Useful information for PCN Parking Ticket (council parking)

bikerchris

I thought I would share my recent experience.

The background: I had a non-fault motorcycle accident in July 2010 where I broke my hip, pelvis (in half) and leg (in 5 places). During 15 years of riding, I've owned a car for 6 months and so don't normally have to worry about parking costs.

One day I was driving through my local town and had to park quickly to get painkillers from a chemist. When I returned (away for 5 mins) I firstly noticed that I had a PCN (Penalty Charge Notice - or "parking ticket" to us humans), I then noticed I had parked in a taxi rank (that is honestly never used).

First of all, I checked the details were correct as you can have the charge rejected if there is an error with the recording of the licence plate/registration number. They are getting quite modern these days and usually take 2 photographs too, which on this occasion they did.

So, I did what I thought right and wrote a letter explaining the circumstances. This 'excuse' was rejected and I was still liable for the £35 charge.

I then wrote a second letter, only this time included my rather grim X-Rays and photographs of me in hospital with a great deal of metal poking out of my chest. This was also rejected, although the template response did have the addition of 'get well soon'.

During the middle of December I wrote a 3rd letter, merely repeating what I had previously said only differently worded. As before I mentioned that I was incredibly sorry and that I had never done this before. I also quoted the councils own regulations (lifted from their website) relating to a fair reason for a successful appeal, this stipulates that a person with a known medical problem can be 'let off'.

Anyway, my New Years Day present was a letter accepting my appeal, yippee for me for saving £35.

So, before you pay up and if you're very stubborn, fight your corner if you think you've been penalised unfairly. Of course, if you're the vehicle owner that chooses to park on double yellows and creates a traffic nightmare, you deserve it (although you probably won't get a PCN - such is the unfair way of the world!).

I just look forward to getting back on a bike, so I don't have to deal with the traffic, the de-icing of a windscreen, parked cars, bad radio programmes, staying behind unbelievably slow vehicles, etc. etc. (sorry about this rant, it wasn't intended!

Use your indicators and don't tailgate - oh and 'thank' this if you like it :-)

robredz

Glad you have been successful, but if all else had failed a little unwanted attention from the local press poking into the council's parking policies may have helped get the right result

peter_the_piper

Glad you made such a speedy recovery from such a major incident and pleased that the council, for once, used some compassion. Not been known very often.

bikerchris

robredz wrote: »

Glad you have been successful, but if all else had failed a little unwanted attention from the local press poking into the council's parking policies may have helped get the right result

Ah, that was the next step - as I had already been in the paper due to my 'life threatening' accident, I figured the local rag would definitely be interested!

peter_the_piper wrote: »

Glad you made such a speedy recovery from such a major incident and pleased that the council, for once, used some compassion. Not been known very often.

Thank you Peter, much appreciated. It's a shame I had to push them into compassion though. Here's the images I sent them in the second letter (for the bored/interested!):

A broken Pelvis:


What a Pelvis can do to a metal tank, when it goes from 60mph to zero:


A shattered femur:


Getting out of bed for the first time after 2 weeks (that's sadly nothing compared to some people in hospital):


Temporary metal frame holding my pelvis together until final operation:


After the 3 operations (about 20 hours worth):


You'd think these pictures would have done the trick, but apparently not!

robredz

bikerchris wrote: »

Ah, that was the next step - as I had already been in the paper due to my 'life threatening' accident, I figured the local rag would definitely be interested!


Thank you Peter, much appreciated. It's a shame I had to push them into compassion though.

You'd think these pictures would have done the trick, but apparently not!

Glad you are on the road to recovery, knowing the moronic attitude and lack of IQ of the Civil enforcement/Traffic Warden type goons, i'm surprised you didn't get an FPN on your wrecked bike after your accident like what hapenned to that councillor who was knocked off his scooter.

Hope you get back on a bike soon, motorcycles are such a good way of getting around. is that why the government put us through so many hoops to ride them?

bikerchris

robredz wrote: »

Glad you are on the road to recovery, knowing the moronic attitude and lack of IQ of the Civil enforcement/Traffic Warden type goons, i'm surprised you didn't get an FPN on your wrecked bike after your accident like what hapenned to that councillor who was knocked off his scooter.

Hope you get back on a bike soon, motorcycles are such a good way of getting around. is that why the government put us through so many hoops to ride them?

Thanks Rob, yes Traffic wardens aren't commonly like by us normal people, but in fairness (and it hurts to say it) they're just doing their job and the streets would be far worse without them.

I'm hoping to get back on a bike again in March this year, I'm getting a winter-proof Blackbird

You're absolutely right that bikes (powered or not) are a good way of getting around, I can understand the lack of support from the government because with such a mixture of vehicle types and driver competency, it's not generally the safest method of travel. I was just an innocent road user when I saw a car on my side of the road coming towards me, it was incredibly bad luck and road design doesn't help. On the plus side, with increasing fuel prices it's certainly the most efficient petrol based machine...apart from when it gets smashed to pieces! The last decade+ of sunny sunday riders doesn't help the reputation of bikers, as they get them out the garage, ride badly and annoy car drivers for 3 months, and then put them away before it rains again. Of course, because there's money to be made by the bike industry (makers, bike mags, clothing, etc.), no one is hardly going to suggest a law to ruin that lovely money...even at the cost of lives lost in the pursuit of a bit of summer fun.

Sorry about that mini-rant, it wasn't intended!

muckybutt

Ouch !

Glad your appeal was eventually successful, sometimes councils do eventually see common sence, ive got to admit that in my job I do come across TW's / CEO's regularly and most of them are only too pleased to help me find a space or advise me on where I can stay or park.

But as the saying goes it only takes one to spoil the broth !

hillcats

Hope you are making a full recovery, what shocking pictures I must say.
Very scary powerful machines in the wrong hands (Why I have never had one) I will keep to my car.

Best of luck / Health to you.