Car Parking Partnership fine

ChrisJBarnes91

Hello, I have read the guide on private parking fines. Basically, my friend was parked in a disabled bay in a hospital car park because he was dropping me off and I could not walk. He had to fetch a wheelchair. When I signed into A&E I was told by the receptionist that "it'll be fine" to park in the disabled area in this instance. We have received a parking fine from a company called "Car Parking Partnership" which states that we didn't pay for a ticket as well as parking in the disabled bays. We saw nothing on the site to suggest that you had to pay, and in any case we were more concerned about getting me the treatment I required quickly to pay for a ticket.
As it is a 3rd party company, I gather that the receptionist assuring us we can park in the disabled bay is meaningless. The lack of ticket was debatable, but would an argument be that it would have been wrong to pay for a ticket because it would have delayed vital treatment, and my friend leaving me to go back and buy one would have meant that I was alone despite needing someone to carry me to the nurses room?

Thanks

Kite2010

First of all, it's not a fine, only the police and courts have the power to fine people.

Private Parking Company so any invoices for payment can be ignored. The landowner can argue that they have indeed suffered a loss for your friend parking, which is limited to whatever the cost of parking is at that particular hospital and not the £50+ the PPC will try and charge. Ignore, ignore and ignore.

Off topic, but in my opinion hospitals should go down the pay-as-you-leave route, so you pay only for the time you have parked up instead of having to overpay in advance or getting hit with invoices because you didn't pay enough due to waiting times.

ChrisJBarnes91

Thanks for the reply. There is potential that there could be some basis on which to pursue us, as we did not have a ticket. However, you still suggest that the best solution is to ignore them completely as they have no legal power to enforce a £25 penalty regardless of whether or not we have broken the rules?

esmerobbo

Private parking invoices can normally be safely ignored. However some NHS trust have pushed the company's to attempt to enforce. They would still have to prove who the driver was, a loss occurred, and the charge was not a penalty but there is a very, very, very slim chance that with it being an NHS trust they could attempt to enforce.

I personally would ignore them, but with it being a NHS trust I would keep a record of the times and the circumstances of what happened. Just in case.

Unfortunately if this was an official penalty charge an appeal could probably work. However these PPC's appeals process is a sham, and an contact may encourage them more.

I also echo Kite2010 and if NHS charge, it should be a set fee as we have here £2 a visit with a barrier. Or pay on exit so innocent people are not conned into receiving these charges.

Sir_Roger_deLodger

ChrisJBarnes91 wrote: »

Thanks for the reply. There is potential that there could be some basis on which to pursue us, as we did not have a ticket. However, you still suggest that the best solution is to ignore them completely as they have no legal power to enforce a £25 penalty regardless of whether or not we have broken the rules?

It's not a penalty, it's just an invoice which you can choose to ignore. Private companies cannot impose penalties for breaking their made up "rules".
Expect a few more letters threatening all sorts of dire consequences if you don't pay up, When they realise you are not going to pay they will give up.
Have a good read on this forum about private parking, and you will soon understand how these companies operate.

Coupon-mad

As others have said you must normally ignore private parking companies invoices because they are just worthless bogroll. Your friend has not been fined and there is no chance of their pretend 'appeals process' working (as if, it's a private company!) so don't contact the Car Parking Partnership.

But, because NHS Trusts sometimes pursue these 'parking charges' and try to enforce them (usually failing, but not always) I think I would take a 'belt and braces' approach.

The point with your case is that an employee of the Hospital entered into a verbal contract with your friend that it would be OK to park there temporarily in the circumstances. Your friend saw no signs suggesting payment was needed so IMHO the only contract that exists is that verbal 'OK' from the receptionist.

So if I were your friend I would just send one letter, to the Premises Manager (? try to get a name) at the NHS Trust by recorded delivery and enclosing a copy of the fake parking fine. He should state what happened without stating who was driving 'I am the registered keeper of this car and the car was parked on xx/xx/2010...' 'the driver was given express verbal permission to park there by...' and 'no signs were seen to suggest any payment was due and nor did the receptionist say so'.

Finish by saying that the letter has NOT been sent to the Car Parking Partnership as this is not an 'appeal' and as the registered keeper he acknowledges no contract whatsoever with that third party.

Say that the purpose of this letter is to state the facts and if the NHS Trust choose to pursue the matter in Court then they must do so immediately, without delay and without increasing the amount claimed. Obviously any such claim will be vigorously defended on the basis of the verbal contract, and in the absence of any reply in the next 14 days your friend will assume the dubious 'parking charge' has been cancelled. No other correspondence will be entered into.

(Then ignore any other reply, agreement, denial or 'please write to the CPP' in the absence of Court papers - which IMHO would then be nothing to worry about if your friend keeps a copy and can prove receipt of the letter. IMHO it simply puts the verbal contract in writing and would form your friend's defence in the unlikely event of him needing it).

HTH, that's what I would do for the cost of a recorded delivery trackable letter.

ChrisJBarnes91

Thanks so much for all your useful responses. the action I propose to take is the following:

1)Phone NHS manager and explain that I parked in a disabled space after taking advice from an NHS member of staff. Paying for parking didnt seem obvious and in any case, it would not have been feasible as it would have delayed treatment in an emergency situation.

2) Phone cowboy company and tell the situation without revealing the identity of the driver, or giving unnecessary legitimacy to their "fine".

3) Put this in writing to NHS manager.

4) Send a cheque for £5 to cover "losses incurred" by non payment to cowboy company and tell them that this marks the end of the dispute.

Any other advice?

McKneff

Advice - dont waste your time on all 4 points.

Just ignore everything. full stop

Kite2010

If you are feeling guilty, send the £5 cheque to a charity. Don't make contact with the PPC as they will put a star next to your name in the database as a potential payer.

worried_jim

Send me the £5 and tell them I was driving, I'll happily spend your fiver.

McKneff

worried_jim wrote: »

Send me the £5 and tell them I was driving, I'll happily spend your fiver.

No, No, send it to me:j:j
Here are my bank details..................

Dont waste your time...................