Appealed UKPS parking ticket but got nowhere

roseglow

The context of this post is that when I was unwell and needed urgent medical attention, I attended an NHS Walk-In Centre during the early evening. My partner had driven me there. We are both in our 70s, I am unable to walk very far as I have spinal nerve damage and I have a Blue Badge. As neither of us had been there before and there seemed to be a collection of buildings with limited signage, my partner dropped me off so I could locate the correct building and see if any disabled spaces were available anywhere nearby. 

Once I had found the Walk-in Centre entrance I also saw the entrance to a car park from the nearby pathway I’d walked along and saw an empty Disabled space right next to the path. I phoned my partner and told him there was an available Disabled space and he drove up the road and parked in the space. I gave him my Blue Badge which he displayed on the dashboard.

I had not seen any notice boards or car park regulations displayed along the path adjacent to the Walk-in Centre entrance or at the entrance from the path to the Car Park. 

While I was in the Centre an ambulance arrived in the car park. The driver asked my partner to vacate the disabled space to enable him to park the ambulance there for easier loading of a patient on a stretcher. The ambulance driver asked my partner to reverse into the space behind the disabled bay. Naturally, he agreed. The ambulance then parked across the disabled bay and my partner waited in the bay behind, as requested.

Eventually, the ambulance team returned to load the patient and drove to the ambulance bay on the other side of the car park but it made no attempt to leave the car park so my partner was unsure whether it might need to go back across the disabled bay. There was a car already parked in the only other disabled bay. As the car park was practically empty and the space wasn’t needed, he thought it best if he stayed put in case the ambulance needed to use the space again.

I saw the elderly lady patient with a relative or carer in the Centre and saw them leave with the ambulance team. I left the Centre very shortly after them. I noticed my partner’s car was moved but my partner explained why so I got into the car and we left. The ambulance was still parked in the ambulance bay.

Over a week later my partner received a parking ticket from UKPS in the post. We thought it must be a mistake so we appealed it explaining about the ambulance, the fact we had displayed the blue badge and the empty car park etc. The appeal was rejected. No plausible reason was given. We felt very aggrieved and angry about this. Was my partner supposed to refuse to move to allow the ambulance access? Due to the lack of time to prepare a proper ‘defence’ before incurring further costs we very reluctantly paid the ticket. 

Following refusal of our appeal I returned to the car park and was able to confirm that there are no parking regulations displayed from the path entrance to the car park, or at the entrance to the car park itself. I also noticed that the signage is very muddled and confusing throughout. It’s practically impossible for first time users trying to locate the Walk-In Centre. At the entrance to the car park there’s a large sign for Medcentres Plus which doesn’t even mention the Walk-in centre. I have photos to evidence all of this. There is mention of Millstream Medical Centre, Sarum Vision, Independent Health Group, Sarum Health Group….. but not the Walk-In Clinic. If I had approached from the road I would have been unable to find the Walk-in centre at all, let alone try to work out which bit of the car park was for which of the groups…or what the regulations were for any of them.  

I knew we were entitled to park in the Disabled Bay so it didn’t occur to either of us to go in search of any further regulations about parking. The blue badge was correctly displayed. I provided all the details about my badge in our appeal. Most people visiting an NHS Walk-in centre do so because they need medical help/advice and they are worried. It is not an appropriate time to be faced with confusing signage, multiple site names and indecipherable parking requirements. 

Having researched the credentials for UKPS Car Parks and seen the terrible and damning reviews online (176 one star reviews), we began to understand the type of disreputable company that had been employed by the NHS to manage the car park.

I sent an email to the NHS leaseholders of the Walk-in Clinic and got a very sympathetic email back, see below in italics, assuring me that the matter would be dealt with and the fine re-paid. 

"Your email has been sent to us from our Landlord. Thank you for your detailed email and for taking the time to explain the circumstances surrounding your visit to the Walk-In Centre.

We are very sorry to hear of your experience and the distress caused by the parking fine, particularly during a visit where you were feeling unwell and clearly needed prompt medical attention. 

You are absolutely right to expect clear signage and accessible information, especially in such situations. We have investigated the matter with the landlord of the building and have been advised that the signage informing patients to register their vehicle details with reception when using a disabled parking bay was temporarily removed due to redecoration works. We have now been assured that this signage will be reinstated shortly.

