Hospital parking ticket- County court claim

HappyApples_159

Hi all, I would really appreciate some help regarding a private parking ticket. 
I have been issued with a county court claim for a parking ticket I was issued while I was working in a hospital in Kent in 2019.
ISSUE DATE 9/2 I sent my acknowledgment of service on 18/2.
The parking was managed by the hospital, however, a private firm (first parking) took over the parking in the hospital. I’m not sure what the notification of this switch was (likely an email and new signage) But I wasn’t fully aware of the change.
I had a permit which was issued by the hospital displayed in the car, I am now aware this was not valid for the new parking. The payment for the original permit was taken from my payslip so I didn’t see any change in this charge. 
I have used the very helpful template for defense to produce a response (attached). 
I think I have 3 main defenses:
1. I was not fully aware of the change in permit system + I had a (old) permit in my car window
2. Poor signage (I have managed to download the photos first parking have of the event which displays this)
3. A recent FOI request about the parking at the hospital had this as a question/response: "Are staff permitted to use public car parking spaces. Is there any sanction on this?

Staff can use the visitor car park for free if called in."

I would really appreciate any help/advice on this. 

Thank you 

Redx

Those 3 bullet points don't follow the coupon mad template

Adapt paragraphs 2 and 3 and post them both below for critique , after reading a few other recent court claim threads on here

Also email a SAR to the DPO at First Parking to obtain all your data attaching a copy of the claim form to it as proof of I D under the GDPR law

You should also be getting help from your trust and union , obtaining the new permit that you paid for is the responsibility of the trust

Fruitcake

Precisely as above. You should be kicking up a stink with your employer, and your union should be all over this as well.

I suggest you also complain to your MP as well as Boris. He said about a year ago he was going to stamp this out. In addition, this country cannot afford for key workers to be distracted bu a bunch of unregulated scammers demanding money with menaces.

The hospital trust should be following the UK Government's hospital parking principles. Have a read then include the relevant parts in your complaints and defence.

NHS patient, visitor and staff car parking principles - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

HappyApples_159

Thank you for your advice so far! As it was over 2 years ago I am no longer working at the trust in question, however, I will try and complain directly to them. 
What is the goal of the SAR? 
Below is a copy of paragraphs 2+3 which I had edited:

The facts as known to the Defendant:

2.   The Defendant was the registered keeper of the vehicle in question but liability is denied.  

3.   Parking ticket was found by the defendant after working a shift as an on-call doctor. The defendant had a permit to park- displayed clearly in the car window- issued by the hospital.  The defendant subsequently learned that the parking had been taken over by a private parking company (FIRST Parking Llp). This is the company that had issued the ticket. The signage for this new requirement and charge issued (£60) was very poor, under a tree, and poorly lit.

nosferatu1001

Obvious - you see every document they have about YOU. Means you have no surprises.
Accept or deny being the driver in para 2
Maybe explain further - the parking was taken over, no one told you or anyone else abo0ut new permits, new permits were not issued etc. Thinik about how grosdsly negligent first AND the principal were, and jo0t that down.

KeithP

HappyApples_159 said:

I have been issued with a county court claim for a parking ticket I was issued while I was working in a hospital in Kent in 2019.
ISSUE DATE 9/2 I sent my acknowledgment of service on 18/2.

With a Claim Issue Date of 9th February, and having filed an Acknowledgment of Service in a timely manner, you have until 4pm on Monday 15th March 2021 to file your Defence.

That's nearly three weeks away. Plenty of time to produce a Defence, but please don't leave it to the last minute.

To create a Defence, and then file a Defence by email, look at the second post in the NEWBIES thread.

Don't miss the deadline for filing a Defence.

HappyApples_159

I have edited the paragraphs as advised (see below), also I have left the rest of the document the same, is there anything else I should add?

Thank you again!

The facts as known to the Defendant:

2. Defendant was the registered keeper of the vehicle in question but liability is denied. The defendant was the driver at the time of the ticket being issued.  

3.   Parking ticket was found by the defendant after working a shift as an on-call doctor. The defendant had a permit to park- displayed clearly in the car window- issued by the hospital.  The defendant subsequently learned that the parking had been taken over by a private parking company (FIRST Parking Llp) and that the permit displayed was no longer valid. The signage for this new requirement and charge issued (£60) was very poor, under a tree, and poorly lit. The defendant was not made aware of the change in the ticketing system and was under the understanding that they in-fact had a valid permit.

D_P_Dance

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

Have they complied?  Have you complained to your MP/  

Coupon-mad

HappyApples_159 said:

I have edited the paragraphs as advised (see below), also I have left the rest of the document the same, is there anything else I should add?

Thank you again!

The facts as known to the Defendant:

2. Defendant was the registered keeper of the vehicle in question but liability is denied. The defendant was the driver at the time of the ticket being issued.  

3.   Parking ticket was found by the defendant after working a shift as an on-call doctor. The defendant had a permit to park- displayed clearly in the car window- issued by the hospital.  The defendant subsequently learned that the parking had been taken over by a private parking company (FIRST Parking Llp) and that the permit displayed was no longer valid. The signage for this new requirement and charge issued (£60) was very poor, under a tree, and poorly lit. The defendant was not made aware of the change in the ticketing system and was under the understanding that they in-fact had a valid permit.

Looks fine to me.

HappyApples_159

Update for anyone interested or who might use this thread for advice. After submitting my defence (as above), First parking have withdrawn their claim! (see attached) 

Thanks everyone involved!  

Umkomaas

Nice result and thank you so much for your feedback, it is much appreciated. You wouldn't believe the number of posters, who, despite having so much forum assistance just won't trouble themselves to update us at the conclusion of their cases. 

You've got a nasty off the bottom of your shoe there, and your feedback gives hope to the posters who are currently battling a recent wave of First Parking claims, in what appears to be more a ratcheting up of the debt collection process rather than a real intention to litigate.