Siddals Road Derby Euro Car Parks Fine

TBCADI

I am a DVSA Approved Driving Instructor teaching driving lessons in and around the Derby/Derbyshire area. I have a pupil who works at the INTU Shopping Centre who meets me for her lessons in the Siddals road CP. It's a busy intersection and the safest place to wait for her as there is a pedestrian crossing adjecent to the CP.
Feb 2nd this year her lesson was scheduled to start at 1pm, I drove into the carpark at 12:47pm fully expecting her to be with me no more than 5 minutes later, I would drive out and we would be on our way.
However, on this occasion she was delayed at work and did not arrive at the carpark until 13:08.
I left the CP to start the lesson and thought nothing of it.

Today 11/01/17 I came home from teaching to a letter addressed to me ( with details from the DVLA) dated 9/01/17 containing a Parking Charge Notice for £100!!! ( reduced to £60 if I pay it by 23rd) issued by Euro Car Parks. They have issued the fine stating that I arrived on the carpark at 12:47pm and left at 13:10pm and as no parking display/permit was purchased this was in breach of their T@C's.

I had no intention of leaving the vehicle and as the lesson was starting at 1pm was not intending on being in the carpark for more than 5 minutes.
On previous lessons I have waited here for her and have not received a parking charge notice.
I really need help with how to appeal and more importantly to whom....

I've read through the whole thread from another user who also had a fine from the same carpark, the local paper have been inundated with people being charged. It's an extremely busy carpark, in other times it has taken me almost 20 minutes to find a space, park car and fetch tickets before I have even left to go shopping.

I have downloaded templates from this site to appeal but I'll admit I am at a loss as to how to go about it without admitting liability. But who should I appeal to and should I ignore it ( coupon-mad advises not to...)

I don't have much free time to be sorting this out, I'm not just going to pay the fine and the reason I received a fine is due to pupils employers keeping her late at work. Am I supposed to just charge this poor girl £60 ? No, I don't think so.:mad:
Help me please!!

Guys_Dad

Can you check and correct your dates if necessary so we can be accurate in our help.

But be under no illusion that by staying in the car park for that period, engine on or off, in the car or out, you were parked.

To get off, you need to find a fault in their signage or process. Read the NEWBIES thread first as well as a few others on here to get an idea of what your task will be.

Quentin

No-one should ever admit liability!

(And surely you don't really intend burdening your pupil. )

At this stage you just need the initial blue template appeal in the newbies FAQ thread with the aim of getting a popla code

TBCADI

Thank-you for your reply. It would appear that another poster has won an appeal at POPLA from the same car park and many details are cited in this thread :
including an image of the signage at the siddals road car park. see link below. It won't allow me to use links as a new user.:mad::mad::mad:


Dates are correct. I entered the carpark on 2nd Feb 2017 @ 12:47, spent 10 minutes looking for a place to park near the pedestrian crossing and kept the engine on waiting for pupil who arrived at 13:05.
I then was unable to leave immediately due to cars queuing to leave the CP in front of me, thus ECP stated I left at 13:10pm.
A total of 23 minutes.

TBCADI

Apologies, as a new user I cannot use links to other threads or use URLS to images, I'm working my way around this.

I direct you to the POPLA Appeal Form thread as started by razil.

POPLA Appeal Form - razil
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Latest Post by TBCADI
11th Feb 2017 3:58 PM
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TBCADI

Ok, already got that, to whom do I direct it. ECP via email appeals or in writing or on their appeals section on their website?
Thanks

Quentin

You aren't doing a popla appeal now are you?

Read up in the newbies FAQ thread the process to go through in order to first get a popla code

Umkomaas

I don't have much free time to be sorting this out,

Well, we're helping dozens each day, devoting hundreds of hours between us to do so, with jobs, families, commitments etc of our own - no one here is not busy in their life; I'm often commenting from the other side of the world, just to help people fight against this unfair business.

This won't go away for you without some serious research and action on your part. Sorry, unless you can devote the time to do this, better you consider paying up just to get it out of your life.

But the NEWBIES FAQ sticky has been written to help you through, with a pre-written, expertly crafted, template for your initial appeal, and (in due course) POPLA model appeal paragraphs. Many do this on a self-help basis, with absolute success and without the help of forum regulars (no more than a handful of us).

It's easy if you try (and devote the time and intellectual energy to it). Once done and through it, you will understand this blight, never fall foul of it again, and be able to help any family or friends who wander inadvertently into this spider's web of half-truths and misinformation.

Guys_Dad

TBCADI wrote: »

Dates are correct. I entered the carpark on 2nd Feb 2017 @ 12:47, .......................

Are you sure?

I quote
"Today 11/01/17 I came home from teaching to a letter addressed to me ( with details from the DVLA) dated 9/01/17 containing a Parking Charge Notice for £100!!! ( reduced to £60 if I pay it by 23rd) issued by Euro Car Parks. They have issued the fine stating that I arrived on the carpark at 12:47pm and left at 13:10pm and as no parking display/permit was purchased this was in breach of their T@C's."

I wasn't sure if the Feb or January dates were accurate as that would affect the appeal process.

We win by being accurate andyou will need to proof read your appeals.

TBCADI

Guys dad, you're right, I've put 01 instead of 02. I was in a rush and typed it too fast. I'm also feeling very ill with the flu today but have a driving test on Monday so was very obliged to cover a pre-test lesson. And no, driving instructors don't just sit in the passenger seat being driven around
I don't have a lot of time because unlike many jobs I CANNOT legally even touch a mobile phone, let alone read thread posts whilst teaching someone to drive. Long hours in a car.
I completely agree with all your comments, please don't think I just dropped in here to ask if you could all sort this out for me, not at all.
I've used this carpark for years and never had an issue. I'll tell you for a fact that the signs are not clearly displayed at all. I'm reading in-depth all of the posts relating to this issue and welcome any further advice.

Edna_Basher

As Quentin points out, at this stage you just need to submit the blue template included in the Newbies Sticky thread. This can be done via ECP's website.

While you wait for ECP's inevitable rejection, you can work on constructing your submission to POPLA.

Here's the link to razil's thread......

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/5576284

....together with the link to the picture of the car park sign mentioned by razil in their thread.

http://www.derbytelegraph.co.uk/images/localworld/ugc-images/276250/binaries/Siddals%20Road%20(Euro)%202111.JPG

ECP's rubbish signs will be one of the main points in your submission to POPLA.

Although ECP allege that the driver did not pay for parking, their evidence is dependent on their log of VRM details entered at the payment machine.

ECP cannot prove that parking for a particular vehicle was not paid for; they can only prove that the vehicle's registration number had not been keyed into the payment terminal. However, according to the sign, a driver's failure to enter their correct VRM is not one of the breaches that will attract a £100 parking charge.