APCOA Hospital Staff Parking Fine

Adamc

My wife has both her own and my car registered to her staff parking permit at the NHS hospital she works at (£30 per month to park half a mile from her department). She took my car today as hers is in for maintenance. She was issued with a £50 parking charge. She said she displayed her permit so I do not understand the issue. Both our registrations are on it. I will check with her when she gets home but how can this be? 

Her colleagues tell her to ignore the charge rather than appeal as they claim it is not enforceable. I cannot see the logic of this when we can provide ocular proof that she has a valid permit. 

She's under a lot of pressure at the moment so I am hoping to help her with this and would like to take advice from the forum before responding. 

Coupon-mad

Might be for parking in a place that wasn't a bay, if the car park was full?  Check the Notice reason.

Your wife can possibly get this cancelled easily by talking politely to the Facilities Manager.  It may well be that in-house security issued it but they can also rescind it.

You've presumably read NEWBIES PLEAS READ THESE FAQS FIRST and seen how to appeal if Plan A fails?  APCOA are dead easy to beat on appeal, but NO saying who was driving!

100% win awaits you as keeper (by appealing as keeper and citing lack of legal lability under the POFA, because APCOA don't bother with that law) and you are right NOT to ignore it.

I also assume this is a PARKING charge notice and not a PENALTY on street issued by APCOA for a Council?

Adamc

Coupon-mad said:

Might be for parking in a place that wasn't a bay, if the car park was full?  Check the Notice reason.

Your wife can possibly get this cancelled easily by talking politely to the Facilities Manager.  It may well be that in-house security issued it but they can also rescind it.

You've presumably read NEWBIES PLEAS READ THESE FAQS FIRST and seen how to appeal if Plan A fails?  APCOA are dead easy to beat on appeal, but NO saying who was driving!

100% win awaits you as keeper (by appealing as keeper and citing lack of legal lability under the POFA, because APCOA don't bother with that law) and you are right NOT to ignore it.

I also assume this is a PARKING charge notice and not a PENALTY on street issued by APCOA for a Council?

It is a parking charge not council/street penalty. The reason was that a valid permit was not displayed. 

Half_way

This may be of use

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/nhs-patient-visitor-and-staff-car-parking-principles/nhs-patient-visitor-and-staff-car-parking-principles

D_P_Dance

It is not  a fine, please read the newbies.  

Coupon-mad

It is a parking charge not council/street penalty.

Easy peasy then.

Read any other APCOA thread - 100% win guaranteed as long as the right person (you) appeals.  This is why we have the template appeal in NEWBIES PLEASE READ THESE FAQS FIRST, for newbies to read first of all and see how to win without any sweat.

Adamc

I've gotten to the bottom of the problem. Her permit has run out. A renewal email is sent inviting the permit owner to renew prior to this. However as we got married last summer my wife's work email automatically changed to reflect her married surname. She therefore never received the renewal email. When she logs in to the permit online platform there is no history of her previous permits (these were present we she renewed previously before her email changed). 

KeithP

Then surely it is a case for the hospital to resolve.
They changed her email address but failed to notify that change to whoever issues the permit renewal emails.

A failure of hospital processes / joined up processes.

Coupon-mad

Adamc said:

I've gotten to the bottom of the problem. Her permit has run out. A renewal email is sent inviting the permit owner to renew prior to this. However as we got married last summer my wife's work email automatically changed to reflect her married surname. She therefore never received the renewal email. When she logs in to the permit online platform there is no history of her previous permits (these were present we she renewed previously before her email changed). 

But none of that is relevant to how you (the keeper) will win this by appealing using the forum template.  As I said, this is easy.

Adamc

Dang it - the wife has sent them a pic of the old permit explaining what lead to the issue. Do we now complain rather than appeal? Or do I just pay it?

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?