PCN from Parking Eye while working on site

Weasel_Watcher

Two weeks ago, I was called out by the pharmacy staff to troublehoot one of their new IT installations because it wasn't operating after installation.

Cut a long story short, it took a lot longer to fix than anticipated (doesn't it always?) and each step was made more difficult by the hospital's local IT policy of firewalls, and the fact that the (third party) software trying to connect to our Web Service was more like a first prototype than an actual released product. Anyway, it took me 5 hours or so to get the darn thing working properly.

Despite being an NHS employee, I am not an employee of the actual local HB (we don't have Trusts in Wales, they're called Health Boards) that runs that hospital, so even though I was called out by the staff there, unlike the hospital local technical staff, I was unable to park in the actual staff car park, and had to settle for the same space as visitors. My employer is an HB that is an "All Wales" informatics service and transends local HBs, but I have no right to park as local hospital staff.

When I left, I didn't even consider whther the time taken exceeded some arbitrary four hour limit. I was just on a job that I had to complete. It's not like there was anywhere else to park, or to move my car to anyway, and I couldn't really leave without completing the work.

So two weeks later to the day, I receive this PCN from Parking Eye through the post, with a picture of my car entering and leaving a car park with a 5 hours & 2 mins time span, and a demand for £70, dsicounted to £40 if I pay by the end of this week. First thing I did is go to my own HB's Human Resources department, who weren't particularly helpful, but told me to write to Parking Eye and tell them that I was there on legitimate business.

However, after spending half the afternoon reading your excellent forum, I'm not sure if this approach of identifying myself as the driver is wise, and wondered if I should instead try to sort this out from the Health Board's Estates department.

Any advice would be gratefully received. I really cannot afford to pay a ridiculous charge like this right now. If I'm ever called out to that hospital again, I shall (reasonably) refuse to go to an HB that is low enough to contract out their parking to such a bunch of shady, lowlife wide boys.

Redx

what happened on the day is usually irrelevant m8

just read and follow the advice in the NEWBIES sticky thread at the top of the forum

template letter to PE , as KEEPER

then use an appeal from post #3 to popla if they refuse to cancel , using the usual appeal points (listed in the appeals)

the last thing you wants is your company paying this and then deducting ot from wages, so if you read the bottom of post #1 of the newbies thread you will see why

The_Deep

what happened on the day is usually irrelevant m8

But not in this case surely. Either the Hospital cancels or he pays and adds it to the bill.

Weasel_Watcher

Thanks both for your help. I really appreciate it.

The postition I'm in, is a bit of a gamble, and I'm torn as to what I should do.

Techincally, if I understand this correctly, my employer should pay this, as part of a normal "parking expense claim", because as the advice states, it's not really a parking "fine", despite being cunningly disguised as one. So surely, it's techincally their problem not mine? However, I'm pretty sure that our expenses department, not being lawyers, will throw this back at me.

The other issue, is that I was just following my employer's rules in good faith and attending this as requested by the hospital in question. That's what makes me think I should possibly contact the hospital estates department directly.

Thirdly, however, the clock is ticking, and I need to reply to Parking Eye before the end of the week, or the charge goes from £40 to £70.

This has caused my an inordinate amount of stress, and completely ruined my week off work. Part of me is thinking I should just pay the £40 and be done with it, and part of me is thinking "I've actually done nothing at all wrong here, and acted reasonably, so I should no way pay this". I can't really afford the £40, but I can even less afford the £70.

Guys_Dad

Get the Hospital facilities management to sort it out. They can and should.

Or, if you think your company should pay, ask them what they want to do.

Weasel_Watcher

Guys_Dad wrote: »

Get the Hospital facilities management to sort it out. They can and should.

Or, if you think your company should pay, ask them what they want to do.

I think I should definitely get the hospital to sort it out - but finding a contact name has been an absolute chore so far. I think I possibly have a case that my employer should pay, because they sent me, but of course, if I do put this in as an expense, they'll almost certainly refuse as it looks for all the world like a parking fine, not a parking invoice.

I was thinking of writing to Parking Eye, telling them to take up this charge up with my employer - the NHS, not me. However the advice here is to send that template letter. I just want to confirm that this is still the advice for this specific scenario.

Redx

in theory the company that owns the vehicle should write to the PPC naming you as keeper of the vehicle

you get a pcn in your own name and appeal it

but as the company seem to have passed it onto you to deal with , you send the template letter with your details etc as keeper (already mentioned this earlier)

then you appeal it in the usual manner if they dont cancel

not sure what the problem is here myself, its fairly straightforward to appeal as keeper, the template says keeper, you appeal as keeper

and yes you should get the hospital estates manager to cancel it anyway

Weasel_Watcher

Thank you RedX, but I think you're misunderstanding me. I am the keeper of the car. It's my own vehicle, not a crown car, and it was me who the PCN was sent to.

So I send the template letter regardless of whatever I can manage sort out with the hospital? Will this not up the ante somewhat? Is it best to do this online, via email or using snail mail?

Edit: Sorry about all these questions, I'm just making sure I do the safest and most sensible thing.

Redx

ok , so you are the RK , in which case you STILL send the template letter to appeal it (as you have 28 days from the ntk date to do so)

snail mail with proof of posting at the PO is fine, or on their website using the shortened template for them due to character constraints

also complain to the hospital estates management about it and demand a cancellation

do both , asap

ps:- you parked there, so are responsible for checking the rules, same as a cleaner, a delivery guy , me , anybody , hence treat this as a standard private pcn invoice, no more , no less

Dee140157

Essentially it is simple
You appeal as RK using template, following onto POPLA appeal later. Since PE don't seem to be contesting POPLA appeals, you will win and pay nothing.

At the same time you get HB to also act to cancel PCN.

Either way it will eventually be cancelled and no one will have to pay anything!

Weasel_Watcher

Just an update; I managed to persuade the hospital to cancel this on my behalf, so didn't have to appeal to Parking Eye in the end.

The annoying thing is that the email was written in a wagging finger style of "we'll let you off on this one occasion" type of way, as if I'd done something wrong. I mentioned in no uncertain terms that I was disgusted that a health board have employed the use of such cowboys, but was told that they weren't cowboys, that they don't even charge the hospital to manage their parking for them (I think we all know why they don't need to charge!), and that since they've been introduced parking at the site has improved (yeah - improved the parking for senior staff no doubt!).

In digging deeper about all these cases, I found out yesterday that a friend of mine received two PCNs a few months ago from the same hospital whilst visiting his mother who had terminal cancer. One of the PCNs was issued on the evening that she actually died. He ended up paying one of the charges, but they waived the other one. How low can these people be invoicing people in that sort of vulnerable state?

The next time I get called out to there, I'm defintitely going to refuse to just turn up obediently, and I'm going to suggest all the rest of us do the same. I'm not going through this nonsense again. I know it's not the fault of the pharmacy staff, but the health board has to face consequences to its detriment over this, or it'll continue. CAV HB can pay for a taxi fare for me or something, because I refuse to drive and park there.

Thanks to RedX et al for your help. I really apprreciate what you guys are doing here - all for free.