PCN help

ParkingNovice135

Hello,

apologies for posting but I'm really struggling to follow the NEWBIES tread - I blame the lack of sleep (newborn bambino).

I received a Notice to Keeper charge following over staying my time in a pay and display hospital car park (ticket was purchased, but it expired and by the time the person returned there was a PCN on the car).  Due to bambino it got placed in the To Do paperwork pile and I then forgot about it.  I have now received a letter from Debt Recovery Plus for much larger sum.  

As per the guidance, I have contacted the hospital Trust PALS to request they void the charge.  The PALS email address is invalid so I will contact them using the phone number they provide, but i don't hold out much hope of speaking to someone given Covid-19.  I will also put my appeal in writing to PALS via snailmail.

What I'm unsure of is whether I should be also be appealing to UKPC as well? And if so, can you please guide me to a template for an appeal?  I think the NEWBIES thread suggests this is covered by post #4 however, I can't find post #4. 

To be clear, I have not spoken to / appealed / have any contact with UKPC or Debt Recovery Plus to date.  I am still within the appear timeframe stated in the Debt Recovery Plus letter.

Your help is greatly appreciated! Thank you

Umkomaas

Now you're at debt collector stage it is too late to appeal to UKPC, so you are in 'ignore' mode unless/until you receive a formal Letter of Claim or an actual county court claim via the Northampton CCBC. While there are no guarantees, UKPC seem to be mainly interested in pursuing cases of multiple tickets in excess of £600 via the courts.  They do have 6 years in which to commence proceedings. 

Persevere with your PALS line of attack. 

ParkingNovice135

I should have said the reason the parking ticket expired was due to the individual needing emergency care.
I appreciate the ticket expired but the charge is so disproportionate I'm not inclined to pay the PCN. Plus, I feel it is completely inappropriate for a hospital to have pay and display, how is anyone meant to extend a ticket if they are serious ill. 

Umkomaas

I think you question might be better directed to your MP. 

ParkingNovice135

Thank you Umkomaas.

MistyZ

I wouldn't hold out too much hope of a satisfactory response from PALS immediately.  It may happen of course, this case sounds very compelling.  

But this isn't a 'yes or no' situation.  If PALS do give you the brush off, see your first approach to them as just that - the first step.  With your MP's support if possible, persevere very insistently with very little time between complaints - keep 'em going.   In fact I think you should respond to any shilly-shallying with a hard-hitting complaint to the hospital's CEO (or the appropriate managerial department).  

You sound like someone who won't let this drop and has exactly the right measured but utterly determined approach to get this hugely unfair PCN cancelled.

D_P_Dance

Are  you a risk taker?  Read this

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6116701/let-us-ignore-all-pcns#latest

Also this

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

Nine times out of ten these tickets are scams, so consider complaining to your MP, it can cause the scammer extra costs and work, and has been known to get the charge cancelled.

Parliament is well aware of the MO of these private parking companies, many of whom are former clampers, 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.

Fruitcake

The PM said he was going to sort out parking charges at hospitals, so as well as your MP I suggest you ask him to sort this out.
I am serious.
Yes, Corona virus is important and there are lots of other things to sort out, but the rest of the country needs to keep going as well.

I suggest you tell him you don't want the NHS/hospital management team spending valuable time on this, but you can't afford to pay this scamvoice.
Suggest he makes emergency measures to instruct all the unregulated private parking companies to stop processing charges as there is no way the motoring public can go and collect evidence, take pics of signs, or attend court in the current crisis.

Etcetera.

Use words like, emergency, new born baby, stress, worry, disgust, outrage, and the comments in red from the first post of the NEWBIES said by MPs in open parliament about these scammers.

D_P_Dance

Excellent advice Mr Cake.  Let us all up our game thusly.