We completely understand how confusing and frustrating this must have been, especially for first-time visitors to the site. We also appreciate your efforts in trying to park appropriately with a valid Blue Badge and accommodating the needs of the ambulance service.

In light of this, we are in the process of contacting the landlord and requesting that they instruct the car park management company to withdraw the fine. To ensure this can be done promptly, could you please confirm the vehicle registration number? Once we receive this, we will follow up directly to ensure this matter is resolved as quickly as possible.

Thank you again for raising this issue. Your feedback is extremely valuable and will be used to improve the experience for all patients attending the site."

Two weeks later I received the below email from the same department:

"I have since heard back from the Landlord who sent on your case to the parking fine company. Unfortunately they have come back stating that the case has been reviewed and that this particular case wont be overturned due to terms and conditions.

I am truly sorry that this is the case and that the fine still stands. As this is an outside company that isn’t linked to the Walk in centre I am unable to progress further."  

Having now read on the MSE Forum that it would have been best to simply not pay the ticket, we wish we had seen that advice before. However, we were afraid of incurring further cost if the payment was not made. UKPS tactics are threatening and intimidating. The fact that we paid the ticket does not in any way reflect any admission of guilt. We do not accept that we have done anything wrong and we have been advised that we should escalate this issue. BUT HOW? Any help gratefully received. 

ChirpyChicken

UKPS are absolute !!!!!! cats in the parking world
The landlord should be instructing the parking firm to cancel the ticket
The dog wags the tail not the other way round

Car1980

You've been scammed. Lessons to learn:

• It's not a fine, it's an invoice. An ordinary invoice from a private limited company, no different from the one your plumber gives you.
• There is no appeals service. What you submit isn't read and everybody is sent the same templated reply.
• As it's only an invoice, anyone can issue one and anyone can send a new one saying they've added £70 for "late payment". They are not costs. They are additional spurious invoices.
• They threaten CCJs because most people don't understand them, or anything about county court. 
• Yes they're threatening and intimating. How else would you get people to pay your spurious invoices?

Don't let it get to you. Just realise for next time. 

Unless you fancy suing them in court (only costs £35) and having a day out in front of a judge?

Coupon-mad

roseglow said:

The context of this post is that when I was unwell and needed urgent medical attention, I attended an NHS Walk-In Centre during the early evening. My partner had driven me there. We are both in our 70s, I am unable to walk very far as I have spinal nerve damage and I have a Blue Badge. As neither of us had been there before and there seemed to be a collection of buildings with limited signage, my partner dropped me off so I could locate the correct building and see if any disabled spaces were available anywhere nearby. 

Once I had found the Walk-in Centre entrance I also saw the entrance to a car park from the nearby pathway I’d walked along and saw an empty Disabled space right next to the path. I phoned my partner and told him there was an available Disabled space and he drove up the road and parked in the space. I gave him my Blue Badge which he displayed on the dashboard.

I had not seen any notice boards or car park regulations displayed along the path adjacent to the Walk-in Centre entrance or at the entrance from the path to the Car Park. 

While I was in the Centre an ambulance arrived in the car park. The driver asked my partner to vacate the disabled space to enable him to park the ambulance there for easier loading of a patient on a stretcher. The ambulance driver asked my partner to reverse into the space behind the disabled bay. Naturally, he agreed. The ambulance then parked across the disabled bay and my partner waited in the bay behind, as requested.

Eventually, the ambulance team returned to load the patient and drove to the ambulance bay on the other side of the car park but it made no attempt to leave the car park so my partner was unsure whether it might need to go back across the disabled bay. There was a car already parked in the only other disabled bay. As the car park was practically empty and the space wasn’t needed, he thought it best if he stayed put in case the ambulance needed to use the space again.

I saw the elderly lady patient with a relative or carer in the Centre and saw them leave with the ambulance team. I left the Centre very shortly after them. I noticed my partner’s car was moved but my partner explained why so I got into the car and we left. The ambulance was still parked in the ambulance bay.

Over a week later my partner received a parking ticket from UKPS in the post. We thought it must be a mistake so we appealed it explaining about the ambulance, the fact we had displayed the blue badge and the empty car park etc.

The appeal was rejected. No plausible reason was given. We felt very aggrieved and angry about this. Was my partner supposed to refuse to move to allow the ambulance access? Due to the lack of time to prepare a proper ‘defence’ before incurring further costs we very reluctantly paid the ticket. 

