Please could you give me advice

shpri

Hi, I've created another account for anonymity.

I have read through the guide for newbies and I think I understand somewhat, but I have a few questions about how best to proceed.

We received a parking ticket at a hospital recently. This happened because when we tried to enter the car park we and a few other cars were stopped and instructed to park in a location which would normally incur a fine. We did so and returned to our car to find a ticket had been put on it shortly after parking.

I spoke to a few people all of whom told me to email my appeal to the email address on the back of the ticket, which I did. My appeal has come back from their independent panel as unsuccessful, with very little explanation.

I gave as much detail as I could in my appeal email, but it seems to have been ignored.

I have tried searching for them on the BPA and IPC and I can't find them, I think the hospital operates their own car park but I can't find anything on Google to verify. During a conversation with a receptionist on the day it happened I think she said the tickets were issued by an outside company. I've also looked at the parking signs on street view, they don't state a different company name nor does the ticket.

So, I'm not sure if they are a member of either BPA or IPC.

The ticket states on the back that if you don't pay they will contact DVLA then use debt collectors. The email I received saying my appeal was unsuccessful said they will consider no further appeals and my information will be passed on to debt collectors if I don't pay (no mention of DVLA in the email).

They have my name, email address and the car reg, but the car is actually not mine and I also was not the driver (I was a passenger).

Please could you advise which of the following you think I should do next:
- clarify if the hospital operate their own car park or if it's a separate company
- contact PALS official complaint email and ask them if they can clear it
- ignore it completely

If they can contact DVLA, will that go as an offence or points on the driver's licence? Can they only get the registered keeper's name and address if they are members of BPA or IPC? If I ignore it and debt collectors are involved, would that affect my credit rating and how could I clear my name and stop them pursuing me?

Many thanks for the help.

Edited to add: The driver is tempted to pay their fee, given that if it is paid soon the amount is less than £30, which gets rid of the issue. I am reluctant to take this approach because we were told to park where we parked, but I also could do without the stress! If you think this is the best option, please say so.

Redx

you should name the Hospital involved if you cannot find out the name of any parking company

and YES you should complain to PALS, always , without exception

its a civil matter, so no points on any license and it is NOT an offence either

its a civil contract , so if a judge found in their favour they would give a judgment with an amount to pay within 1 month or a CCJ follows

so if you lost in court , pay up , promptly, and no CCJ and no effect on any credit rating

it is not paying the CCJ promptly that means a CCJ is issued and your credit rating is trashed

debt collectors are powerless, so IGNORE the debt collectors

the claimant has 6 years to issue an MCOL in england and wales

they have to be the landowner, or in the BPA or the IPC to get keeper details from the DVLA

also complain to your local MP too

shpri

Thanks for the reply Redx. They will be the landowner I think, the ticket was issued by the hospital trust.

I will name the hospital on here if you think it's safe to do so, I was unsure how much detail to give and I didn't want to risk giving out identifying information.

Redx

I dont see how naming the hospital will harm your case

the trust are supposed to adhere to the government guidelines published a few years ago, so they are responsible for your predicament

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/nhs-patient-visitor-and-staff-car-parking-principles/nhs-patient-visitor-and-staff-car-parking-principles

you can IGNORE the debt collector stage , they have no powers whatsoever

if you have not revealed your address, then the only way they can get it is through the DVLA

shpri

Great, thanks for clarifying.

The hospital was James Cook University Hospital, which is part of South Tees NHS Foundation Trust. The trust is named on the ticket as having issued it.

ampersand

op - googling James Cook South Tees NHS Foundation Trust parking shows t &c changes and increased charges mooted and reported in 2014, then raised and varied from end Oct, 2017.
#
https://www.gazettelive.co.uk/news/teesside-news/parking-fees-delayed-blue-badge-14040650
-suggests delay and muddle.
Note other readers' comments there.
#
Be sure to follow redx's last 2 instructions in post 2.
#
You have read enough to know that unless a Council or London Transort police have issued you with a Penalty Charge Notice, you have actually received a speculative invoice, not a 'fine'.

shpri

Thanks for that ampersand, I will have some time tomorrow and I am planning on writing up a formal complaint email to PALS. I'm not sure the best approach for it though, whether to be more outraged in tone, or more friendly and asking for them to be understanding. The first way can annoy people who might have otherwise been understanding, but the second isn't taken seriously sometimes. I'll probably do the second.

I don't think I'm going to try complaining to my local MP, at least not yet, because I actually tried that for a totally different issue a few months ago and they were completely useless.

Yes, there are lots of articles on the Evening Gazette about their high parking charges. Any longer than 20 minutes you pay £3, more than 2 hours and it goes up. Just this year they brought in parking charges for disabled people who previously got free parking at the hospital.

The_Deep

This is an entirely unregulated industry which is scamming the public with inflated claims for minor breaches of contracts for alleged parking offences.

Parking Eye, Smart and a smaller company have already been named and shamed, as has Gladstones Solicitors, and BW Legal, (who take hundreds of these cases to court, and nearly always lose), who have also been reported to the regulatory authority.

The problem has become so rampant that MPs have agreed to enact a Bill to regulate these scammers. Watch the video of the Second Reading in the HofC recently.

http://parliamentlive.tv/event/index/2f0384f2-eba5-4fff-ab07-cf24b6a22918?in=12:49:41

and complain in the most robust terms to your MP. With a fair wind most of these companies may well be put out of business by Christmas

shpri

Hi, I thought you might like to read an update.

I emailed the hospital PALS team around 3 weeks ago to ask if they could help with this. They sent me an email back saying they would look into it and get back to me.

I have now had an email from the parking team telling me the ticket has been cancelled. They didn't say much except that the appeal panel had looked at it again (this despite their previous email saying they would consider no further appeals).

So, I have been successful. Thank you for all of your help.

Coupon-mad

Hooray, well done with your complaint approach to PALS! :T