Pay up or contest?

summerlilly

I received a private parking fine for using a leisure Centre car park, via a letter not on the windscreen, so I didn’t know I had even breached the pay and display request until I relieved the letter. I presume it was a smart entry /exit camera as There was no barrier or ticket machine on entry, As such I genuinely didn’t notice any signs to pay and display and can’t verify this now I am not near the car park to check. 

On the day in question I was dealing with an excitable 8 year old on his birthday and a 1 month old fussy baby - my attention was not focused on if it was a p&d car park. An oversight on my part which I admitted in my appeal. I always pay and display, I never chance it.

I have also reached out to the leisure centre in question to plead with them to cancel the ticket with the same information but I suspect this will either be ignored or declined. 

I am now faced with the decision to pay up or appeal, but I feel my defence is really thin on the ground.

The bottom line is £60 is alot of money to me at the moment as I’m a single mother on maternity leave, I’m trying to make everything last as long as it can before my maternity pay drops to literally nothing. I haven’t budgeted for this sort of payment which would be a weeks shopping to me. 

I’m not trying to excuse myself from
responsibility on the grounds of being a new mother or with a tight cash flow currently, but it is a factor.

Part of me wants to just pay it to get it dealt with as it’s really stressing me out but then the thought of parting with money I don’t really have (I planned to put it on my credit card) is equally stressful. Could I even pay instalments?! 

Is there any point appealing further or should I just cut my loss and pay up to save myself the extra £40 fine or press on? Attached is the email reply I received today - I‘m hugely sleep deprived; so my brain isn’t really focused enough at the moment to decide what I should do, so any advice would be appreciated. 

Coupon-mad

I'd just ignore it. Gemini never sue anyone and have just been bought out by APCOA. who also never sue anyone.

Grizebeck

Coupon-mad said:

I'd just ignore it. Gemini never sue anyone and have just been bought out by APCOA. who also never sue anyone.

Thanks for that info

summerlilly

Coupon-mad said:

I'd just ignore it. Gemini never sue anyone and have just been bought out by APCOA. who also never sue anyone.

Thanks coupon mad, appreciate the info, assuming I decide to just ignore it, what can I expect in terms of letters/ threats?

Trainerman

You will get the usual debt collector stuff, which tries to frighten you into paying. They can be ignored, but watch out for a real Letter of Claim. As @Coupon-mad said, you should not get one but be aware, just in case.

Le_Kirk

summerlilly said:

Coupon-mad said:

I'd just ignore it. Gemini never sue anyone and have just been bought out by APCOA. who also never sue anyone.

Thanks coupon mad, appreciate the info, assuming I decide to just ignore it, what can I expect in terms of letters/ threats?

For your own peace of mind read the NEWBIE sticky and in particular the fourth post about debt collectors.  The NEWBIE sticky is one of the pinned discussions on the first page of the parking sub-forum; the one that asks everyone to read it first.