Nabs

Nabroc

Hi
Hope i'm in the right place now as i'm new to this and had a problem finding it.
I've received a CCBC claim form from Excel Parking for a ticket received on 25.5.15. At the time I was a Community Staff Nurse based at Shotley Bridge Hospital, Durham. At the start of my shift i was required to collect essential medical equipment relevant to my duties, some of which were heavy and bulky. the time period to complete was alleged to have taken longer than 20mins (the allowed time in a parking bay near the entrance). I was initially advised by my admin section that they would deal with it, however later on receipt of a solicitors letter from Wright Hassall Solicitors my Nurse Manager wrote a mitigating letter to this effect which was forwarded to the solicitors. No acknowledgement or response was received only more and more demands for payment.
Later I noticed the parking ticket 'time seen' and 'time issued' sections were 14.00 and 14.20 respectively.
Would either of these circumstances offer a legitimate defence.

KeithP

What is the Issue Date on your Claim Form?

Quentin

If you have inadvertently used your real name as your forum name then you need to get MSE to change it to something anonymous

The ppcs monitor this forum and can use posts in your thread against you in Court

TruthBandit

The likelihood is the time seen and time issued means the vehicle is noted to have been on site for over 20 minutes, subsequently in breach of the T&Cs.

Did you not appeal within the given time?

MistyZ

I can see why an appeal wasn't submitted, I think, as it sounds as if the driver was reassured by the admin section that they'd deal with it. The driver was only following orders when parking and I think most reasonable, if PPC-naive, people would assume that 'deal with it' meant just that in the circumstances.

I know hospitals have a bad track record with staff parking charges but it's appalling that a nurse should run the risk of a significant parking charge for carrying out key duties. Was the car parked in the same hospital the driver worked at? (Sounds like it but just checking).

I'm wondering if it is now too late to get this utterly ludicrous charge cancelled by the hospital ....? Which is what they should have done in the first instance.

waamo

Don't miss defence deadlines. I would send an FOI request to the hospital to see their contact with the parking company. It may throw up some surprises.

Send a SAR to the parking company asking for all the information they have about you.

Both of these may come to late for the defence but may still prove useful.

What is the issue date on your form?

Nabroc

Hi
The issue date is 5th July 2019. The hospital was my base for work at the time. I recently rang the Property and Estates section of the Trust (NHS) but they wer'nt really interested saying that they had 'just washed their hands of it' as they were inundated with parking problems. They left it entirely in the hands of their contracted operators. I probably should have contacted them myself at the outset.

waamo

Na:76050107 wrote:

Hi
The issue date is 5th July 2019. The hospital was my base for work at the time. I recently rang the Property and Estates section of the Trust (NHS) but they wer'nt really interested saying that they had 'just washed their hands of it' as they were inundated with parking problems. They left it entirely in the hands of their contracted operators. I probably should have contacted them myself at the outset.

Hindsight is a wonderful thing. I would be very tempted to write to them and tell them you intend to call them as a witness in court. Ask who will be attending and what dates will they be unavailable as you will need to notify the court.

It might just panic them in to action.

Quentin

Is there a union to help deal with this??

Or failing that the drivers boss or HR department??

From what you say this happened because the driver was loading work related equipment

The_Deep

Have you read this

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

Are the hospital and the scammer complying with it?

Nine times out of ten these tickets are scams so complain to your MP.

Parliament is well aware of the MO of these private parking companies, and on 15th March 2019 a Bill was enacted to curb the excesses of these shysters. Codes of Practice are being drawn up, an independent appeals service will be set up, and access to the DVLA's date base more rigorously policed, persistent offenders denied access to the DVLA database and unable to operate.

Hopefully life will become impossible for the worst of these scammers, but until this is done you should still complain to your MP, citing the new legislation.

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2019/8/contents/enacted

Just as the clampers were finally closed down, so hopefully will many of these Private Parking Companies.

Nabroc

Hi
Ive now left the NHS. Again I wished i'd approached them at the time but assumed it had been nipped in the bud as it went quiet for a time. I was the driver having to load my own car with the equipment at the beginning of my rounds.