ParkingEye PCN – overstay in Aldi carpark with a disabled passenger.

Pickle23

Hi there,

I’m just checking where I stand with regards to a recent PCN before I launch my appeal…

At the start of the month (1/4/17) my vehicle was used to take my disabled mother-in-law (Blue Badge Holder) to visit our newly opened Aldi store. A disabled parking bay was used and the correct badge settings displayed. The “free” carpark is managed by ParkingEye.

In excess of £90 was spent during the visit with proof of purchase available. Only a few days later, I received (not the driver at the time of the alleged offence) a printed PCN requesting £70 for a parking overstay or the offer of a discounted price of £40, if paid within 14 days of the date issued – 20/4/17. I also received a reminder to pay in the meantime!

The overstay duration was stated at 10 minutes, 20 seconds over the “free” parking limit of 1 hour and 30 minutes. Aldi weren’t interested when my wife returned there the following week to enquire about where their customers stand when shopping with a disabled person so I doubt very much whether the parking company concerned would be interested in that explanation when contesting this overstay as grounds for appeal? For the record my mother-in-law has severe mobility issues and can sometimes take up to 20 minutes to vacate/re-enter her transportation - all this before any actual shopping takes place.

===========================================

So with that said, am I still right in thinking that my best grounds for appeal in this instance are to submit the blue text template directly to the issuer, as provided by Coupon-Mad in the stickie, on or around the 28th day from the PCN’s original date of issue? By my calculation this would be the 5th May. My first correspondence was received on the 7th May.

Thanks in advance.

Coupon-mad

Aldi weren’t interested when my wife returned there the following week to enquire about where their customers stand when shopping with a disabled person so I doubt very much whether the parking company concerned would be interested in that explanation when contesting this overstay as grounds for appeal? For the record my mother-in-law has severe mobility issues and can sometimes take up to 20 minutes to vacate/re-enter her transportation - all this before any actual shopping takes place.

Wow. Aldi weren't interested in sorting out disability discrimination?!!

You need to:

- complain to Aldi Head Office and on their facebook page, very angrily. In fact, the Aldi Store should have added the VRN to a 'white list' to allow this disabled person to take longer if they need more time, in future. As well as a quick phone call from the Store Manager to PE to cancel it. Many stores do this often. Complain in the strongest terms about ParkingEye faffing around with a grace period that isn't fit for purpose and complain about the pathetic CS person who fobbed off your Mum. Point out this is a breach of the Equality Act 2010 (don't mention the DDA, it's ancient and comes within the EA now).

and

- submit a copy of the Blue Badge to PE online and explain what you said to us above, written as the 'registered keeper' not saying who was driving. Add that you are aware that the BPA Code of Practice is to be updated and it was agreed as far back as 2015 at a Professional Standards Board meeting, to amend the BPA CoP 'grace period' to a MINIMUM of eleven minutes, even for non-disabled people. Clearly someone with mobility issues is going to need a lot longer than that and needs the VRN adding to the Store White list to avoid this utterly discriminatory harassment in future.

Funnily enough, I expect PE will cancel it in my experience. If not, this is winnable on 'grace periods' argument at POPLA but I expect you will not need it.