unfair parking fine

sheilah199

On 15/6/2023, I parked my car in a disabled space and displayed 2 BB on the dashboard as both my daughter and I are disabled and we live in a small village with a very poor bus service so need the car to get about. We went into Morrisons store for our shop and as we were both exhausted we went for our lunch to recover. I then visited the ladies toilet before leaving on our 25 mile drive home. I then received a parking fine letter saying we were just 13 minutes over the time limit. I appealed the fine and heard nothing for quite a while. I eventually received another latter saying was appeal had been rejected and I needed to pay the fine. I then got covid so was ill and did nothing about it and then yesterday, 25th October 2023 I received a pay now demand and the original fine of £60 is now £170 with a threat that if I don't take action within 7 days, legal recovery actions will begin. The company responsible was Euro Car Parks Ltd. Where do I stand in all this please as it is making me ill?

prettyandfluffy

Suggest you may be better posting this in the "Parking" section of the "Motoring" forum, you can flag the post for a moderator to move it.

HumberFlyer

Hmm...... You knew what time you would have to be back to the car, yet decided to go for lunch to recover. You could have gone back to the car to recover couldn't you ?... Did you really need food to recover ? Others will defend you and say it is unfair. I think not.... my opinion.

Spoonie_Turtle

Not that this is to do with your question, but for future reference you only need to display one Blue Badge.  Displaying two could look somewhat suspicious, frankly, since just one is needed.

I hope you're able to get definitive advice on the parking forum where they're very experienced with these matters.

beanielou

sheilah199 said:

On 15/6/2023, I parked my car in a disabled space and displayed 2 BB on the dashboard as both my daughter and I are disabled and we live in a small village with a very poor bus service so need the car to get about. We went into Morrisons store for our shop and as we were both exhausted we went for our lunch to recover. I then visited the ladies toilet before leaving on our 25 mile drive home. I then received a parking fine letter saying we were just 13 minutes over the time limit. I appealed the fine and heard nothing for quite a while. I eventually received another latter saying was appeal had been rejected and I needed to pay the fine. I then got covid so was ill and did nothing about it and then yesterday, 25th October 2023 I received a pay now demand and the original fine of £60 is now £170 with a threat that if I don't take action within 7 days, legal recovery actions will begin. The company responsible was Euro Car Parks Ltd. Where do I stand in all this please as it is making me ill?

Not sure how it is unfair if you overstayed the time displayed.
Even as blue badge holders we still have to follow the rules.

poppy12345

Why would you display 2 BB? Having a BB doesn't mean you can park for longer than you should.

M25

sheilah199 said:

Where do I stand in all this please as it is making me ill?

You can either pay it or ignore it.

Just Google what to do about ignoring it and see what the company's processes might be.

prettyandfluffy

Where was the disabled space you parked in? On the road or in a car park and if the latter who manages the car park - a private company or the council?

I have to say I don't think you are likely to garner much sympathy for exceeding the free parking you were entitled to.

Coupon-mad

Wow...thank goodness this thread has been moved here.  Of course it's unfair!

Disabled people are legally allowed more time:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8488737.stm#:~:text=The%20UK's%20big%20supermarkets%20are,face%20penalty%20charges%20for%20overstaying.

Old article but this was illegal even back when the DDA was law!    

The Equality Act 2010 protects you and you will not be paying a penny and are NOT held to the same time limit rule.

The OP can get the PCN cancelled EASILY by complaining to Morrisons.  Email their Head Office and it will be cancelled this week, @sheilah199

Worth @beanielou and @HumberFlyer and @poppy12345 and @prettyandfluffy (and @M25 - you missed the proper option: retailer cancellation) noting this and reconsidering.

NO-ONE PAYS £170 and it is wrong to say a disabled person has to.  She'll pay nothing.

The above advice and opinion that "it's not unfair, you get the same time as everyone else"  is incorrect as a matter of disability law.  Please always tell people to post here in the parking board.

@sheilah199 will not be paying this unfair PCN. This is one way that ANPR fails.  It takes no account of disabled people.  The Government's new incoming (2024) Code of Practice addresses that.

Umkomaas

Frightening how many self-ordained 'experts' can get this so unhelpfully wrong. 🤐 🤦‍♂️ 

Umkomaas

prettyandfluffy said:

Where was the disabled space you parked in? On the road or in a car park and if the latter who manages the car park - a private company or the council?

I have to say I don't think you are likely to garner much sympathy for exceeding the free parking you were entitled to.

They were, in fact, in law, entitled to much more!