Parking fine from private company for employer's building

Carly85

Hello all, 
I have spent all weekend reading through your forum, so first of all, thank you for the information. I am clearly not as well versed as some of you, and just want to clarify something. 
I have received a parking charge notice for keeper from britannia. I was parking for work in a carpark run by britannia under the building owened by my employer. I was parked for 20 mins (I was picking up IT equipment for a colleague) and all 3 payment machine were without power. Not even out of order just completely not at all turned on. Hindsight is a beautiful thing, and in future, I know to take pictures, but I (very stupidly thought maybe it is a covid thing as the College wasn't properly open and staff were just picking stuff up).
So now I have a £100 fine for 20 mins!! £5 per min for an under ground carpark without lights seem extreme but hey?!

From the forum, I understand the best way to challenge is to decline liability, but the template doesn't seem relevant as it asks them to include photos, which they have already done. Is it still relevant?

My actual defence is based on common sense, in that the parking in 90 pence, and my employer re-immburses me anyway, so what reason would I have not to pay it, but for their faulty machines?? I have worked there 11 years and sometimes pay up to £7 per day for parking, and have never had a fine. However I know common sense is sometimes lacking, so I just want to use a defence that will work.

Also I have approached my employer to see if they can help, should I wait to challenge it until I get an answer from them?

I am very very sorry, if this has already been asked, but if somebody could just explain my next steps in very basic language, I would really appreciate it.

Thank you for your time,
Carly

nosferatu1001

1) IT IS NOT A FINE! Never ever ever use that word. Ever. Got it?
2) The templater is a template for a reason. Send it as is, or not, but why are you wasting time adjusting a TEMPLATE when the fact it is a template with nop adjustment is a clue!
3) Common sense is not a defence. Tough. So read the template defence - also on the front page - and note that it covers a huge amount. But you are not filing a defence, but a POPLA appeal WHEN they decline your appeal. 
4) Appeal within their timescales, obviously - tgo do otherwise is not sensible - but put pressure on. If the machiens were turned off then tehre was no way to make payment. No way to make payment means the contract is void for impossibility - you cannot be told to do X but they make X impossible to do, and get charged when you don t do X. 
Next steps is a terrrible phrase as well. You have the complete process, all the way to court, in the newbies thread. This is not a simp[le subject, and trhere is no short cut we can give you that we havent already done. 

Fruitcake

Plan A is a complaint, not a request, to your employer. If you are a member of a trade union, then get them involved as well.
If that fails, then do not miss the appeal template. It says, one size fits all, for a reason.
They may have sent some photos, but how do you know they have sent all the photos they have concerning this alleged event?

Check the exact, precise, letter for letter, word for word name of the parking scammer on the signs (get photos) and compare it precisely, letter by letter, word for word with the name on the NTK, and tell us if it is different.

KeithP

Carly85 said:

From the forum, I understand the best way to challenge is to decline liability, but the template doesn't seem relevant as it asks them to include photos, which they have already done. Is it still relevant?

No, the template doesn't ask that.
It specifically asks for all the photographs.
You have no way of knowing whether you have all of their photos or not.

Why not follow the tried and tested route?

Carly85

Thank you all for the  clarification. 
My employer seems reasonably responsive, so I will rely on them, but will bear in mind the 28 days, and if I have no joy, try my luck with the template. Lesson learned, if the machines are not on... drive away!