Parking Eye PCN

agamatrix

My local Hospital has started using Parking Eye for their parking areas.
Unfortunately, on the 14th July 2014, I had to attend an eye clinic within the hospital. Whilst there I had drops put into both eyes that meant that I could not drive my car away from the hospital.
Two colleagues helped me by collecting me and taking me home and collecting my car and returning it for me.
The chap that collected the car was unaware of the parking procedure in place at the hospital, not having been there before himself, so didn't think to pay the charge.
A few days later I received a PCN from Parking Eye, saying that I hadn't paid for the 1 hour 22 minutes that I was parked at the hospital. I wrote to them explaining why this happened and so far, have only had another PCN from them. The charge is for £70 for an initial parking fee of, I believe , £1.50.
My obvious question is do I have to pay this, legally, how do I stand. Any advice would be appreciated.

The_Slithy_Tove

Read the NEWBIES sticky thread, then come back if you are still not clear as to your next steps.

Do you have 1 charge notice or 2? It's not clear. How many parking incidents were there? Did PE provide a POPLA code with their rejection.

One other thing. Complain through PALS at the hospital - they may be able to sort it out.

Dee140157

So have you formally appealed? You have 28 days from the notice to keeper, the first letter you received. Is the second PCN letter for the same incident. (Does it have the same reference and is it a reminder, or is it a different reference and a different PCN?) . Do you think it crossed over with your appeal ?

We need to know this to know if you have appealed or not.

agamatrix

Thanks for the replies. Yes I have had two PCN's from Parking eye. for the same event. Date of missed payment 14th July. First letter from them dated 18th July, second dated 27th July and my letter to POPLA dated 23rd July. So letters could have crossed. I was not given a reference number for POPLA specifically. Only the Parking Eye reference number at the top of the PCN.

Umkomaas

What letter to POPLA on 23rd July? You need a POPLA verification code from PE in order to appeal to POPLA.

nobbysn*ts

agamatrix wrote: »

My local Hospital has started using Parking Eye for their parking areas.
Unfortunately, on the 14th July 2014, I had to attend an eye clinic within the hospital. Whilst there I had drops put into both eyes that meant that I could not drive my car away from the hospital.
Two colleagues helped me by collecting me and taking me home and collecting my car and returning it for me.
The chap that collected the car was unaware of the parking procedure in place at the hospital, not having been there before himself, so didn't think to pay the charge.
A few days later I received a PCN from Parking Eye, saying that I hadn't paid for the 1 hour 22 minutes that I was parked at the hospital. I wrote to them explaining why this happened and so far, have only had another PCN from them. The charge is for £70 for an initial parking fee of, I believe , £1.50.
My obvious question is do I have to pay this, legally, how do I stand. Any advice would be appreciated.

Don't go for the mitigation with PE. The hospital always send out a standard letter concerning the eye drops, and always check you're not driving before putting them in. And if you are arranging to have your car picked up, you would have the opportunity to tell the driver to pay the car park fee when you give them the keys. Contact the hospital, and see if they can help though. Otherwise use the advice on here and win at POPLA.

agamatrix

Sorry, having re-read the two PCN's, one being the original and the second a reminder. I realised my appeal was sent to Parking Eyes appeal address. Which is probably why I haven't got an appeals Reference number. I have since received another letter from them saying that the Parking Charge has been put on hold in order for me to provide additional/further evidence.
I'm not sure what evidence that might be, as the appointment from the hospital was made over the phone, by the hospital and nothing was mentioned regarding me not being able to drive home from the appointment and nothing was in writing. I had a follow up appointment two weeks later in writing and telling me I would not be able to drive, so I made alternative arrangements to get to and from the hospital and paid the appropriate parking charge. I'm not altogether sure how much the hospital would get involved with this situation. But I will ask for their assistance.

Redx

PALS should help you, plus complain to the hospital trust themselves , they caused these issues by employing these parasites on hospital grounds who virtually never accept mitigation

otherwise tell PE to either cancel or send a popla code as you have nothing more to add, plus inform them their stalling tactics will lead to a coplaint to the DVLA and the BPA

but if you can get PALS to get the pcn cancelled, so much the better for you

agamatrix

Thank you Redx, not sure what PALS is. But I will write to Parking Eye and ask for a number. Also I will try writing to the hospital concerned and ask them. Stupid thing is that I would not have minded if the penalty was sensible. but £70 for a charge of £2.50 is just so excessive, even if it's reduced to £40 if paid within a few days of receiving the PCN.
I know that if I had told the guy that picked up the car for me that a fee had to be paid but in the confusion of having the drops in my eyes and unexpectedly having to arrange to get home, I forgot.
Parking Eye should take into account that people may be attending clinics or various other things within a Hospital and sometimes they may not come away from these with the clearest of heads,

Redx

so a simple google search using the search word PALS didnt turn up anything useful ? are you sure about that ? (cos it did for me)

also using the forum search box and the search word PALS didnt either (cos it did for me)

hopefully your hospital website also has a PALS listed (they usually do)

we all agree the charge is excessive, hence why we help people on here

we also know that PE and other companies dont give a monkeys about anything other than extracting the maximum amount of cash from your wallet or purse , they certainly have no interest in your comments above as there is no financial reward for them other than penalising the sick , ill and disabled which is why the daily mail featured it 2 weeks ago