PCN-from UKCPS LTD (kfc car park)

ABx91

Hello, I was hoping for abit of advise if possible please, I hope I have posted this in the correct place.

just a little info about me first, I am a carer to my partner who has a learning disability and has bad social anxiety due to this, and so she doesnt like to leave home.

on the 5th march 2020, I decided to take my partner out for some lunch as I feel it's bad for her to stay in all the time, on arrival to the car park she started to get really worked up and upset due to her anxiety, on entering the car park I didnt see the signs stating 75mins max stay due to trying to calm my partner down and concentrating on driving, we parked up and we was still in the car for around 45 mins while she calmed down and plucked up courage to leave the car, we then went in had a bit of dinner and a chat and left. a week later I got a PCN from UKCPS saying we'd stayed 115mins and wants £60 before 14days /£100 after, 

I appealed this quoting equality act 2010 and needing more time due to my partners disability etc which they turned down saying they can only address factual issues of where and how i parked and so still wanting £100 now

I wish I'd parked on the main road on double yellow lines now as my partner has a blue badge but I was trying to be more considerate to other road users.

has anybody got any advise please as if I have to pay this I'll have to tell my partner as we have a joint bank account and she'd see anyway and despite getting worked up she made great progress and this could set her back

Le_Kirk

Have you tried a complaint to the place where you both had dinner?  Is it a car park JUST for that place?  If not you go to the NEWBIE sticky first post and, after reading it through, find the standard appeal written in BLUE text and send that to UKCPS. 

ABx91

no I haven't tried complaining to kfc yet.
I believe the car park is just for use with kfc as the signage states driver must remain onsite.

Le_Kirk

I guess, along with most food outlets, it is closed temporarily but you could do some research and try to find the CEO and send a polite but firm e-mail expressing your disgust at your treatment and explaining that, if every meal comes with a £100 surcharge, you have eaten there for the last time, as have all your family and friends.

D_P_Dance

Read this, does it apply to your partner?

https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/hr/equality/focus/2.5491/protected

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, when life gets back to normal, it will become impossible for those scammers who are left to continue their vile trade, 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.

ABx91

theres this I copied and pasted from that link but that link is more to do with employers than it is with PCN's

The Act includes a new protection from discrimination arising from disability. This states that it is discrimination to treat a disabled person unfavourably because of something connected with their disability

ABx91

could this be used in any way...

The duty is to make reasonable adjustments to avoid disabled people being placed at a "substantial disadvantage", compared to non-disabled people, when accessing the facilities or services.

The duty, in respect of reasonable adjustments, is a continuing and evolving one as better solutions may become available in the future. For this reason, it is never possible to say the business has "complied with" the Act. It needs to be an ongoing process of monitoring progress and encouraging continuous improvement.

beamerguy

As Le_kirk says above ....WOW a KFC chicken burger plus £100 is a bit over the top even at Mcd's prices ?

You see UKCPS are part of a mega scam set up by the incompetent Gladstones solicitors to steal money from motorists. Fortunately the courts are proving that Gladstones are scammers

So, what do you do about the UKCPS scammers ?  You play the game. It is a game that's been going on for years, you appeal, they decline, you appeal to their scrubby little IAS appeals service, they decline, you start getting debt collector letters from grubby companies who are powerless and you ignore.

Then along comes the scam master, Gladstones solicitors who will threaten you with rubbish

If that happens come back here

PS: Don't be put off by the word solicitors, what they think and what everyone else thinks are two different issues.     JUST GLORIFIED DEBT COLLECTORS WORKING WELL ABOVE THEIR STATION IN LIFE

ABx91

I have written to my local mp, 
as far as I am aware there are no 'reasonable adjustments' of time in place for disabled visitors at their car park. 
would this give me a leg to stand on and win if it went further or would it be easier to pay the ridiculous charge and not risk any further extra £s on top of this?

KeithP

Of course it is 'easier' just to pay up - if you have the money. What a strange question.

MistyZ

Okay ... I think you actually have a good chance of getting this cancelled by KFC.

The parking companies feed on fear.  They quite rightly believe that people who get PCNs will automatically feel that they have 'done something wrong', that they have 'almost' broken the law.  This is not the case however.  It has less to do with the law of the land and much more to do with the parking companies' predatory business model.

Think about it .... you were genuine customers of KFC parked in the correct place who were unavoidably detained.  That's not looking for 'wriggle room', it's the reality.  Under the Equality Act 2010 your partner has the right to reasonable adjustments, so mention that in your confident complaint / request for cancellation to KFC's CEO (who I think is in the US, but that does not matter).  But mainly point out that you enjoyed your meal, you fully intended to leave within the parking timeframe but were unable to do so for the reasons you outline in your opening post.  These things happen to customers, it's no biggie.  Nor is it any hardship for KFC to cancel this charge.  Go for it.  

This may help:
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7204129/Grandmother-given-100-parking-fine-took-hour-eat-KFC-meal.html