Leevalley Velopark Parking Fine

samfuller1

My partner parked at the velopark a couple of weeks ago, called the number on the machine and paid over the phone for 2 hours (the money went out of her account). She got a ticket through the post a week or so later. She appealed it, sending them evidence and they have responded rejecting the appeal and said she cannot appeal again and that she hadn't paid for the total time she was there, which is definitely not true because we were there for an hour and half max. She paid the fine once she heard from them today which I know makes things harder but she didn't want them to put it up or deal with legal fees so I'm going to try and get it overturned on her behalf.

What would you do? She is 100% not in the wrong here but I'm not sure what to do, the information about the car park on Google is non-existent.

tykesi

You've paid - that's the end of it.

No point spending any more time on it, treat it as a very expensive lesson and read the "Newbies" sticky thread at the top of this board for guidance on what to do if this ever happens again.

pogofish

If she paid the ticket, then there isn't much more you can do, short of learning an expensive lesson. Overturning paid tickets is next to impossible in both legit/legal and private scenarios.

Who issued the ticket - council or a private company?

If it was a private company, then get stuck-in to the Newbies Sticky at the top of this forum to inform yourself properly and be prepared for the future. In fact, do it anyway because just now, you and your partner are simply fresh meat for the scammers.

The_Slithy_Tove

samfuller1 wrote: »

they have responded rejecting the appeal and said she cannot appeal again...
She paid the fine once she heard from them

Depending on who actually issued the charge, they should have said that there is a further appeals process (POPLA or IAS if private, but there's even another stage for council tickets). If they haven't offered that further appeal, then they have misled your partner, and so any payment could be challenged. It'll take a great deal of effort to do so, though.

Who EXACTLY issued the ticket?
What did the rejection letter say VERBATIM?

fisherjim

Facts don't seem to add up here, if this is Lee Valley Velodrome the car park is run by Parking Eye.

https://www.visitleevalley.org.uk/en/content/cms/london2012/velo-park/plan-your-visit/

samfuller1

@FisherJim thanks for the link. Strange that it says 4 hours free parking, very bizarre. I was there for a duathlon which lasted an hour. My wife met me approximately 15 minutes before it started and we left within 15 minutes of it finishing, hence my 1.5 hour estimate.

samfuller1

Wife has just given me the letter and e-mails.

ParkingEye issued the ticket. There are two pictures of her car entering at 19:08 and leaving at 20:51.

Rejection e-mail:

Thank you for your correspondence in relation to the Parking Charge incurred on 21
March 2017 at 20:51, at Lee Valley VeloPark car park.
We are writing to advise you that your recent appeal has been unsuccessful and that you
have now reached the end of our internal appeals procedure. Our records show that
insufficient time was paid for on the date of the parking event. Please be advised:
 There is an independent appeals service (POPLA) which is available to motorists
who have had an appeal rejected by a British Parking Association Approved
Operator. Contact information and further information can be found enclosed. See
also [POPLA website - edited out as I'm a new user]
 As a gesture of goodwill, we have extended the discount period for a further 14
days from the date of this correspondence. If you appeal to POPLA and your
appeal is unsuccessful you will not be able to pay the discounted amount in
settlement of the Parking Charge, you will be liable to pay the full amount. If you
have already paid the reduced amount, the Parking Charge will be increased to
the full amount and you will be liable to pay this increase.
 By law we are also required to inform you that Ombudsman Services
[Ombudsman website] provides an alternative dispute resolution
service that would be competent to deal with your appeal. However, we have not
chosen to participate in their alternative dispute resolution service. As such should
you wish to appeal then you must do so to POPLA, as explained above.

The_Slithy_Tove

samfuller1 wrote: »

you have now reached the end of our internal appeals procedure.
...
There is an independent appeals service (POPLA) which is available to motorists who have had an appeal rejected by a British Parking Association Approved Operator. Contact information and further information can be found enclosed.

Your partner hadn't reached the end of the appeals process. You were offered POPLA. You decided to pay.

End of story, I'm afraid. Live and learn.

pogofish

Its a pity - PE are pretty straightforward to beat at POPLA, so you could have easily avoided this.

fangoose

I got a letter from parking eye at a hospital. I paid as I left but hadn't noted time of arrival. I appealed saying that the fact that I paid on coming out showed it was a genuine mistake due to dealing with a poorly mother. I got the standard appeal rejection letter and paid the 40 quid.
I then wrote a letter to the hospital explaining that I had tried to do the right thing by transporting my mother and being stressed got confused. The hospital were very helpful and told parking eye to refund, which they did.
My advice is to contact the land owner (often the shops) and explain and ask them to intervene on your behalf.

Coupon-mad

That is good advice and (unusually) PE do sometime refund when told to by a landowner.

She paid the fine once she heard from them today which I know makes things harder

OMG, that was a truly terrible decision - and in doing so, she snatched defeat from the jaws of victory and threw away POPLA. We would have seen this off for you by May...now the ONLY option is landowner complaint.