ParkingEye Hotel Car Parking Fine

kfletch88

Hi all, hoping for a bit of advice please. 

Last week I drove from Birmingham to Sheffield to drop my elderly parents for a specialist hospital appointment (cancer treatment). They were staying at a hotel round the corner from the hospital. I pulled into the car park and waited while they went into the hotel to check they could drop their luggage off as it was a 9am hospital appointment so too early to check into their room. They made 2 trips into the hotel with their luggage while I waited in the car. I ended up being in the car park 24 minutes while they got themselves sorted out. 

They mentioned to the guy on reception where the car was at the time, and they asked about parking closer to the hotel to make it easier for them but they were advised by hotel staff that there were parking attendants so it was not a good idea to stop on the yellow lines at the front of the hotel.

However I have now received a £100 PCN from ParkingEye. I have spoken to the hotel, who basically said it's not their problem and not down to their reception staff to advise of the fee for being in the car park and that a drop off should only take 5 minutes. They said that what I should have done is park on the yellow lines outside and that 'everyone knows you just take a drive round the block if a parking attendant comes'. Where do I stand with this, do I have a right to appeal. I didn't exit the car, I didn't even take a bay as there wasn't any available, I just waited in the car on the car park land, as I wasn't staying at the hospital myself, I wasn't aware of the parking fee of £5 per night.

Thanks in advance for any advise. 

Coupon-mad

Ironically, double and single Yellow lines are there expressly for exempt activity like unloading, and a CEO would know that and no ticket would be issued on street to an attended vehicle involved in loading/unloading.  You don’t even have to move the car’s wheels.

Double yellows ARE for allowed stopping.  This is what yellow lines are for, on street (as long as there are no kerb blips with a ‘no loading’ sign in operation).

Now turning to the car park:

The passenger with cancer meets the definition of disability under the Equality Act 2010 and as such they are entitled to more time to unload luggage.

So, even if the grace period here is ten minutes normally, it wouldn’t be long enough for a disabled passenger to struggle to get their cases upstairs to a room and do two or three journeys to the car, as well as check in.  Up to half an hour for a disabled person to do this would not be unreasonable.

Is the PCN one that has the POFA 2012 paragraph on the back, or not?  Don’t look at the reminder second letter.

Please answer that first then we’ll tell you how to appeal which in this case will NOT be using the usual template.

kfletch88

Thank you for the reply. I should also note that my passenger also has several other medical conditions and is registered disabled with a blue badge. 
Yes, the letter does have a POFA 2012 paragraph on the back. 

Thanks.

Coupon-mad

OK, so send this online to ParkingEye:


I’d like to appeal on the basis of genuine patronage of the hotel and disability need, whereby the Hotel staff allowed us this time to unload on site.

I drove from Birmingham to Sheffield to drop my elderly parents for a specialist hospital appointment (cancer treatment). They were staying at this hotel round the corner from the hospital. I pulled into the car park and waited while they went into the hotel to check they could drop their luggage off before the appointment.

They made 2 or 3 trips into the hotel with their luggage while I waited but I did not park and no signs were seen about any contractual rules.  However, an alternative agreement was provided by the Hotel staff anyway.

We asked about the car parking and told the Hotel reception where the car was.  My parents specifically asked about parking closer to the hotel to make it easier for them to unload.  They were advised by hotel staff to stay there to unload rather than use the street.  This can be seen as a reasonable adjustment under the Equality Act 2010 but the hotel clearly omitted to add the car to the site white list.

A disabled person needs an extended grace period to load and unload cases up into a hotel room and half an hour is not unreasonable as an adjustment to accommodate the needs of a disabled hotel guest.  And the Hotel allowed it.

I have complained to the hotel and have been told initially, to appeal to yourselves at ParkinEye with evidence of patronage and my passenger’s blue badge which are both attached. 


attach:

- a scan or clear photo of BOTH SIDES of the blue badge (cover any Badge number/ref and the photo as that’s excessive ID and you should never give a full copy BB to a third party)

- evidence of the Hotel booking and dates of stay

patient_dream

My advice to anyone using a hotel is to phone them direct.  Before covid I used a lot of hotels mainly booked via oneline the bookings sites.

I am now back to hotels, so I phone them direct to ask them if a private parking ompany operates on their premises. If they say YES, I cancel my booking and tell them why ?

Just like Supermarkets, hotels need customers and if they hold their customers in contempt, they do not deserve your money

AND, i have to say I use motorways a lot. from what I see, RoadChef is a NO GO because they are having a love affair with scammers .... In my system ROADCHEF IS BANNED and no expenses will be paid with Roadchef receipts or any other related to RoadChef

Feel sorry fot the retailers who trust and pay Roadchef 

kfletch88

@Coupon-mad thank you so much for your help, really is appreciated.

D_P_Dance

It is not a fine, please read the newbies

PE signs leave a lot to be desired and may present them with a problem in court, read ths.

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/5972164/parking-eye-signs-oxford-road-reading/p1

Consider leaving a bad review on TipAdvisor, Trivago, booking.com, hotels.com etc. and complaining to your MP.  

ihatetrump

Which hotel was it?

The reason I ask (I work in the industry) is that most hotels are simply managed these days and you may have some luck and sympathy in writing directly to the manager (the management company, not the property manager) and cc'ing the owner. Hotels are hurting badly and owners won't take kindly to managers (or their designated parking enforcers) p*****g off customers with petty parking charges, especially when your parents were paying customers of the hotel.

You can always leave a bad review later - hotels operators who care will take notice, others don't give a damn.