Leicester CC -PCN despite valid Blue Badge

NeverEnough

Last week my disabled partner attended lectures at de Montford uni and parked in a roadside Disabled bay, ensuring that her Blue Badge was clearly displayed and the clock correctly set on it. When she returned about an hour and a half later, a PCN was attached to the window directly obscuring the badge, stating that it had been issued due to "failure to display a valid permit while parking in a permit holders space". My partner was extremely distressed to say the least, as this was blatantly untrue. She took a photo of the car and it shows the badge very clearly - the badge details are very clear and in date. That evening, I helped her frame a letter which we emailed to the Parking Enforcement division of the council and sent a copy of the letter by recorded delivery.

Is there anything else we should be doing? I'm really angry at this needless targetting of a Blue Badge Holder when the car was correctly parked and the badge displayed as it should be - my partner is quite anxious about parking the car now and it simply isn't right that she's been treated like this. I don't think we should be paying fines for not doing anything wrong - this sort of intimidation is just WRONG!!!! :eek:

multiflorum

What code was on the PCN?. Parking in a disabled bay without displaying a valid b.b is code 40. From the wording in your post it appears that your partner has been booked for parking in a bay reserved for other users ie doctors, vets, residents hence the blue badge being on display or not would not be the issue.

Best advice would be double check that it was a disabled bay that your partner was parked in and not anything else. Look on google street maps and check the bay markings and signage first

withabix

Was it a WHITE painted 'disabled parking bay'?

If so, here's your problem:

http://leicester.gov.uk/your-council-services/transport-traffic/transport-systems/parking-homepage/blue-badge-scheme/disabled-parking-spaces/

It would appear that the space is intended for a disabled resident on that street and it has been painted outside their house.

As the street would appear (from your description) to be in a Permit zone, then you need a Permit to park there, even if you hold a blue badge.

The bays are painted to give disabled Permit holders a chance to park in their own street.

multiflorum

Advisory disabled bays painted in white outside peoples homes can be used by anybody disabled or not. They will have no sign displayed by the bay

I suspect the PCN will be for code 16
Parked in a permit space without displaying a valid permit

This is nothing to do with disabled bays hence displaying a blue badge or not would be irrelevant as it is not the required permit.

NeverEnough

Its not in a residential area, just university office buildings. Yes, it was a Disabled parking bay - one she has used several times before. The street is not a permit zone - there is on street regular parking. It was Code 16 I think, not 40, which makes it all the more curious. Well, we have sent the appeal in so will see.

multiflorum

If a code 16 PCN is issued in a designated disabled bay then it will be invalid if a b.b is showing or not.

Whats the street name?

NeverEnough

The street is the The Gateway, near the Uni library and cafeteria.
I've just looked on Google street view, and the images are outdated - the area has changed quite a bit and building works completed now, with disabled bays now painted where there was just street parking before.

multiflorum

Had a look on google and couldn't see any on street disabled parking bays. Is it possible your partner could have been parked on university property as if you read the link

http://www.dmu.ac.uk/Images/Car%20Parking%20Policy%202008-2009_tcm6-30417_tcm6-55298.pdf

Anyone parking on campus in a designated disabled bay requires an additional permit from DMU and may explain the use of the code 16

I also notice on Leicester C.C website that B.B holders may use on street pay and display zones free of charge(not relevant to post but may be useful in future to op)

Coupon-mad

Was it definitely a Council ticket, a REAL 'Penalty Charge Notice'?

If so then if your informal appeal doesn't work, post a new topic on pepipoo forums:

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

Most Council tickets can be appealed successfully but you have to call their bluff and fight on if you don't succeed at first - take it to adjudication to win (usually). Also you need pepipoo help to highlight any other points of appeal such as incorrect PCN wording, lines or signs etc.

If it is a PARKING Charge Notice then it's a fake ticket from the Uni or their agents = ignore.

NeverEnough

Multiflorum - partner went to the Uni admin office to check if it was the Uni staff who had issued the ticket - it wasn't. She has a valid Uni permit as well and knows the double-permit thingie well. It wasn't uni property, it was a street bay. The Google Street View, as I said, is really old and out of date as new Disabled bays have been put in place where some of the parked cars can be seen. Occasionally she does use an available normal bay FOC if one is available / no Disabled bay available. Uni staff told her that another Disabled student had had a PCN in the same place only a few days earlier for no apparent reason - also same code. Wish Google street view was more up to date!!!!

Coupon-mad: I've had a very good look at the ticket - its definitely a Penalty Charge Notice and definitely appears to be from the Council. Partner didn't have her Uni permit on display as it wasn't on Uni property, just the Blue Badge. Have sent the appeal in as noted - just waiting for a response from the Council - its a week tomorrow since we sent it - I wonder if we'll lose the Early Payment option if they wait for over 14 days to respond to us, or if we should just continue to the adjudicator if we fail.

Have joined and posted on Pepipoo but they want a scan of the notice so will try to organise asap.

multiflorum

My apologies I hadn't seen your last post regarding Google being out of date. I wouldn't worry too much about the PCN as the CEO as used completely the wrong code for parking in a disabled bay without displaying a valid B.B, ands also as your partners B.B was on display which should be evident from photo's taken by the CEO there has been no contravention.