Disabled Parking Bay UKCPS ticket

Drivin

Hi guys

I think I know what the advice is going to be for this, but I'm going to ask anyway.

I'm disabled and hold a blue badge, have done for many years.
I parked at a popular retail park in ******* at the beginning of the month.

I'd already parked elsewhere in the park parking in a disabled bay, displaying my badge as I normally would.

I then moved it to the other side of the park to do more shopping (as it's quite a big place).

I parked in another disabled bay and went to do some shopping, I was in the store for about 5 minutes, as I passed by my car to go to another shop, my partner pointed out something on my windscreen, yep the dreaded UKCPS parking charge ticket!

I'd forgotten to put my blue badge back in the window when I moved the car!

I put the badge straight into the window but the damage had already been done. I carried on, very upset, as I can't afford to pay the £60 fine.

When I got home, I got straight onto google to search for info, the advice seems to be ignore everything, which I have done.

However the first letter arrived today.
Along with photographic evidence of me parking with no badge displayed.

What should I do?
On a number of forums, it seems that parking in a disabled bay seems to be the kind of thing UKCPS pursue? Mainly I guess because it's an easy win for them.

But I am a disabled person, I do have a blue badge, I just forgot to display it for about 5 minutes.

The time on the notice is about 2 minutes after I parked, so they must have been sitting around that area just waiting to pounce.

To complicate matters, I am not home very often and my elderly parents handle my post, they are very distressed when they see letters threatening court action coming through the post.

Any advice?
The photo shows one person writing the ticket whilst another is (I assume) taking the photo so they must hunt in pairs.

Thanks

trisontana

Just ignore. As for that photo, I imagine it's just a pretty picture of a car and not of the driver. A quick warning, be very very careful what you disclose on here UKCPS are known to monitor this forum. Be especially wary of any private messages you might receive.

Drivin

Hi, yep I've trawled through the forums, that's why I haven't disclosed date location name or park etc
Thanks

Coupon-mad

Well to stop the letters and to cover yourself if UKCPS decide to take a punt in Small Claims:

Complain to the Store Manager of the retailer in writing, telling them you are disabled and showing them a copy of your Blue Badge (even though it's not actually applicable on private land, retailers think they can make up their own rules ad will understand your argument better with a simple picture of a BB). Also include a copy of the threatogram letter.

Request that they arrange with their parking agent, UKCPS, to cancel the ticket. Point out that you have a legal right to use that space, Blue Badge or not, whether driving or as a passenger, under the Equality Act 2010. Remind them also that harassment of a disabled person is also an offence under that act and they must call off the harassment immediately.

Do not mention wether the BB was displayed or not, and do not mention who was driving ('just say the car was parked' and 'as the registered keeper I am now getting intimidating letters, which do your store no favours when we are regular customers').

Tell them you will NOT enter into any correspondence with UKCPS or their debt collector as this is clearly a legal breach of the Equality Act and therefore the store is responsible for their agents' actions.

Do NOT write in an apologetic 'appeal' way, just be polite and assertive. Just say 'got this fake PCN, now being harassed, I am disabled, here's the proof I am leglly entitled to use your disabled bays, please call off UKCPS or I will report you and them for an Equality Act breach.

Even though you know it's a fake PCN, this is your best bet to stop those letters.

Apart from that, ignore UKCPS. Keep a copy of your letter where you informed the retail store that you are disabled.

AlexisV

You might want to engage with this lot: http://www.disabledmotoring.org/

They get a kickback from UKCPS tickets. Would be interested to see what they say considering they fail to grasp disabled people such as yourself are collateral damage in their little crusade.

Drivin

A quick update, received a letter demanding immediate payment, then a 2nd letter, now received their standard "debt recovery agency" letter, now demanding £320.
I sent a copy of my badge and a letter as suggested to the shopping centre management, as well as UKCPS but no response from either.

:-\

trisontana

What's the name of the "debt" recovery company? Are they still using the stupidly named "Court Proceedings Ltd.?

Drivin

Yep that's the one.
I was researching and another carp parking company, UKPC (similar sounding but different) on their website, in the legal section, state that to comply with the Disability Discrimination Act, they will cancel all charges for people who have blue badges but don't display them, if a copy of the badge is sent to them.

trisontana

I bet UKCPS won't do that. They seem to specialize in going after genuine disabled drivers who make simple mistakes. Just keep ignoring these clowns. As for "Court Proceedings Ltd" they have lost their Consumer Credit Licence, so I don't why they are still operating.

esmerobbo

Unless they are UKCPS? Chasing their own debts?

Kite2010

Drivin wrote: »

Yep that's the one.
I was researching and another carp parking company, UKPC (similar sounding but different) on their website, in the legal section, state that to comply with the Disability Discrimination Act, they will cancel all charges for people who have blue badges but don't display them, if a copy of the badge is sent to them.

A shame they don't comply with the Equalities Act 2010 then