Trethowans / Aintree NHS lose £1622 case

steve1500

This is the link to the actual FoI request & replies

http://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/car_parking_enforcement

newbe007

confused by people? Tretowans are just lawyers right? any law firm could be acting? or am i missing something. law firm are paid to do what their client tells them, even if against the advice they just gave to their client?

Trebor16

newbe007 wrote: »

confused by people? Tretowans are just lawyers right? any law firm could be acting? or am i missing something. law firm are paid to do what their client tells them, even if against the advice they just gave to their client?

Trethowans are a firm of solicitors and they will take instructions from a client. But they have to act in the best interests of the client, uphold the rule of law and the proper administration of justice, act with integrity and must not behave in a way that is likely to diminish the trust that the public places in the solicitor of the profession.

This is all from rule 1 of the Solicitors Code of Conduct.

If it is not in the best interests of the client to take a particular course of action then the solicitor should advise the client of this.

newbe007

Trebor16 wrote: »

Trethowans are a firm of solicitors and they will take instructions from a client. But they have to act in the best interests of the client, uphold the rule of law and the proper administration of justice, act with integrity and must not behave in a way that is likely to diminish the trust that the public places in the solicitor of the profession.

This is all from rule 1 of the Solicitors Code of Conduct.

If it is not in the best interests of the client to take a particular course of action then the solicitor should advise the client of this.

ok, rule 1 sounds logical. your post stops though.
do we know what advice trefhowans gave? guess client can say they want day in court/ have to sue to make point? lawyers website is bit posh they arent high street cowboys?

i was thinking of them or paris smyth for some legal work, am i to avoid them for some reason

esmerobbo

newbe007 wrote: »

ok, rule 1 sounds logical. your post stops though.
do we know what advice trefhowans gave? guess client can say they want day in court/ have to sue to make point? lawyers website is bit posh they arent high street cowboys?

i was thinking of them or paris smyth for some legal work, am i to avoid them for some reason

They are probably a reputable company in most other aspects, but in this case they have got it wrong. Not for them as they are earning out of it. If you look at their website they have a problem right away.

http://www.trethowans.com/about/our_people/louise_boyle/

They describe parking charges as penalty charges, not good practice for a solicitor's is it?

I don't think they are too bothered about what their doing is right or wrong because they never lose, and as long as the cheques keep coming in!

Kite2010

trefhowans will do whatever they want to, if they win they get money from the person they took to court, if they lose they still get money from the NHS for "costs" endured taking that case to court.

corbyboy

Kite2010 wrote: »

trefhowans will do whatever they want to, if they win they get money from the person they took to court, if they lose they still get money from the NHS for "costs" endured taking that case to court.

Surely there must be somebody within the Trust who makes the final instruction for Trethowans to pursue the case.

It would be interesting to know the nature of the contract between the Trust and Trethowans.

I know, for example, that the chief exec of my hospital signed a 10 year contract for parking services with Apcoa.
The current management of the hospital is desperate to bring it in house so they actually get to keep the money that is raised on their property but obviously they can't do that now.

Coupon-mad

A supposedly intelligent top banana signed a 10 year contract to allow APCOA to scam patients and visitors? He deserves to have to pay back each and every fake ticket that people pay, out of his salary!

esmerobbo

Trethowens are acting as agents for Aintree, the parking is in-house. The security people employed by a facilities company then hired to Aintree issue any tickets. They don't have specific car park monkeys!
In fact there is no need for anyone as all the ground car parks and the multi storey are barrier controlled,if you don't pay you don't get out.
Before they brought the "Fixed Penalty" scheme in they used to clamp any vehicle that was causing an obstruction, and too be honest most of them deserved clamping, I have seen cars in the bays where the ambulances reverse in to A&E.:mad:
The problem is since the "Fixed Penalty" scheme and by their own admission it has become an earner for the hospital, so these security people stick a ticket on any thing out of the norm.
There is an ongoing case now were a security person told someone to park on DYL as no disabled bays were available, and put their blue badge up. When they returned they had an invoice.
At the Royal Liverpool they have a much better scheme they have a security person always on the front who simply tells people they cant park there. Or they use their noggin and allow a short occupied stop to pick someone up. Works a lot better and the emergency and bus ambulances can all move about easily.

27col

TrickyWicky wrote: »

You know when I was young, places like hospitals dealt only with health and making people well etc. Medical stuff only. Nowadays they're into everything just like every other company.

The UK has become stupid.. everyone trying to manage someone else's business. Why don't they just stick to their original purpose?

When I was young almost no-one had a car, so the problem never arose.