Parking charge (from private company - not local authority!)

inapicklepleasehelp

I need help...

I'm in a bit of a grey area! I'm heavily pregnant and suffering from SPD (a condition that affects the hips) I am now unable to drive at all but two weeks ago I was photographed in a disabled bay in a private car park. I would never normally use these bays as I feel strongly that they are a requirement for the people that need them, however, the week before I had to wait 2 hours for the driver parked next to me to return to his vehicle as I couldn't open my door wide enough to access my vehicle. Before parking there I drove around the car park looking for an end space so that I wouldn't have to use the disabled bay but there were none vacant, as there were no mother and baby spaces either I felt I had no other choice.

I was under the impression that disabled parking bays in private car parks were advisory only but I have received a parking charge from UKPC of £45 going up to £90 if not paid within 14 days.

Should I dispute this? I can of course provide a medical certificate to my condition and my numerous referrals to physiotherapy and proof of my chiropracty treatment.

dmg24

What did the sign in the car park say?

Whilst you would hope that the company would be sympathetic, a medical certificate is not the same as having a Disabled Parking pass, so they do not have to accept it.

Best thing is to give them a call and appeal to their better nature.

System

Have a read of this from the Consumer Action Group. It gives all the info you need about PCNs from private companies.

sarahg1969

Go to https://www.pepipoo.com for some useful advice. These invoices are almost always unenforceable.

Firstly, DON'T pay!
Secondly, don't tell this company who the driver was (you have no legal obligation to do so).
Thirdly, check out pepipoo.

Don't worry - you will not need to pay these sharks a penny.

Sarah

fedupconsumer

inapicklepleasehelp wrote: »

I need help...

I'm in a bit of a grey area! I'm heavily pregnant and suffering from SPD (a condition that affects the hips) I am now unable to drive at all but two weeks ago I was photographed in a disabled bay in a private car park. I would never normally use these bays as I feel strongly that they are a requirement for the people that need them, however, the week before I had to wait 2 hours for the driver parked next to me to return to his vehicle as I couldn't open my door wide enough to access my vehicle. Before parking there I drove around the car park looking for an end space so that I wouldn't have to use the disabled bay but there were none vacant, as there were no mother and baby spaces either I felt I had no other choice.

I was under the impression that disabled parking bays in private car parks were advisory only but I have received a parking charge from UKPC of £45 going up to £90 if not paid within 14 days.

Should I dispute this? I can of course provide a medical certificate to my condition and my numerous referrals to physiotherapy and proof of my chiropracty treatment.

Strictly speaking they are only there for blue badge holders , and there is a huge clamp down on people without them using these spaces unfortunately you have been penalised.
They will argue that they assigned these spaces for disabled use only and must require a blue badge. If you have not got one its going to be tough arguing your case.
A medical note will not be sufficient in this case going if you are not on incapacity or DLA (Disabled living allowance) or can prove you are disabled person unfortunately the law will be with the company.
Unless you are by law classed as a disabled and have sufficient medical paperwork to outline this im afraid you will have to pay the fine.
Disabled spaces are not to be misused and this is being looked on by the government fraud of such spaces is high and genuine disabled people are suffering because of misuse.
The only way is to appeal under their better nature as dmg24 states .
Sarah G states that
"don't tell this company who the driver was"
You have to be honest in this not to do so will be detrimental to your case .

Hapless_2

I will repeat my reply from other thread...

If they request that disabled badges are to be on display and you do not have one then unfortunately you should not have used a disabled bay. could you not get a temporary parking badge from the council? I know some councils will issue them.


sarahg...it is relevant.

fedupconsumer

Good advice hapless

peter_the_piper

Gotta agree with Sarah, these folks don't have a better nature to appeal to.

pinkshoes

If there was a sign stating that the disabled bays were for blue badge holders only, then although you are temporarily disabled, you shouldn't have parked there. For all they knew, you were just some lazy person who couldn't be bothered to park elsewhere, hence they issued a ticket. They're not psychic!

Personally I'd just pay it and put it down to experience, and in the mean time, sort out a temporary blue badge!

sarahg1969

I agree that the OP should not have parked there. I would never condone anyone doing this at all.

However, she has NOT been fined. This is a private car park and the legalities of displaying a blue badge are totally irrelevant.

The OP has received an invoice based on a purported contract, which has little or no meaning in law.

OP - DO NOT pay this invoice.

And don't park in a disabled bay again.

sarahg1969

fedupconsumer wrote: »

Strictly speaking they are only there for blue badge holders , and there is a huge clamp down on people without them using these spaces unfortunately you have been penalised.
They will argue that they assigned these spaces for disabled use only and must require a blue badge. If you have not got one its going to be tough arguing your case.
A medical note will not be sufficient in this case going if you are not on incapacity or DLA (Disabled living allowance) or can prove you are disabled person unfortunately the law will be with the company.
Unless you are by law classed as a disabled and have sufficient medical paperwork to outline this im afraid you will have to pay the fine.
Disabled spaces are not to be misused and this is being looked on by the government fraud of such spaces is high and genuine disabled people are suffering because of misuse.
The only way is to appeal under their better nature as dmg24 states .
Sarah G states that
"don't tell this company who the driver was"
You have to be honest in this not to do so will be detrimental to your case .

You are confusing invoices from private companies with penalty tickets from councils, I am afraid. They are two very different things. Your advice is plainly and simply wrong. I imagine that your view of this matter is probably clouded by the fact that the OP used a disabled space (which I agree she should not have done). However, the legalities are very different from your opinions.