Following refusal of our appeal I returned to the car park and was able to confirm that there are no parking regulations displayed from the path entrance to the car park, or at the entrance to the car park itself. I also noticed that the signage is very muddled and confusing throughout. It’s practically impossible for first time users trying to locate the Walk-In Centre.

At the entrance to the car park there’s a large sign for Medcentres Plus which doesn’t even mention the Walk-in centre. I have photos to evidence all of this. There is mention of Millstream Medical Centre, Sarum Vision, Independent Health Group, Sarum Health Group….. but not the Walk-In Clinic. If I had approached from the road I would have been unable to find the Walk-in centre at all, let alone try to work out which bit of the car park was for which of the groups…or what the regulations were for any of them.  

I knew we were entitled to park in the Disabled Bay so it didn’t occur to either of us to go in search of any further regulations about parking.

The blue badge was correctly displayed. I provided all the details about my badge in our appeal.

Most people visiting an NHS Walk-in centre do so because they need medical help/advice and they are worried. It is not an appropriate time to be faced with confusing signage, multiple site names and indecipherable parking requirements. 

Having researched the credentials for UKPS Car Parks and seen the terrible and damning reviews online (176 one star reviews), we began to understand the type of disreputable company that had been employed by the NHS to manage the car park.

I sent an email to the NHS leaseholders of the Walk-in Clinic and got a very sympathetic email back, see below in italics, assuring me that the matter would be dealt with and the fine re-paid. 

"Your email has been sent to us from our Landlord. Thank you for your detailed email and for taking the time to explain the circumstances surrounding your visit to the Walk-In Centre.

We are very sorry to hear of your experience and the distress caused by the parking fine, particularly during a visit where you were feeling unwell and clearly needed prompt medical attention. 

You are absolutely right to expect clear signage and accessible information, especially in such situations. 

We have investigated the matter with the landlord of the building and have been advised that the signage informing patients to register their vehicle details with reception when using a disabled parking bay was temporarily removed due to redecoration works. We have now been assured that this signage will be reinstated shortly.

We completely understand how confusing and frustrating this must have been, especially for first-time visitors to the site.

We also appreciate your efforts in trying to park appropriately with a valid Blue Badge and accommodating the needs of the ambulance service.

In light of this, we are in the process of contacting the landlord and requesting that they instruct the car park management company to withdraw the fine. To ensure this can be done promptly, could you please confirm the vehicle registration number? Once we receive this, we will follow up directly to ensure this matter is resolved as quickly as possible.

Thank you again for raising this issue. Your feedback is extremely valuable and will be used to improve the experience for all patients attending the site."

Two weeks later I received the below email from the same department:

"I have since heard back from the Landlord who sent on your case to the parking fine company. Unfortunately they have come back stating that the case has been reviewed and that this particular case wont be overturned due to terms and conditions.

I am truly sorry that this is the case and that the fine still stands. As this is an outside company that isn’t linked to the Walk in centre I am unable to progress further."  

Due to the lack of time to prepare a proper ‘defence’ before incurring further costs we very reluctantly paid the ticket.

Having now read on the MSE Forum that it would have been best to simply not pay the ticket, we wish we had seen that advice before. 

However, we were afraid of incurring further cost if the payment was not made. UKPS tactics are threatening and intimidating.

The fact that we paid the ticket does not in any way reflect any admission of guilt. We do not accept that we have done anything wrong and we have been advised that we should escalate this issue.

BUT HOW? Any help gratefully received. 

First lesson: never do that with an unfair invoice from a private parking firm! See the MSE Guide to Private Parking Tickets linked at the top of this page. It says 'do not pay'.

You would NEVER have had to pay this and it wasn't a fine.

Your only possible ways to now get your money back would be:

1. Get your MP to write and complain to the landlord and UKPS for you, on the basis that the t&cs sign had been removed from that area which they admit;

or

2. Get this in your local paper. Usually works because they won't want bad publicity. Not write a letter, I mean contact a journalist.

or

3. Sue UKPS for the money back.


Were the images taken by CCTV? Or at human height (somebody lurking with a phone)?

Please show us a picture of both sides of the PCN. Data redacted but all dates and partial pics of the car showing.