NHS Staff Overflow Car Park - Minster Baywatch

Hitched2020

Just seeking a bit of advice/feedback really. 

My wife is an NHS worker, one of the buildings she is located has 3 car parks that they have use of with a permit. She parked in one of them the other week and got an £100 fine from the company running the car park. She has a permit, she parked directly under the sign saying "NHS - Permit Users Only". It's the first time in 3 years that she has had to use this car park as she has generally used one of the others and not had a problem but they were apparently full on the day in question. 

Appealed the fine and the response is... 

‘There is a contract to enter this site, as stipulated by signage located around the car park, which clearly states that the fee for the duration of parking must be covered, or a vehicle driver must be included on the authorised user list. Your vehicle was observed to contravene this condition. After having thoroughly examined the payment records and authorised list for the date and time in question, we can find no payment nor listing having been made for your vehicle or a vehicle with a similar registration.’

Despite working there for 2/3 years she has never been told about the authorised list, weirdly on the day in question she sent me a video of the car park as she said it's creepy so when I looked at the video I could see she is clearly parked legitimately under the permit holder sign but there is a yellow smaller sign next to it which admittedly may speak about the authorised list, I'm going to get her to take a picture next time she is over that way. The trust send emails telling staff where they can park but there is never a caveat saying that there car needs to be registered which is poor really, they've refused to take up the fine but have kindly now added her to the authorised vehicle list.

I'm just wondering whether to further appeal the fine in which case we will lose the 14 days, or to pay the fine and then get the union to fight the trust for the money. The 14 days is due up in 7 days (the appeal letter was dated 24th August despite only coming through on email today). 

Fruitcake

It is not a fine.

What was the precise reason given for issuing the PCN?

Plan A is to complain to the hospital trust/her employer/CEO and remind them of the government parking principles, highlighting the mandatory elements. She should also complain to her MP.

NHS car parking guidance 2022 for NHS trusts and NHS foundation trusts - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

If she is a union member, her rep should be all over this.

If all that fails, appeal to PoPLA using all the points available from the third post of the NEWBIES. Get photos of the site and signage. Use photos/stills from the video showing where the car was parked and that the only readable sign was about permit holders.

Coupon-mad

There is no breach because the sign doesn't ask for NHS Permit holders to also be on some sort of list, does it?

Appeal to POPLA but not without reading the 3rd post of the NEWBIES thread first.  Use the template appeal points there and add photos of the sign.  Put the above point FIRST if I am right that the sign doesn't create any obligation to be 'on a list'.

It is NOT A FINE.

It is not to be paid.  Can't do it that way.  You will never see your money again.

Don't pay it; the so-called 'discount' is not some sort of bargain.

No rush. You have 33 days to do POPLA.