Parking Ticket

Shertur_2

Two weeks ago I parked in a Parking Meter bay and put a £1 coin and two 10p pieces into the machine for one hour's parking (the maximum time allowed). When the ticket was delivered, I noticed it had only registered 20p, therefore it was only valid for 10 minutes.

I tried to ring the phone number on the meter for the Helpline, but my mobile signal wasn't good and I couldn't understand what the message was saying. In desperation I wrote on the ticket "4.15 put £1.20 in the meter and received this ticket" and stuck in on the windscreen.

When I returned, well within the hour, you guessed it, "jobsworth" was standing at my car. I explained the situation, but he said I would have to contest the parking violation. He then took a photo of the ticket with my message.

I duly wrote to the office who have just replied with a rejection of my explanation, saying it was my responsibility to ensure that the ticket is valid. My point is that even if I had enough change (which I hadn't), how much might I have had to feed the meter to get the right time on the ticket. If I had tried another meter, I would still not have had enough change, and would have lost the original £1.20. Also, surely a check of the meter would have shown that the money inserted did not tally with the tickets issued that day.

Any suggestions where I go from here please?

HappyMJ

Dejavu...What was wrong with the 4 previous answers earlier today. They were...Appeal, Appeal again first one always knocked back, they should check the machines and finally a pointer to the appeals website.

I'll tell you what you tell us what you think you should do and we'll work with that.

multiflorum

Are you sure your £1 wasn't in the rejected coin slot?

peter_the_piper

Confirm please that it was a council ticket. If so then a trip to pepipoo.com is called for. Pics of all sides of any paperwork/letters would help. See their stickies on how to post pics.

Shertur_2

Thanks for all your replies.

Peter - yes it was a council ticket and I will check that website, thanks.

HappyMJ - I posted this message this afternoon, and then discovered this parking etc forum, so thought I could put it there too. No need to be so abrupt. I'm fairly new to this forum so feeling my way around.

Multiflorum - yes, I did check the returned coin slot.

I am putting together another letter, so fingers crossed!

Coupon-mad

Shertur wrote: »

Thanks for all your replies.

Peter - yes it was a council ticket and I will check that website, thanks.

HappyMJ - I posted this message this afternoon, and then discovered this parking etc forum, so thought I could put it there too. No need to be so abrupt. I'm fairly new to this forum so feeling my way around.

Multiflorum - yes, I did check the returned coin slot.

I am putting together another letter, so fingers crossed!

And be ready for a rejection letter at the first attempt. Most Councils bluff people into paying, a refusal of a first appeal does not mean you have not got a case.

It's a fact that most people win at adjudication - it's just that most people don't realise that, and don't continue that far. If I ever get a Council PCN in future I will 100% appeal it all the way to the adjudicator without a doubt, whatever the circumstances, as I know now that most Councils cannot be bothered to prove a case properly - if at all - at adjudication.

RENEGADE_2

My last council ticket was with Mendip (one of Somerset's disctricts) in the late summer of 2009. They refused and now how I only wish I challenged the idiot's decision. Still, we learn as life goes on.

Them rotten council machines are purposely built to accept overpayments even though the technology has existed to return money as long as the machines themselves. It is not as though the council are out of pocket, surely every time they count their crumbs they must realise that there is far more than what they issued. The machine in question clearly needs to be looked at because the device is faulty. I'd appeal a second time but this time rejecting the council demand.

PS. Thanks Coupon, Milan is nice, went there some years back. Glad you enjoyed it, shame about San Siro but as you say with Sussex, Milan too is very big!