PCN during lockdown - Wembley Stadium Retail Park

EJoyC

Wonder if you can give advice on a PCN I've received from UK Parking Patrol Office. It's slightly unusual circumstance. My partner is an NHS worker and is using the car to travel to/from work while staying away from home to protect me (he's dealing with Covid patients and I have asthma). Anyway, I've received a PCN for £100 for him overstaying at Stadium Retail Park on 22nd April. He was buying food in prep for Ramadan after coming off shift. He had to queue at the Lidl, a nearby halal supermarket and Sainsbury, and also had a break in the car, feeling tired, before driving off. He was parked for just over three hours. I've no idea if my partner still has his receipts and don't really want to bother him with trivia when his work is so challenging. The PCN is really sticking in my throat, and I'm actually really tempted to go straight to the owner of the retail park. I'm outraged, particularly when local councils have suspended parking restrictions at the moment. I'm not even sure if I can appeal as my local post office delivery office has been decimated by coronavirus-related staff absences so I've only just received the PCN. Should I just pay the £100, or go for them for issuing the PCN in the first place? What do you think?

Redx

as the newbies thread tells you , the keeper of the vehicle should complain to the landowner or managing agent

therefore that is the best course of action, get it cancelled at source

I would also get the keeper to email the CEO of LIDL as well, again complaining and preferably show proof of patronage like a receipt or redacted bank statement

MistyZ

Hi there.

Firstly, you need to read the Newbies' thread - it's near the top of the list of posts.  The advice there is to complain to the landowner before doing anything else, so your instincts are spot on.  

I believe this company is a member of the IPC.  It's barely worth appealing to members of that trade body, but might be worth doing so if there's still time - or, indeed, even if you're out of time - but mainly to create a 'paper trail' in case this goes to court.  When was the PCN issued?  When was it received? 

You need to identify who to send the landowner complaint to.  It could be that one of the outlets own the car park or that an overall landowner or land management company does.  Do the spade work on that one but if you draw a blank come back promptly for assistance.  

There are some key factors for the complaint that stand out.  The driver (do not refer to them any other way - you need to edit your post accordingly too so as not to hint at their identity) was really up against it: NHS worker at this time, away from home, the demands of Ramadan, queues .... It's not about eliciting sympathy as such, more that the genuine circumstances surrounding the driver were very challenging indeed.  The landowner needs to hear all this in your very assertive if basically polite complaint requesting cancellation.  The landowner can cancel this and should do so. 

KeithP

When I replied to your earlier post I wrote:

KeithP said:

...I'm actually really tempted to go straight to the owner of the retail park.

That's exactly what needs to happen. Explain the driver's situation. Do not give the name of the driver.

Thank you for starting a new thread.

D_P_Dance

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.

Scrapit

EJoyC said:

Wonder if you can give advice on a PCN I've received from UK Parking Patrol Office. It's slightly unusual circumstance. My partner is an NHS worker and is using the car to travel to/from work while staying away from home to protect me (he's dealing with Covid patients and I have asthma). Anyway, I've received a PCN for £100 for him overstaying at Stadium Retail Park on 22nd April. He was buying food in prep for Ramadan after coming off shift. He had to queue at the Lidl, a nearby halal supermarket and Sainsbury, and also had a break in the car, feeling tired, before driving off. He was parked for just over three hours. I've no idea if my partner still has his receipts and don't really want to bother him with trivia when his work is so challenging. The PCN is really sticking in my throat, and I'm actually really tempted to go straight to the owner of the retail park. I'm outraged, particularly when local councils have suspended parking restrictions at the moment. I'm not even sure if I can appeal as my local post office delivery office has been decimated by coronavirus-related staff absences so I've only just received the PCN. Should I just pay the £100, or go for them for issuing the PCN in the first place? What do you think?

Fighting can be difficult and time consuming. It may take up to 6 years to conclude. You will need to research and write alot.  You may be facing a trip to court. You will most likely repeatedly receive threatening letters from "legal" types and debit collectors. Do you want that?

happybagger

I would suspect, like most lay persons, they don't
Which is why complaints in the first instance to retailers, landowners, and management agents as suggested above, is sound advice which should be followed as soon as possible

pould

Scrapit said:

EJoyC said:

