Sunderland Royal Hospital - change of conditions?

helpmeplease123123

Can anyone confirm this?

I have been using Sunderland Royal Hospital carparks over the last year for appointments and have always been aware that there was signage to say that there was 20mins grace after which you were liable for a pcn if you had not bought a ticket.

OK but then recently i happen to collect the mrs from an interview at said hospital, parked in a bay for 19 minutes, drove out and waited a couple more on main road till the mrs came out.

Low behold i receive a pcn a week later for being in car park and not buying a ticket! The tme i was quoted as being parked was a few secs over 20 mins literally - I had to drive in to carpark area and drive out - what constitutes being parked? on entering a controlled zone are you classed as parked even when y0u are driving in and out?

ANYWAY seems the time issue didnt matter as I then noticed on a return visit to site that the old signs have been altered and there is NO mention of 20 min grace, new stickers have been pasted over old info.

A new multi storey car park has recently opened on site at about same time and i believe that the charges were ramped up and conditions changed to coincide with this event but the change in conditions ie no grace period has not been made aware to the users.

Am i going mad/ did the 20 min grace period never exist and i just made it up? I cant check as all signs have been tampered with so no old info is visable except bits they are happy for you to see?

Any Sunderland peeps on here know anything?

JUST as an addage - on the previous 6 times or so i visited the hospital for appointments i paid for parking in block periods of which only about half the time was used, ( nice little con) so they owe me about 6 hours in parking time i paid for but didnt use and couldnt be refunded for, people should only pay for actual time parked anyway,for example would you feel its fair to go into a supermarket and be forced to pay up front for 3 loaves of bread even though you only wanted and had one in the basket? EDIT - not sure that makes complete sense but you get what i am saying right?

System

Clause 3.7.2 in the contract they have with PE covers exemptions and cancellations. It then refers to details held in "the User Manual"

This is usually held on the Trust's Intranet so ask PALS to look up the Manual to see what is says.

If not make a Freedom of information request for it.

I would say that while you are waiting for a reply you can go straight to the PE appeals portal and appeal to get the POPLA code - kill it at POPLA.

But a copy of the manual would be nice

bod1467

The grace period will have been to allow for entering the car park, searching for a parking space, not finding one (or changing your mind) and exiting the car park. If you waited (stationary) for 19 minutes then it is perfectly reasonable to expect you took more than a minute to enter the car park, find a spot and park up, leave the spot and then exit the car park. Hence the PCN would likely have still been issued under the old rules anyway.

That said - follow the NEWBIES thread and get this killed off.

The_Deep

If they say they you overstayed by 20 seconds claim that it took you 21 seconds to find a parking place, play them at their own game.

nitpicker99

I don't know about the grace period, but the system allows you to buy the time you expect to stay and top up as you leave if necessary. I've done it (since the charges went up) and it works.

chsft.nhs.uk/patients-and-visitors/parking/

Fruitcake

nitpicker99 wrote: »

I don't know about the grace period, but the system allows you to buy the time you expect to stay and top up as you leave if necessary. I've done it (since the charges went up) and it works.

chsft.nhs.uk/patients-and-visitors/parking/

It doesn't work if you stay longer than expected and it is a deliberate trap to catch the unwary. It is not fit for use and should be replaced by a fair pay on exit system, or free as per the advice of the Secretary of State.

helpmeplease123123

Hi Nitpicker

thanks but the point is I was within the grace period that they seem to have withdrawn without telling anyone, and as such was did not buy a ticket - you cant go back a week later when you receive a pcn and then pay.

Coupon-mad

helpmeplease123123 wrote: »

Hi Nitpicker

thanks but the point is I was within the grace period that they seem to have withdrawn without telling anyone, and as such was did not buy a ticket - you cant go back a week later when you receive a pcn and then pay.

So appeal and win, easy, as well as getting the User Manual. Complain to PALS.

Follow the NEWBIES thread (shorten the NEWBIES thread template appeal a fair bit to fit PE's online form) and get this killed off.

Guys_Dad

helpmeplease123123 wrote: »

Hi Nitpicker

thanks but the point is I was within the grace period that they seem to have withdrawn without telling anyone, and as such was did not buy a ticket - you cant go back a week later when you receive a pcn and then pay.

Do you seriously expect the hospital or PPC to email, write to or text everybody who has ever been to the hospital by car over the last 5 years?

Do you go there weekly? If not, how do you know that no notice was posted?

Don't get me wrong, my post history shows exactly where I stand on PPC charges, but you need to think out just what you seem to be requiring them to do.

helpmeplease123123

Im on to it, thanks to all who have contributed, any mackems on here who know if there was always a grace period of 20 mins until recently please let me know its driving me mad!
The manuals i take it will only show updated details?

helpmeplease123123

Hi Guysdad, with respect its called a sign, informing people of a major change, and yes i have been there 6 times in a year, and paid each time, for a lot more parking time than i used ( nice con), this time i was waiting for my mrs and left within the grace period that was always there, bar a few seconds - 3 to be exact, and that wasbecause i waited to exit as a fire engine came in to the hospital lights flashing so i remained where i was for mabe 20 secs so so i did not cause a hold up to it.
How can you know a grace period is no longer in use if you are not told and you are a regular to the hospital? its called a 'sign' they dont seem to have much trouble quoting from their own :-)