Sheffield City Council ticket - didn't display my clock

seething_2

Hello,

I've had a ticket pasted to my windscreen today for the heinous crime of holding a valid parking permit for a Sheffield Council car park and forgetting to display my clock. The parking permit I have is in two parts; there is a permit stuck to windscreen (which is annoying as I have been parking there every day for the last 8 months and obviously have a valid permit in the windscreen) and a clock which you have to set your arrival time.

I plain forgot to set my clock and it was left in the coin tray behind the gearstick. Car park is a council one with no time restrictions for permit holders (workhouse lane). I'm really peeved as said I obviously have a valid permit and have paid for parking! So what I'm wondering is what tack to take with the appeal, this is my first ticket. What am I most likely to get the best result with?

-Go down the route of I genuinely forgot and its obvious I have a valid permit?
-Tell them I set it and it must have gotten knocked off whilst me or OH were getting out of the car?

I don't know how sneaky they are i.e. do they take pictures of missing clocks and are they likely to say tough, you forgot it, broke the rules, easy money for us. Any advice greatly appreciated with what to state in my appeal, as I say I've parked there every day for 8 months and its a small car park(60ish cars), so any regular warden would know my car and see its a valid permit. I know I can't make any assumptions on wardens being pragmatic though, equally so for the people who process the appeals.

Cheers again for any help offered.

PS Sheffield Council's site says these are grounds for appeal:

Challenge the PCN if you think it was wrongly issued on the following grounds:

The PCN has already been paid in full

The contravention did not occur (e.g. you didn't actually use a bus lane at the wrong time or you didn't park illegally)

The penalty exceeded the relevant amount

The Traffic Order was invalid

You were not the owner/keeper of the vehicle at the time of the contravention

The vehicle had been taken without your consent (i.e. stolen)

You are a hire firm and you have supplied the name and address of the hirer (and a copy of the hire agreement)

There has been a procedural impropriety (we didn't act within the enforcement or appeals regulations)

rew37

I would certainly appeal it as you stand a very good chance of winning at adjudication (although the council will turn your appeal down at first as they have no incentive not to). I have won twice at adjudication with Sheffield over parking (different offences, helped by solicitor friend!), so it is worth the effort. I'm not an expert unfortunately, but one of the wonderful regulars on here will provide you with excellent advice I'm sure!

peter_the_piper

I'm confused, a council car park with no time restrictions for permit holders. You have a permit so why do you need a clock?

Coupon-mad

Post a pic of both sides of the PCN on a new thread on pepipoo:

http://forums.pepipoo.com/index.php?showforum=30

Explain the situation in your first post but do make sure you show pics (if no scanner use a camera and see their FAQs 'how to post pictures'). Almost everyone on pepipoo wins their appeal in the end.

seething_2

peter_the_piper wrote: »

I'm confused, a council car park with no time restrictions for permit holders. You have a permit so why do you need a clock?

The car park used to have a 10hr restriciton, other places the car parks that the permit is valid is do have some restrictions. I agree the clock really makes no odds when there is no restriction, but hey not everyone applies a bit of common sense these days!

seething_2

rew37 wrote: »

I would certainly appeal it as you stand a very good chance of winning at adjudication (although the council will turn your appeal down at first as they have no incentive not to). I have won twice at adjudication with Sheffield over parking (different offences, helped by solicitor friend!), so it is worth the effort. I'm not an expert unfortunately, but one of the wonderful regulars on here will provide you with excellent advice I'm sure!

Thanks, good to know you can get results with SCC. I wil lcertainly be appealling, just a consider on what tack.

Coupon-mad

seething wrote: »

Thanks, good to know you can get results with SCC. I wil lcertainly be appealling, just a consider on what tack.

You will get a rejection first time so you do need pepipoo's help with the whole appeals process IMHO, if you want to win in the end.

rew37

Coupon-mad wrote: »

You will get a rejection first time so you do need pepipoo's help with the whole appeals process IMHO, if you want to win in the end.

Yes indeed, SCC rejected my appeal both times but I won at adjudication. The DFT really need to address this, there is no penalty on councils for rejecting appeals where the appeal is blatantly valid. I'd like to see fines &/or six months bans from DVLA database as an incentive that the adjudicators can impose for breaches by the councils.