Failing to Display a Ticket..

AllergictoWereWolves

Hi,
Yesterday (Sunday) I received a windscreen parking charge notice in a UKPC managed car park, for failing to display a ticket. The first hour of parking is free but a ticket must still be displayed. I knew this as I use this car park at least once a week for shopping and eating but, for the first time ever, I completely forgot to get a ticket. My only excuse is that my mother had died the day before, I had had little sleep and my brain simply isn't working as it should. The notice was issued after 13 minutes of being seen to not have a ticket.

I have read the Newbie posts but I don't know whether to just pay the fine (£60 if paid within 14 days) as it WAS my error, or appeal to their better nature, given the circumstances. I really don't need any extra hassle at this moment....but £60 does seem exorbitant for the short time I was parked.

I don't know if it makes a difference but the car is a Mobility car, registered to my disabled non driving sister at a different address, and I am a named driver.
I would be so grateful for any advice anyone can give me...and thank you for reading this.

Coupon-mad

My only excuse is that my mother had died the day before,

I am so sorry to hear that, my condolences.

Sadly, IMHO the parking firm will not care.

the car is a Mobility car, registered to my disabled non driving sister at a different address,

Then as per the NEWBIES thread, you already know that the appeal goes through in the name of the KEEPER, your non-driving sister, who can attach a copy of her Blue Badge and can mention that the driver and passenger were very distracted due to the death of their mother the day before and saw nothing at the disabled bays to tell them to make payment.

Your sister was with you as a passenger, we take it, because Motability cars can't be used by others for other reasons, only ever for the use of the disabled person. Not for family, unless acting on behalf of the disabled person, e.g. to fetch their prescription/meds is OK, I believe.

The_Deep

UKPC are fraudsters, read this

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/crime/11858473/Parking-firm-UKPC-admits-faking-tickets-to-fine-drivers.html

This is an entirely unregulated industry which is scamming the public with inflated claims for minor breaches of contracts for alleged parking offences, aided and abetted by a handful of low-rent solicitors.

Parking Eye, CPM, Smart, and another company have already been named and shamed, as has Gladstones Solicitors, and BW Legal, (these two law firms take hundreds of these cases to court each year). They lose most of them, and have been reported to the regulatory authority by an M.P. for unprofessional conduct

Hospital car parks and residential complex tickets have been especially mentioned.

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.

waamo

Please don't even consider paying these chancers. Not under any circumstances even think about paying them.

If you read around you will see the "discount" period is often a sham. If you pay they will claim they didn't get it in time and you owe more. This crops up on a regular basis.

Read and re read the Newbies thread. The first appeal is easy. It's written for you to simply cut and paste. Follow the instructions the Coupon Mad person has given you and you won't go far wrong.

AllergictoWereWolves

Coupon Mad - you are right, the car can only be used without the disabled keeper as a passenger if the reason for the use is to benefit them. I think even with a Blue Badge I still needed to display a ticket though...

Coupon-mad

Yes probably they expected you to pay.

But at least the keeper can say she was a passenger, does not drive and can only think that if no payment was made it was due to one of two things:

- there being no signs at the disabled bays making it clear that BB holders must pay, and

- her sister the driver* and herself being in a very distraught state of mind because...

Then attach a copy of the Blue Badge.





P.S. if easier, use HER name as keeper but YOUR postal address.

P.P.S. do not forget to NOT DO THIS until day 26. That's why the keeper appeals, not the driver, and then hopefully UKPC forget to send a NTK. If they remember, it will go to HER address BTW, so warn her not to panic if that arrives next month, but to give it to you.



* tell her NOT to name you

AllergictoWereWolves

Hi all,

Thanks so much for the advice - apologies for not responding for a few days but have been a bit tied up with my Mum's arrangements.
I've just looked at the photos of my car on the UKPC website - the parking notice states that my car was seen at 15.44, then again at 15.57, with no pay and display ticket....however the only photo time stamped 15.44 shows the back of my car! The other photos are all time stamped 15.57 and show the front windscreen. Does the fact that there is no photographic proof that I didn't havea ticketat 15.44 make a difference? May be clutching at straws but you never know......

waamo

That's all irrelevant for now. Just cut and paste the blue template from the Newbies thread and send it to them.

Once you have done that read some winning POPLA appeals to get the gist of them. They really aren't that difficult.

AllergictoWereWolves

Thanks waamo,
I take it I still do this at Day 26? I've been looking through a Facebook group and they all advise doing nothing until I receive a NTK, but my understanding from here is that I DON'T want a NTK.....

waamo

Ignore the Facebook group. We spend so much time and energy here cleaning up their mess it's not true.

AllergictoWereWolves

Waamo - thank you!