Northern Rail Parking Ticket (Wilmslow)

magic_hat_2

Good morning all!

A bit of advice needed... I've read through lots of previous threads but am still slightly confused by what is and isn't genuine/legit in the world of railway byelaw tickets!

I parked at Wilmslow station car park yesterday ... not the main car park, the "overflow" bit at the bottom. Parking is controlled by Ringo and i park here fairly regularly.

I phoned the ringo helpline and towards the end of my transaction my phone battery died. I went to the ticket desk in the station to see if he could tell whether my payment had gone through (i knew this was unlikely but thought i'd check). He couldn't.

I walked back to the ticket machine to purchase a ticket... but only had a note and the machine takes coins only.

Walked back to my car to search glove box etc for change - Boom. Parking ticket on my car.

The box "Not displaying a valid parking ticket" is ticked on the ticket.

However, ticket says I was parked in contravention of the Byelaws... which i thought only related to causing an obstruction?

I am presuming that i have no choice but to pay this... but £50 for 10 minutes seems excessive and is more than i can really afford!

Any advice welcome... even if it is just "nothing you can do... pay up!".

Cheers All

The_Slithy_Tove

Don't pay yet!

Is there an opportunity to appeal? Seems like their systems were not exactly making it easy for you to pay - ringgo is the devil's own purgatory, and ticket machines that don't take notes or cards are anachronistic in these days of expensive station car parks.

You should appeal, as you may get a grace period (in order to get a ticket).

Northern Rail are a problem, however, as they do pursue the Byelaw 14 approach, and it could end up in the magistrate's court.

Coupon-mad

magic_hat wrote: »

Good morning all!

A bit of advice needed... I've read through lots of previous threads but am still slightly confused by what is and isn't genuine/legit in the world of railway byelaw tickets!

I parked at Wilmslow station car park yesterday ... not the main car park, the "overflow" bit at the bottom. Parking is controlled by Ringo and i park here fairly regularly.

I phoned the ringo helpline and towards the end of my transaction my phone battery died. I went to the ticket desk in the station to see if he could tell whether my payment had gone through (i knew this was unlikely but thought i'd check). He couldn't.

I walked back to the ticket machine to purchase a ticket... but only had a note and the machine takes coins only.

Walked back to my car to search glove box etc for change - Boom. Parking ticket on my car.

The box "Not displaying a valid parking ticket" is ticked on the ticket.

However, ticket says I was parked in contravention of the Byelaws... which i thought only related to causing an obstruction?

I am presuming that i have no choice but to pay this... but £50 for 10 minutes seems excessive and is more than i can really afford!

Any advice welcome... even if it is just "nothing you can do... pay up!".

Cheers All

If it says the word penalty and is from Northern Rail themselves then it's a real one. We normally suggest a very polite written appeal but in the end you may need to pay if they reject.

jkdd77

Northern Rail do prosecute non-payers, but, in my opinion, in order for the prosecution to succeed, they would have to prove, beyond reasonable doubt, that the OP was the driver, and the OP is under no obligation to admit to anything.

For this reason, I definitely would not appeal this- since to do so is effectively confessing to being the driver, and therefore admitting to the substantive byelaw 14 offence, which can only have been committed by the driver. Northern Rail have a track record of rejecting virtually all appeals.

I also think that byelaw 14(4)(i) is ultra vires the enabling legislation, which would mean that the supposed 'penalty' is not enforceable as a civil debt, either.

That said, defending oneself in court would involve time, stress and hassle, and there is a risk that the magistrates may convict regardless, potentially resulting in a large fine (which would depend on the OP's income, but could be upwards of £600).

The OP's two choices, in my view, are to pay up, or to ignore, depending on his/her attitude to risk and willingness to defend himself or herself in court (and to appeal to Crown Court if necessary).