making me take my contact lenses out and sitting in the waiting room blind as a bat!

Thanks for all your advice!

Oh dear, I know what you mean - I suffer from blonde moments/episodes quite often!!