parking ticket while closing parking gate!

aurax

Hi guys,

I need your opinion on this, never got a parking ticket before luckily.
I have a 50cc scooter, I park it in my garden so I don't own a parking permit (my area is residents only).
It's a back garden with a tall-ish wooden fence around it and a door that only closes from inside (you know the ones).
The garden door/gate is obviously on the pavement (not lowered).
This morning I pushed the bike out of the garden as usual, left the bike not locked with the front wheel pointing to the garden gate, then got back in to close the garden gate and left from the main door to pick the bike up and drive away.
The process takes about 90 seconds, 2 minutes if I get delayed.
During those 90 seconds this morning I got a parking ticket because the bike was on the pavement.
I stopped the traffic warden who looked at me returning to the bike while issuing it (the sticker was already on though).
I asked him where am I supposed to park it while I close the door of the garden, because having a private space to park it in, I don't have a resident parking permit.
He said I should put the bike on the street because if a woman on a wheelchair goes past I would obstruct the way if the bike is on the pavement.
I said fine, but I left it there unlocked with the wheel facing the garden gate just to make sure that whoever walks past understands I'm just moving the vehicle in and out - if I parked on the street I would have got a fine for parking without resident permit.
He kept saying I can't obstruct the pavement so I just left and took the bike (he kept repeating it while I left too.. he was talking on his own as I was riding away lol).

I rang the council payment office and took it the other way round.
I spoke to a gent and said something along this line:
'I just rang to gather information about parking permit. I have a motorbike and I park it in my garden, the door of the garden is facing the pavement. Do I need a parking permit?' he obviously said no
I said 'ok, here's my problem. The garden gate closes only from inside, so when I push the bike in and out, then I have to go back in for about 60 seconds to close the gate, where do I leave the bike in the meantime to avoid tickets? Because it will be then on public ground so do I need a parking permit for those 60 seconds?'
He said 'you need a parking permit if you park on the street'
I said ' Yes, I understand but I don't park on the street, the bike is left unattended for 60-90 seconds while I close the gate and during those 60 seconds I'm on the public street.. will I get a fine?'
He said 'well if a traffic warden goes past and the bike is on the pavement you may get a fine, it's up to them'
I said 'ok, so you're telling me everyone who parks a vehicle in a garden or garage and leaves the vehicle on the public street or pavement unattended for 60 seconds while the close the gate will need a parking permit for those 60 seconds?'
He said that he didn't know how morotcyclists did, but if the pavement is not lowered and is public then I might get a ticket.
I said 'ok fine, just next door there are 2 garages, the pavement is lowered for access, but it's still public pavement, can I leave it there? I just need to move it 1 yard on the right'
He said he didn't know and I should ask a warden.

So eventually I said I got a ticket this way, he suggested I appeal and send pictures of the gate to give the complaints team a better picture of the situation, which I will do obviously tomorrow morning when it's light (at work now, so by the time I come back it'll be too dark for pictures).
He said it's very rare that the wardens issue tickets to vehicle that are being moved if they see the owner there, I said that yes he might not have seen me because the door is made of wood but he didn't wait even a minute before issuing it, because if he did wait I would have obviously not have been fined, but he also added it's up to them they could issue it anyway.

Just for reference I live in London - Islington borough.

Anything you would recommend I stress on in that email?
Any reference to official documents that I should bring up etc?


Many many thanks experts

A.

Northlakes

Is the ticket from the Council or a private parking company.

If it's council post on council parking tickets at PEPIPOO

Coupon-mad

I rang the council payment office

Never ring about PCNs. Just appeal with pepipoo help, you are allowed time to open or shut a gate for access or exiting premises.

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

Read a few threads there first to see what's what and what pics to post. Never start a pepipoo thread without pics of BOTH SIDES of the PCN for starters! Most cases are won in the end, on pepipoo but you haven't appealed yet, there are 3 stages and you must FORGET the discount.

aurax

yeah i posted there earlier and attached a pic but a guy said that if there isn't a crossover pavement by the gate then you're not supposed to use the gate..
we'll see

Coupon-mad

That doesn't mean pepipoo can't help you. It's a long term thing, they will help at each stage even if they aren't overly encouraging at first. Keep the thread active when you are at each stage (reply on it each time and show them each letter) and, for now, ask if anyone can see any flaws with the PCN wording.