Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[tickmike]

Well this is not something to boast about but in more than 40 years of driving I ended up with a £70 fine today    

I went from our village, with my family to the nearest city (Derby) and parked in a street I have parking in loads of times, It's about half a mile from the city center .
It's a narrow street with cars parked on both sides with only room down the center of the roadway for one car to drive at a time and  I did notice that they had marked the driving lane out .

When we returned to the car, I found on the screen the plastic wallet with the print out and it said I had been fined for not displaying a Resident parking permit ( In other words I had parked in a residents parking only area ) .
Well I was gob smacked .
It turned out that what I thought was the road lane markings were in fact to signify that it was a resident parking street only, but we did see (when it was to late) a sign 'Permit holders only'.
It just seems a coincident that the council has just taken over the running of the traffic wardens and the number of these type of permit only streets (that they have to pay for the permit ) have increased.
It's just another way to make money out of car drivers.

Shall I pay up or say it was not marked clearly. or any other idea's.

[Astral]

Sadly, I suspect that they've got you bang to rights and it will be cheaper to pay up straight away.

The only time I ever got a parking ticket was when I was at university. I was running late for a lecture so parked on a meter over the road but forgot to go out and move my car straight after the lecture. When I remembered, and rushed back to the car, Rita was already writing out the ticket. Thing was, she was so gorgeous that i didn't mind too much; and she had the decency to to tell me that I could now park there all day because I couldn't be nicked for the same offence twice.

[oldfogy]

Shall I pay up or say it was not marked clearly. or any other idea's.

Most definitely pay the fine.

THEN, if you feel you have a case you should make it known that you intend to appeal against it at the time of paying the fine.
(See the back of the ticket)

Also, to not pay the fine on time is asking for big trouble and much heftier penalties than to start with.
(Just a guess, but 100% increase for not paying on time, then in multiples of xx% for each day still unpaid)

But in all honesty you have already admitted (only to us though) that although too late you did in fact see a sign saying permit members only.
Should you feel like a challenge, it is said that "most" parking restriction signs/notices do not meet current regulations.
Even the width and length of the road markings must be "exactly" the correct size.

On a not so recent documentary, even all the parking bays outside transport house were illegal. 

[UncleUB]

Mike,bite the bullet and pay it,otherwise it will only lead you to more grief.Its just a case of make as much money as we can from the poor motorist.Like you say when you park there on a regular basic you think you are fine,then before you know it..........
They say 'you have to pay to learn' and by god its true.
We have two big hospitals in Sheffield,one you can use your blue badge the other you can't.When I have to go to the one where you can't my partner drops me at the door then waits on a side street until I'm ready to leave.I then phone her and she comes to the door for me.Its not a case of being mean.I just think enough is enough.All those parking charges are paying for a load of overpaid NHS executives to sit on a board to find ways of cutting costs  and finding extra income to pay thier salaries. 

[Achilles Last Stand]

I had one a few weeks ago - delivering a weeks groceries (3 reasonably heavy bags) to a housebound gent who gets panicky if I'm not there at roughly the same time each week.... nose to tail cars parked all down the street so I parked on double-yellows (but not blocking anything), left my lights on so I obviously wasn't going to be long... 10 minutes later, a £60 fine and wardens nowhere to be seen.... 

At the end of the day though, I was illegally parked, however unreasonable the capture seemed at the time.

The fine was halved for payment within 14 days instead of 30 - after 30 it went up so it's definitely worth paying asap Mike.

[dave.m]

Mike,
Pay up early, and as for an appeal regarding the signs or road markings, the bast warden will have photographed the nearest signs, road markings and the front of your car including the tax disc, so hardly worth it.
dave

[tickmike]

Looking at the notice again, if I pay up in 14 days it's only £35. 
I normally always use street parking if I go anywhere but things like the permit only area's are more clearly marked then in this street. (If it had been a normal  street with two lanes of traffic, it would then be more clear that the marking are for residents parking and not the driving lane.)
This area had only gone 'residents parking only at the beginning of April.! This is why I had no problems in that area before.
I will have to put it down to a bad experience .

[oldfogy]

I will have to put it down to a bad experience .

Why?

If as you say it was quite a recent thing, how long since you last parked there?
Were there any "easily visible" notices?

It would of needed to of had planning notices posted beforehand, so were they in situ at the correct locations and height?
To plead your case only costs the price of a stamp,

Parking fine = £35
Postage stamp = ?

[tickmike]

I feel I want to contest this PCN.
One thing I have just noticed is on the pcn it says £70  paid in 28 days or £35  paid in 14 days  and on the councils web site about the pcn's it says the cost is £60 paid in 28 days or £30 or paid in 14 days.
This is an extra thing I could say that they are not conforming with the rules. ?

[dave.m]

Before you point out their discrepancy do a screen grab and print it off (2 copies).

The rules did change on 31st March this year but if their site is not updated then go for it.

I had a situation with Blackpool council who changed their arrangements for disabled parking and put the new rules on the notice board at the pay machine. Well when you don't have to pay, according to their website and literature, you don't go to the ticket machine so don't read their notices. Several locals got caught but they fought it (with a little help from their friend  ). Web screen print with date could be very handy.  8)
dave

[tickmike]

Before you point out their discrepancy do a screen grab and print it off (2 copies).

The rules did change on 31st March this year but if their site is not updated then go for it.

I had a situation with Blackpool council who changed their arrangements for disabled parking and put the new rules on the notice board at the pay machine. Well when you don't have to pay, according to their website and literature, you don't go to the ticket machine so don't read their notices. Several locals got caught but they fought it (with a little help from their friend  ). Web screen print with date could be very handy.  8)
dave

Good thinking Dave, I have just done that.   

[oldfogy]

To plead your case only costs the price of a stamp,

Parking fine = £35
Postage stamp = ?

Like I said earlier.

[tickmike]

To plead your case only costs the price of a stamp,

Parking fine = £35
Postage stamp = ?

Like I said earlier.

Email=? 

[tickmike]

Just sent off an challenge to the pcn via email.
I have pointed out two things that do not agree with the 1991 road traffic act. and backed up with maps and screen shots.
I will let you all know the outcome.

[dave.m]

Mike,
When (yes, when) you win the appeal, let the local paper know ALL the details and I bet once they cover it the Council will be inundated with claims and appeals by people who have just paid up.
It's fun when a plan comes together.  8)
dave