Unfair Ticket/Fine

christinevenus

HELP!!!! I parked up in a pay and display bay in the centre of Leeds and displayed my paid ticket on my car window. I returned to my car within the time I had paid for, and was very surprised to see the dreaded yellow envelope on my windscreen. Inside the fine had been issued some 30 minutes before my time ran out. Once I returned hope I scanned the fine and my prepaid ticket and emailed Leeds City Council.

They replied the next day stating that I had in fact parking in a restricted bay (one with a yellow single line, supported by the relevant sign)

I returned to the scene and was even more puzzled to see the bay in which I had parked had no single yellow line.... but!!! on a much closer inspection and clearing all the leaves from the gutter there it was!!! A single yellow line!

There is a row of pay and display parking bays, the one in which I parked was the only one with a single yellow line. The bays behind and in front did not. I looked all around this one particular bay and there is no sign indicating that beneath all the fallen leaves hides this yellow line.

It was impossible for me to know that this bay was restricted. It never dawned on my that the hundreds of yards of leaf filled kerb and parking bays that there would be this one hidden.

Anyone had a similar experience. I haven't put my appeal in yet but i definitely shall.

Adaline

Hi Christine, I had a fine overturned when I parked with my blue badge in what turned out to be a loading area because there were leaves covering the markings. The council themselves admitted to this, and said that it had been observed by someone they sent down to check. So it may have been a shame you moved the leaves! Did you take a photo of it before? Of perhaps there are more leaves covering it again now? It's worth appealing anyway, using the template letter on this site which I did, or contacting http://www.pepipoo.com/ as well if you want extra confirmation. Good luck!

Coupon-mad

Sadly this is not a dedicated Council PCN fightback website. Pepipoo is the forum for you as they are a dedicated fightback forum for motorists:

http://forums.pepipoo.com/index.php?showforum=30

Read the FAQs and stickies, and a few threads to get the gist.

Then register and post your pictures of the PCN front and back (all the small print but blank out car ID and PCN number). Also pics of the bay (with and without leaves, put them back as they were!) also any signs and lines, all pics would be useful. See the sticky threads on how to post pictures on there.

'If at first you don't succeed, try, try again' is the motto for appealing a Council PCN so put an informal appeal in before the end of day 14. However, be prepared for rejection(!) as most Councils decline almost every informal appeal but that doesn't mean you haven't got a case. Councils like to play a game of bluff - so call theirs with help from pepipoo posters.

Keep the pre-paid P&D ticket original for the adjudicator if you have to take the appeal there.

Good luck.