Parking Eye fine, blue badge holder in car

Chook_farm

Hi, I received a fine from parking eye for overstaying by 30mins while we arranged my mother in laws funeral. I contacted them and told them why we exceeded the time, sent them a copy of the invoice, told them we weren't local to the area and did not know of alternative parking but they maintain the fine stands.

At the time we had my sister in law with us who is a blue badge holder. Does this not exempt us from the parking charge?

They have been really unhelpful, the letter refusing my appeal gave me 1 day to pay the money!!

I'm tempted to ignore them as I had a valid reason for being too long - I wasn't on a shopping jolly. The expense of the funeral is enough without the added worry of a parking fine.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

sarahg1969

Have you read all of the other threads on this board that relate to private parking? If so, you will know to ignore.

McKneff

Private company - completely ignore everything they send you. Stand your ground and they will eventually give up

pogofish

This is not any sort of fine. Just an unenforcable invoice - IGNORE IT!

Also check the letter chain sticky, so you know what to expect from them.

titch2k6

Chook_farm wrote: »

At the time we had my sister in law with us who is a blue badge holder. Does this not exempt us from the parking charge?

Not unless the Blue Badge was displayed in the vehicle. From Dft website - The Blue Badge Scheme: Rights and responsibilities in England:

"It must only be displayed if you are travelling in the vehicle as a driver or passenger, or if someone is collecting you or dropping you off and needs to park at the place where you are being collected
or dropped."

Also:

"When using the parking concessions you must display the badge on the dashboard or facia panel, where it can be clearly read through the front windscreen."

Chook_farm wrote: »

They have been really unhelpful, the letter refusing my appeal gave me 1 day to pay the money!

This is against the BPA's COP. Appendix B, Section B14.7 states:

"If you reject a challenge to the issue of a parking charge you must give the driver a reasonable time to pay the charge before restarting the collection process. The Code recommends that you allow at least 14 days from the date you rejected the challenge."

NOTE: The 14 day period is only a recommendation by the BPA, but they do state "reasonable time to pay". Clearly 1 day is not reasonable time.......

There is also no point appealing the notice. Unlike parking issues on public roads and the subsequent appeal procedure, the operators themselves are the only regulators with appeal processes, following BPA guidelines. Of course they are going to reject appeals - they want their money.

Follow the previous recommendation - ignore them.

sarahg1969

titch2k6 wrote: »

Not unless the Blue Badge was displayed in the vehicle. From Dft website - The Blue Badge Scheme: Rights and responsibilities in England:

"It must only be displayed if you are travelling in the vehicle as a driver or passenger, or if someone is collecting you or dropping you off and needs to park at the place where you are being collected
or dropped."

Also:

"When using the parking concessions you must display the badge on the dashboard or facia panel, where it can be clearly read through the front windscreen."

All of the above relates to on-street parking. Not private land. The blue badge scheme does not apply on private land. The DFT guidelines do say that - you must have missed it. Anyway, as the OP has mentioned the blue badge, I inferred that it was displayed.

esmerobbo

Appeal denied = Payment denied just ignore them!

Chook_farm

Blue badge was displayed but it's cameras that pick you up on the way in and out. They don't see the badge.

sarahg1969

Chook_farm wrote: »

Blue badge was displayed but it's cameras that pick you up on the way in and out. They don't see the badge.

The whole blue badge thing is a red herring. Ignore it.

And ignore the notice you've received. You'll get a few more letters, but ignore them as well. Unless a county court claim form lands on your doormat (which it won't), continue to ignore.

pogofish

Chook_farm wrote: »

Blue badge was displayed but it's cameras that pick you up on the way in and out. They don't see the badge.

Don't be conned by Parking Eye's "cameras" - They are quite utterly meaningless in this context. Just another tool to scare people.

taffy056

The blue badge scheme does not apply on private land as stipulated on the directgov website brlow

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/disabledpeople/motoringandtransport/dg_4001061

But what you need to do is listen to the advice given, and read the sticky threads at the top of the forum by crabman, and watch the watchdog videos in relation to this, just educate yourself , then pass what you learnt to everyone else.

And my sympathies for your mam in law to you and your wife.