Parking fine for charging an electric car

satchef1

Hi,

Last week I stopped off at Novotel Wolverhampton to use their Polar Plus Ultracharger. It's a rapid charger that will fill my car up in about 20 minutes. I pay a subscription to Polar for access to their network of chargers. Today I received a "fine" from Parking Eye for not paying the parking charges. I was in the car park for 20 minutes.

This is the sign that is displayed in the car park:



I was about to pay the fine until I read this properly. There is no mention of charges for people who aren't hotel guests. I wasn't a hotel guest, but I did have a right to be there (under the Polar Plus network membership). So do these charges apply? Is this an angle worth fighting?

Thanks

twhitehousescat

tell polar plus to contact the hotel and ask them to contact PE to get the charge dropped , you had PERMISSION to be on the land , and I suspect (correct me if I am wrong) the area you charged your car was NOT a designated parking area , it was an area set aside for charging vehicles

satchef1

That's not a bad idea, thanks.

Though generally, Polar do expect you to pay the local parking charges. But this is the first time I've known charges to be applied to use an Ultracharger; it's fairly normal (and reasonable) with the slow chargers as they can take hours.

To be honest, I didn't see the signs, hence why I was prepared to cough up. But now that I have seen them, I can see that the wording isn't explicit.

Redx

they havent given this pcn for using the charger, you have incorrectly assumed that

they issued the pcn because their cameras took an ANPR pgoto when the car entered and exited, and their computers received no registration at the desk

so computer he say no entry so pcn issued for being "on site" with no authorisation

we have seen this in MSA,s where the site was covered by the same cameras and people were chargingf cars in the bays at the "petrol station" or similar - ie:- they do not differentiate between parking and filling up

ANPR cameras monitor time "on site" , not "parking"

beamerguy

As said above .....

"your car was NOT a designated parking area , it was an area set aside for charging vehicles"

The sign does make mention of this

Guys_Dad

For a quick resolve, why not ring the hotel and ask. Polar/Chargemaster install the chargers but there is not a 100% standard contract with the landowner/hotel. Some landowners charge, others do not and looking at ZapMap, you can see that some hotels have special ways to access the chargers (report to reception to get them switched on for example) whereas others are free for all.

Best bet is to ring the hotel to see what their system is and please post up their response (to help other ev drivers)

satchef1

This is the hotel's reply:

"Good Evening,



I can confirm that the terms for use of the car park are clearly stated via various car parking signs displayed throughout the car park,



I have attached a photo of one of the signs for your records, I can also confirm that there are 2 of these signs located next to the polar charging station,



Kind Regards"

Guys_Dad

Aarrgh!!!!!!!!!

So what are they saying??? Free parking for EVs when charging or all vehicles, including EVs using the charger must pay the £4.00 and register at reception.

That reply doesn't say.

satchef1

Redx wrote: »

they havent given this pcn for using the charger, you have incorrectly assumed that

they issued the pcn because their cameras took an ANPR pgoto when the car entered and exited, and their computers received no registration at the desk

so computer he say no entry so pcn issued for being "on site" with no authorisation

we have seen this in MSA,s where the site was covered by the same cameras and people were chargingf cars in the bays at the "petrol station" or similar - ie:- they do not differentiate between parking and filling up

ANPR cameras monitor time "on site" , not "parking"

Maybe my post is badly worded? Or maybe you're making incorrect assumptions? I'm well aware that I was fined for being in the car park for 20 minutes without paying, rather than because I was using the charger.

Redx

nor does it contain pictures of the actual signage near the charger bays

perhaps they have different terms on them ? like registering at reception ?

your post is badly worded as I am making statements of facts, not assumptions

the facts are thus

NOBODY has been "fined" (your word , not mine)

a PARKING CHARGE NOTICE has been issued for being in a private hotel car park without permission or registering at reception , even though the vehicle was not "parked" in the true sense of the word (but could have just as easily been in a parking bay instead of the EV bay)

the PCN has been issued for being on a private site without verification at the hotel reception and the hotel are saying there are signs near the charging bays, but we do not know what they say, only what the sign posted above says

I am saying this has happened previously in an MSA monitored by PE who were taking the keeper to court for "parking" an EV in a charging bay , so its not the first time nor will it be the last

satchef1

Guys_Dad wrote: »

Aarrgh!!!!!!!!!

So what are they saying??? Free parking for EVs when charging or all vehicles, including EVs using the charger must pay the £4.00 and register at reception.

That reply doesn't say.

Sorry. The mentioned photo is the one from the original post. It states the charges for hotel guests, which, as far as I am concerned, I was not.