Penalty Charge Notice Query

jucee84

Hi,

I received a parking ticket back on 21st July this year. I was parked in a marked bay, right next to a ticket machine, which I had used to pay for my parking. My ticket still had 30 mins left on it when the penalty notice was issued.

I went to the council office and took along the Penalty charge letter & my parking ticket that I had paid for, and was advised that the council would be in touch, the woman I spoke to could not believe that I'd been issued with the ticket.

Had not heard anything regarding this until this morning when a letter came through the post......

This is the letter word for word....



"I refer to your informal representation received 1 August 2012 against the issue of the above Penalty Charge Notice.

Firstly, please accept my sincere apologies for the time taken to reply.

Our records show that the Penalty Charge Notice was issue to vehicle registration XXXX XXX while parked in Stirling Street, Aberdeen, on 21/07/2012 at 14:19:00 for the following parking contravention "Parked in a restricted street during prescribed hours"

The zone (Green Restricted Zone), which came into operation on 8 August 2010 following the completion of the Green Townscape Heritage Initiative streetscape works, allows the introduction of "At Any Time" waiting restrictions without the visual intrusion and detraction from the general aesthetics caused by double yellow lines.

Parking and loading bays are demarcated by the use of a single line of light coloured granite carriageway setts, rather than the standard bays marked with white thermoplastic paint.

The restricted zone has been given Scottish Ministerial approval.

There are two main types of bay within the Restricted Zone:

- Pay and display bays, where the driver must display either a Zone F parking permit or a ticket bought from one of the nearby pay and display machines. These bays will operate from 8am to 8pm Monday to Saturday and from 1pm to 5pm on Sundays. Parking is free out with these hours;
- Loading Only bays; these are for loading and unloading and are for the use of businesses in the area. These restrictions will operate 8am to 6pm Monday to Sunday. Parking out with these times is free.

There is an exemption to the restrictions for vehicles displaying a blue badge but parking outwith the marked bays is discouraged because the widened footways and reduced carriageway widths will result in increased potential for obstruction, particularly in the areas around junctions.

Vehicles that do not have a valid Blue Badge displayed are not permitted to park outwith the marked bays. In this case the "At Any Time" waiting restrictions apply.

Signs at every entry point to the restricted zone inform motorists that there is an "At Any Time" waiting restriction in force except in signed bays. Any vehicle found parked in contravention to the parking controls/waiting restrictions in place, will be issued with a Penalty Notice Charge.

I regret to inform you that your informal representation made against the issue of the Penalty Charge Notice has been refused. Providing payment is received within 14 days from the date of this letter, the reduced charge of £30.00 will be accepted (please enclose this letter if sending payment by post and make any cheque/Postal Order payable to ABERDEEN CITY COUNCIL). Payment can also be made via Aberdeen City Council's automated payment system 1) Telephone payments -08456080920 and follow instructions, 2) Internet payments - visit https://www.aberdeencity.gov.uk, select PAY IT under Self Service Access, then select Pay Bills Online and then using the FUND drop down menu under Payment Details, selecting Payment Charge Notice.

If payment is not received, a Notice to Owner will be issued to the registered owner/keeper of the vehicle (or the person who was hiring the vehicle). The Notice To Owner allows a formal representation against the Penalty Charge Notice to be made. We will only accept a formal representation made by the registered owner/keeper of the vehicle (or the person who was hiring the vehicle), not the person who may have been driving at the time the Penalty Charge Notice was issued. Once the Notice To Owner has been issued, the Penalty Charge Notice increases to the full charge of £60.00. The reduced charge of £30.00 will no longer be accepted.

Yours sincerely

XXXXX XXXXXX

Team Leader"

Here is where I was parked, directly infront of the entrance to the Carmalite Hotel, just feet away from the ticket machine I used to pay for my parking.

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?sugexp=chrome,mod%3D3&q=google+maps+stirling+street+aberdeen&um=1&ie=UTF-8&hq=&hnear=0x48840e3b8162b527:0xddea694145e3b711,Stirling+St,+Aberdeen,+Aberdeen+City&gl=uk&sa=X&ei=zA2dUMDZFMrV0QXt8YDoDQ&ved=0CCAQ8gEwAA



Where do I stand and what should I do? They took the original Penalty Charge notice & the ticket I got out the machine when I went into the council office, however, kept a photocopy of it.

peter_the_piper

1st register with pepipoo.com and post this on there. Take copies of the parking ticket and pcn, both sides. Copy of your rejection letter as well Remove personal details and leave dates and times. They have totally ignored your valid ticket so that will go against them.
Best of luck.