APCO Penalty Notice - Help please!

meetthebrow

Hi
I have just received a penalty notice from APCOA on the basis I had not paid for a ticket. 

Firstly, the letter was issued just before Christmas, but I've only just received it. I don't have a post box, so sometimes if its a new postman they put things in strange places. Being Christmas, I assume this might have been the case, anyway I've only just found it. I'm now outside of the 28 days and can't login to pay it and it's been passed to debt collection. 
Second, I did actually pay for a day ticket, but it turns out APCOA definition of a day is actually up to 3:59 AM. SO not a day!  
Third, I was attending a hospital eye appointment, that I initially said I couldn't drive for 4 hours, but because of the treatment, I wasn't able to drive at all so had to get my wife to collect the car the next day, well within the definition of a day - 24 hours.  

What do I do now as I haven't had a letter from debt collectors? I can't go to POPLA as it appears I'm too late etc. 

Given my health I don't want the stress of debt collectors or fighting it, but I'm not sure quite what to do. 

Thanks

Gr1pr

Plan A,  complain to PALS at the hospital ASAP, trying to get it cancelled 

Ignore the powerless debt collectors 

Ignore APCOA

Is it a Parking Charge Notice from APCOA  ?  ( at a hospital   )

Or what you stated, a Penalty Notice   ?  ( at a railway station   )

Fruitcake

As above, enact Plan A, a complaint from the keeper to the landowner/PALS/head of the hospital trust/CEO, and the keeper's MP, all without identifying the driver because APCOA cannot hold the vehicle keeper liable.

If the driver was not aware beforehand that they wouldn't be able to drive for a period after the procedure, then the hospital was at fault for not warning them in advance, and caused a frustration of contract (with their sub-contractor) by their failure.

It also seems like APCOA's definition of a day is at variance with what Jo or Joanne Public would reasonably believe, then it is an unfair contract term as defined by The Consumer Rights Act 2015.

Include the above in complaints, but don't lose any sleep over this because APCOA are benign. It is also safe to ignore powerless debt collectors.

Unless APCOA change tactics and issue a court claim within six years, ignore everything thereafter once the complaints have been made.

LDast

You haven't clarified whether this is a "PENALTY" Notice or a "PARKING" Charge Notice. Big difference.

Some people have jumped to the conclusion that it is because of an alleged parking contravention at a hospital because of unnecessary detail about a "hospital eye appointment".

So, did this alleged parking contravention occur in a hospital car park or a train station or other transport hub car park?

meetthebrow

It was a 'penalty notice' at a railway station. 

Gr1pr

meetthebrow said:

It was a 'penalty notice' at a railway station. 

Then the hospital appointment was largely irrelevant,  as would most explanations regarding any appeal 

Ignore the debt collectors and Ignore APCOA too

It times out after 6 months 

Coupon-mad

meetthebrow said:

It was a 'penalty notice' at a railway station. 

Ignore them completely as you are too late to appeal and nothing will happen.

LDast

It does not "time out" after 6 months because it is not a real Penalty Notice. However, as part of their extortion, PACOA will pretend that it does time out as though it were not a fake PN.

It is nothing but a n offered contract that uses unlawful language in order to scare unsuspecting motorists that they are liable to criminal prosecution unless they pay a bribe to APCOA. It is not only unlawful, but illegal and should be reported to Action Fraud, but it isn't because victims play along with the fraud by going through the sham appeals process or, in most cases which never reach this or the FTLA forum, pay up out of ignorance and fear.