Smart Parking GP Surgery

serenity2012

Hi, my gp surgery a few months ago introduced smart parking in their little car park to stop non patients using it to park and access nearby shops. A few months ago I had an appt and parked in the car park and was in the surgery for around 30 minutes. Inside the surgery is a little pad thing that you have to put your license number in to show you're in the surgery and have a right to park there. I've always done that but according to smart parking I didn't that day. It's easy to forget though if you're feeling unwell etc. Anyhoo, I got a letter saying i had parked illegally there and that i was being fined £100 for being there for 30 minutes. I live on that a week. A huge amount for me. Either way even if it was lower I don't feel i should have to pay it. I sent them evidence in an appeal that I had an appt on that day and at that time to show i had a right to park. They sent back an email today saying we have looked at this and the fine stays. So i'm being fined 100 for visiting my gp when unwell and parking in their private free car park. 

Can someone tell me if this is a civil matter because i can't pay this all at once and would rather wait for it to go to county court, tell the court what happened and hope they are less rigid. At least i could pay it in instalments  then. what happens if i don't pay does it go to a debt collector? I have done a final appeal to popla i think it's called but don't think it'll change.

Thanks for any help

Grizebeck

Oh dear shame you didn't come here first
Easy win
Ignore any debt letters your not paying

Le_Kirk

What happened when you complained to the surgery?  Don't blame yourself, it could have been a faulty keypad!

fisherjim

Sorry to be blunt but you do need to pay more attention no where on any letters you have or will receive for example is there any reference to anything "illegal" or a "fine" you had an invoice from greedy scammers who couldn't care less.

Oh dear you say you have appealed to POPLA another trap I'm afraid if you just reiterated your mitigation story to them it will fail again, that is not what they take appeals on, they look at contract laws, process BPA COP conformance, PoFA 2012 etc not your back story.

Everything is in the Newbies thread on here, but the golden rule is start with plan A go back to the surgery lay it on thick and firmly and ask them to call off their tame dimwit contractors as you were in a no fit state that day to play their silly games and you were a bona fide patient.

 

Coupon-mad

serenity2012 said:

Hi, my gp surgery a few months ago introduced smart parking in their little car park to stop non patients using it to park and access nearby shops. A few months ago I had an appt and parked in the car park and was in the surgery for around 30 minutes. Inside the surgery is a little pad thing that you have to put your license number in to show you're in the surgery and have a right to park there. I've always done that but according to smart parking I didn't that day. It's easy to forget though if you're feeling unwell etc. Anyhoo, I got a letter saying i had parked illegally there and that i was being fined £100 for being there for 30 minutes. I live on that a week. A huge amount for me. Either way even if it was lower I don't feel i should have to pay it. I sent them evidence in an appeal that I had an appt on that day and at that time to show i had a right to park. They sent back an email today saying we have looked at this and the fine stays. So i'm being fined 100 for visiting my gp when unwell and parking in their private free car park. 

Can someone tell me if this is a civil matter because i can't pay this all at once and would rather wait for it to go to county court, tell the court what happened and hope they are less rigid. At least i could pay it in instalments  then. what happens if i don't pay does it go to a debt collector? I have done a final appeal to popla i think it's called but don't think it'll change.

Thanks for any help

But you aren't paying this AT ALL.

Don't even think about paying.  No.

Yes it's a civil invoice, not a fine.  Next time appeal as registered keeper.  Would have been 100% easy win.

Umkomaas

Very unlikely to go to court, Smart hardly ever bother. Make sure you update Smart Parking of any change of address in the next 6 years.