Can I contest a parking charge made against me in a hospital car park?
On 26th November 2012 I had an appointment at Ormskirk and District Hospital. I’m a reasonably active 70 year old but I sometimes need a bit of physiotherapy to keep me moving. When I tried to park I, along with a number of others, was driving round and round trying to find a space. There were cars parked on the double yellow lines but there were more than a dozen empty spaces in the Disabled area. I couldn’t see an attendant anywhere so I parked in the Disabled space farthest away from the hospital entrance. I deliberately avoided the double yellow lines on the basis that they are there to prevent access being blocked.
I then went inside to Reception, explained that the car park was full and cars were going round and round and told them where I’d parked. One of the receptionists got up and said she’d go and find someone to see about the parking. I then went to my appointment. When I returned to my car there was a parking ticket on it. I went back to the hospital entrance and there were two men there, one a hospital employee and the other a UKPC employee. I asked where else could I park when all the ‘official’ spaces were full. I was told that ‘at busy times’ cars were allowed to park on the double yellow lines. There are no notices to this effect and the hospital receptionists were not aware of this so how was I supposed to know?
Both men agreed that what had happened was ‘ridiculous’ – their word not mine. The UKPC man gave me a card with details of how to appeal and the hospital employee gave me the telephone number of the hospital’s Facilities Manager. I telephoned him but he said it was a matter for UKPC as they control the parking. I appealed to UKPC and explained the sequence of events as above. I received a letter refusing my appeal and stating that only disabled badge holders are authorised to park in the reserved areas, and also that vehicles are not authorised to park on double yellow lines under the terms and conditions at that hospital. This latter may be correct but there are clearly exceptions, which are not advised to motorists wishing to park. What do you recommend I do please?
I then went inside to Reception, explained that the car park was full and cars were going round and round and told them where I’d parked. One of the receptionists got up and said she’d go and find someone to see about the parking. I then went to my appointment. When I returned to my car there was a parking ticket on it. I went back to the hospital entrance and there were two men there, one a hospital employee and the other a UKPC employee. I asked where else could I park when all the ‘official’ spaces were full. I was told that ‘at busy times’ cars were allowed to park on the double yellow lines. There are no notices to this effect and the hospital receptionists were not aware of this so how was I supposed to know?
Both men agreed that what had happened was ‘ridiculous’ – their word not mine. The UKPC man gave me a card with details of how to appeal and the hospital employee gave me the telephone number of the hospital’s Facilities Manager. I telephoned him but he said it was a matter for UKPC as they control the parking. I appealed to UKPC and explained the sequence of events as above. I received a letter refusing my appeal and stating that only disabled badge holders are authorised to park in the reserved areas, and also that vehicles are not authorised to park on double yellow lines under the terms and conditions at that hospital. This latter may be correct but there are clearly exceptions, which are not advised to motorists wishing to park. What do you recommend I do please?
Asked on 23 February 2013 by DL, Lancashire
Answered by
Honest John
There are two further stages of appeal: POPLA, then the small claims track of the county court. If you take it to appeal your defence could be that this was a hospital carpark. People drive to a hospital to get treatment and are often in pain. It is therefore an outrage that the parking facilities should be inadequate and that that hospital patients should suffer parking charges merely for getting to their NHS appointments in time. What is more important? Making money out of drivers in draconian parking charges, or preventing the NHS from wasting its expensive time through failed appointments? FAQ about this here: www.honestjohn.co.uk/faq/private-parking-penalties/
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