Wonder if you can give advice on a PCN I've received from UK Parking Patrol Office. It's slightly unusual circumstance. My partner is an NHS worker and is using the car to travel to/from work while staying away from home to protect me (he's dealing with Covid patients and I have asthma). Anyway, I've received a PCN for £100 for him overstaying at Stadium Retail Park on 22nd April. He was buying food in prep for Ramadan after coming off shift. He had to queue at the Lidl, a nearby halal supermarket and Sainsbury, and also had a break in the car, feeling tired, before driving off. He was parked for just over three hours. I've no idea if my partner still has his receipts and don't really want to bother him with trivia when his work is so challenging. The PCN is really sticking in my throat, and I'm actually really tempted to go straight to the owner of the retail park. I'm outraged, particularly when local councils have suspended parking restrictions at the moment. I'm not even sure if I can appeal as my local post office delivery office has been decimated by coronavirus-related staff absences so I've only just received the PCN. Should I just pay the £100, or go for them for issuing the PCN in the first place? What do you think?

Fighting is going to be difficult and time consuming. It may take up to 6 years to conclude. You will need to research and write alot.  You may be facing a trip to court. You will most likely repeatedly receive threatening letters from "legal" types and debit collectors. Do you want that?

Given that the whole premise of this forum is to challenge and fight these dubious invoices, what exactly are you doing here?

Scrapit

pould said:

Scrapit said:

EJoyC said:

Wonder if you can give advice on a PCN I've received from UK Parking Patrol Office. It's slightly unusual circumstance. My partner is an NHS worker and is using the car to travel to/from work while staying away from home to protect me (he's dealing with Covid patients and I have asthma). Anyway, I've received a PCN for £100 for him overstaying at Stadium Retail Park on 22nd April. He was buying food in prep for Ramadan after coming off shift. He had to queue at the Lidl, a nearby halal supermarket and Sainsbury, and also had a break in the car, feeling tired, before driving off. He was parked for just over three hours. I've no idea if my partner still has his receipts and don't really want to bother him with trivia when his work is so challenging. The PCN is really sticking in my throat, and I'm actually really tempted to go straight to the owner of the retail park. I'm outraged, particularly when local councils have suspended parking restrictions at the moment. I'm not even sure if I can appeal as my local post office delivery office has been decimated by coronavirus-related staff absences so I've only just received the PCN. Should I just pay the £100, or go for them for issuing the PCN in the first place? What do you think?

Fighting is going to be difficult and time consuming. It may take up to 6 years to conclude. You will need to research and write alot.  You may be facing a trip to court. You will most likely repeatedly receive threatening letters from "legal" types and debit collectors. Do you want that?

Given that the whole premise of this forum is to challenge and fight these dubious invoices, what exactly are you doing here?

Being honest.

Coupon-mad

No, you are plain wrong, you are misleading people and are now coming across as if you work for a PPC.  Direct question - do you?  Which firm?

Fighting an unfair PCN is not 'difficult'. 

The first step is complain to the retail park (easy, one email - scam cancelled). 

If not successful, which it should be:
The second step is copy the template appeal from the NEWBIES thread into a box...(not difficult)...

Third step in this case if it were me: email a journalist and get the case in the national press - the Daily Fail would love it!  Flipping heck, this is a NHS front line worker who came off shift then had to do a big shop at more than one store because the partner was self isolating, and of course that laborious, lone task took longer than usual in April.

WHY exactly are you posting here putting doubt in this person's mind and slagging off what we do/the NEWBIES thread.  The proof is in the pudding you know, we've won cases here 99% of the time since 2017.  PPCs can go swivel.

Scrapit

Coupon-mad said:

No, you are plain wrong, you are misleading people and are now coming across as if you work for a PPC.  Direct question - do you?  Which firm?

Fighting an unfair PCN is not 'difficult'. 

The first step is complain to the retail park (easy, one email - scam cancelled). 

If not successful, which it should be:
The second step is copy the template appeal from the NEWBIES thread into a box...(not difficult)...

Third step in this case if it were me: email a journalist and get the case in the national press - the Daily Fail would love it!  Flipping heck, this is a NHS front line worker who came off shift then had to do a big shop at more than one store because the partner was self isolating, and of course that laborious, lone task took longer than usual in April.

WHY exactly are you posting here putting doubt in this person's mind and slagging off what we do/the NEWBIES thread.  The proof is in the pudding you know, we've won cases here 99% of the time since 2017.  PPCs can go swivel.

Makes a change from the "You were a banned member" that is the standard response in the motoring section to anything somebody doesn't like I suppose. Anything I've put that is incorrect, mistaken, misleading or just plain wrong please inform me via the forum or PM and I will correct. I'm just being honest and making clear what commitment is required, nothing any other member hasn't done. And yes PPCs can do one,  but my advice still stands.