Parking Charge Notice from UKPC to pay or not to pay?

Tesco_points_addict

****UPDATED ON POST 30****

Hi all,

I hope you can help, over the weekend I took my Mum shopping, parked in a disabled parking space and put mums disabled badge in the window, came back to find a 'Parking Charge Notice' from UKPC. Ticket states 'Parked in disabled person's space without clearly displaying a valid disabled person's badge':mad:

I fairness the badge was partly obscured but was quiet obvious it was there:mad:

Do I pay or is it unenforcable?

Many thanks

TPA

Tesco_points_addict

Should have also said, before I realised this might not be enforceable I emailed the company complaining and attatching a copy of my mothers disabled badge.....have I some how admitted liability by doing so..................:(

trisontana

Don't pay, it's unenforced, especially as the Blue Badge scheme doe not apply to private car-parks.

Tesco_points_addict

trisontana wrote: »

Don't pay, it's unenforced, especially as the Blue Badge scheme doe not apply to private car-parks.

Really..that is fantastic news! The annoying thing is I constantly tell off work mates for parking in disabled parking spaces when they are obviously able bodied! I know how much these spaces are needed, my mum cannot get out of the car without the door being open fully, which is really difficult in a 'normal' parking space. The Parking Notice put a real downer on our day:-(

TPA

trisontana

I don't think anyone on here condones the misuse of disabled spaces in private car-parks. What we object to is the large sums of money demanded by the parking companies for infringing their "rules".

Tesco_points_addict

trisontana wrote: »

I don't think anyone on here condones the misuse of disabled spaces in private car-parks. What we object to is the large sums of money demanded by the parking companies for infringing their "rules".

Totally agree......have I done any damage with the email I sent..do you think?

trisontana

Tesco_points_addict wrote: »

Totally agree......have I done any damage with the email I sent..do you think?

No, all it means is that you will receive more worthless bits of paper from them.

Coupon-mad

Tesco_points_addict wrote: »

Totally agree......have I done any damage with the email I sent..do you think?

No harm done. Stop thinking you have done something wrong - it's the PPC who have.

By the way, they will soon reply, rejecting your 'appeal' as all PPC always do!:D

Then you can look forward to a barrage of letters, pictures of which you will find on the top sticky thread on this board 'PPC letters, what to expect'. The letters constitute harassment so you could - and should - complain to the retailer for allowing their agents to harass a disabled person for making use of a reasonable adjustment (the advisory disabled bay).

You are allowed to use the bay unharassed and you can, if you want, sue them (retailer and PPC) under the Equality Act if you are so inclined.

In fact in a way - although we usually just say ignore a PPC - you have done the right thing by showing them you really were entitled to park there. According to the Act they must allow a person to use a reasonable adjustment as long as they 'should have known' there was a disability need. You have told the PPC that very clearly so they should stop harassing you (but betting they won't).

I would wait for the rejection and the barrage of intimidating letters, then send copies of them to the Head Office of the retailer asking them to explain why they believe harassment of disabled people is not a breach of the Equality Act?

Harassment of disabled people is a specific new addition to the old DDA as far as service providers are concerned:

http://www.equalities.gov.uk/pdf/401727_EDF_Disability_acc.pdf

If you do end up making this an official complaint in due course, send the retailer that link 'for information' - they obviously need it if they allow their agents to act in this intimidatory way.

In the meantime just collect the letters, and you can decide whether to take it further when you see the threats for yourself. I would take it further if I were you - maybe not sue them but personally I would be planning to complain to the retailer in no uncertain terms. Wait for the worst threats of Court and all that jazz - then hit them with your complaint.

The more complaints the better, PPCs have NO PLACE in Supermarket car parks. A well-worded polite notice beside each advisory disabled bay would do the job.

BUT - do not respond to the PPC or the debt collector/solicitor they use to issue their scary letters.

fb1969

Just to say I fully agree with CouponMad's post, seriously consider taking this further regarding an official complaint.

It's a shame you cannot change your username as the company it promotes are more than happy to allow their customers to be harrassed and bullied like this - truth be known they don't give a whatsit! I don't know if that was where you received the unenforcable invoice, but they are the same as other supermarkets in this respect.

Sirdan

fb1969 wrote: »

Just to say I fully agree with CouponMad's post, seriously consider taking this further regarding an official complaint.

It's a shame you cannot change your username as the company it promotes are more than happy to allow their customers to be harrassed and bullied like this - truth be known they don't give a whatsit! I don't know if that was where you received the unenforcable invoice, but they are the same as other supermarkets in this respect.

lol the Only Tesco round here that has PPC notices is using Euro Car Parks ..the PPC that admitted it has not ever taken anyone to court and has no plans to do so in the future ...how harassed do I feel ..not much to be honest..I always try to park as close to their signs as possible ..:rotfl:

fb1969

Sirdan wrote: »

how harassed do I feel ..not much to be honest..I always try to park as close to their signs as possible ..

You may not feel harrassed but people that have a valid reason to use a disabled space (and in this case a blue badge) will still end up getting pestered for a non-existant debt. Many victims will pay up and others (disabled) may seek advice from charity that should stand up for them. Months and months of threats through the post and the supermarkets happliy stand back and let it happen.

Those threats are not what people should recieve just because they went shopping.