APCOA parking appeal - hospital pick up

Sadpatient

Hi, first time posting here, hopefully someone will be able to advise.

My husband has been in hospital for a week following an accident. He's currently unable to walk.

I've been visiting him daily and have always parked in one of the hospital multistory car parks. Today I had a call saying he was ready for discharge and I should come and pick him up. I was told to park in one of the pick up bays by the door. I arrived and found the pick up bays occupied, so left my car in an adjacent disabled bay (there were quite a few unoccupied) while I went to collect him with a wheelchair. My Google maps show me parking at 15.55. When I returned at maybe 16.05 with my husband in his wheelchair (with his hospital bag too) I have a parking ticket issued at 16.01. The parking chap was just there and launched into a long-winded explanation about how the parking rules are designed to encourage traffic flow. He suggested I should have parked my car in the multi-story (which is quite a way away), collected my injured husband and left him on the pavement in his chair while I then went back to the car park to pick up my car and come back to pick him up. 

We've been through hell and back this week and I haven't once cried until this point. Without fail, from the ambulance crews, rescue helicopter, hospital staff and doctor teams, we have been treated with compassion and warmth. Until we meet with APCOA.

My question to any experts out there - is it worth appealing the ticket? I know it's only £30 if I pay early, and I know I did do wrong in parking in a disabled bay, but I cant really see what viable alternative I had at that point. It just seems morally wrong somehow. What do you all think?

ChirpyChicken

Absolutely but as this is a windscreen ticket then do nothing for now until you get the notice to keeper in the post
when the notice to keeper comes then appeal as follows (you select in the dropdown option - "keeper" - appealing in the keepers name only 

The ticket will be cancelled in due course, add nothing else

This is an appeal by the registered keeper - No driver details will *ever* be given. Please do not bother with your known fishing expedition in an attempt to get driver details.  It is known parking firms do this to try and get around the fact when there is no keeper liability in play. 

As there is NO keeper liability then liability cannot flow from the driver to the keeper and thus is an auto win @ POPLA. Please therefore cancel the notice or issue a POPLA code where you will auto withdraw

If you waste your time asking for driver details this will be ignored and you will still lose at POPLA if you dont cancel the PCN

So let's save my time and yours and cancel this PCN you simply cannot win this (and you know it)

Sadpatient

Thank you. So this wording only once I get a letter through the post? I won’t end up with debt collectors on my doorstep? 

ChirpyChicken

Nope that will never ever happen. They dont turn up for such trivial matters.
Log on on the portal as given in the letter not  via the post.

Coupon-mad

Sadpatient said:

Thank you. So this wording only once I get a letter through the post? I won’t end up with debt collectors on my doorstep? 

Definitely not! You can trust our advice.

I am so sorry to read how they treated you.

I would actually not wait about and worry; just make an immediate complaint to PALS and tell them what you told us.

PALS must get this cancelled for you.

James_Poisson

Sadpatient said:

Thank you. So this wording only once I get a letter through the post? I won’t end up with debt collectors on my doorstep? 

As above you don't actually have a debt the stupid parking company have sent you an invoice that you dispute, they will only claim it is a debt if it gets past a certain stage just to put pressure on, though this is only APCOA who don't really bite like most of the others.

Sadpatient

Just to update - and possibly need more advice - I did complain to PALS and asked them to cancel the ticket. They said they can’t do that, they simply act as a liaison between departments. They said they have passed my complaint on to Estates and I would hear directly from Estates. It’s now been over 2 weeks and I’ve heard nothing, despite chasing PALS a couple of times who continue to tell me it’s not their business. Is this correct? Obviously I will still respond as advised if/when I receive a notice to keeper, but it would be good to get this dealt with earlier. Thanks folk. 

Gr1pr

Wait for Estates to get back to you 

Complain about it to your local MP and ask them to write to the CEO of the trust,  put some pressure on 

When the pcn letter arrives , follow the advice by ChirpyChicken 

Coupon-mad

Sadpatient said:

Just to update - and possibly need more advice - I did complain to PALS and asked them to cancel the ticket. They said they can’t do that, they simply act as a liaison between departments. They said they have passed my complaint on to Estates and I would hear directly from Estates. It’s now been over 2 weeks and I’ve heard nothing, despite chasing PALS a couple of times who continue to tell me it’s not their business.

Is this correct?

No it isn't correct. Quote the NHS Car Parking Principles at them (Google it).

Sadpatient

Thank you to everyone who has offered advice and support here. I finally have a resolution!

I emailed the Director of Estates at Addenbrookes Hospital yesterday. She got back to me at 07.00 this morning, very apologetic, and is actioning immediately to rescind the ticket. 

I think there’s a collation somewhere for others to learn from when faced with similar situations, but this would be worth placing there if the experts out there know how to do this? Or im happy to write something myself if someone can signpost me? Thank you everyone. 

Gr1pr

Frankly,  it's plan A in the newbies sticky thread in announcements near the top of the forum,  no matter who the private parking company is,  no matter the location either 

Somebody hired the parking company and that Somebody or their department can cancel invoices from private parking companies they are contracted with 

In the cases where hospitals are involved,  it's PALS, then Estates Management,  then the trust CEO

Well done on sticking with it and I hope you fill in the current government public survey consultation this week before it closes on Friday,  if you have not done so already