Chances are its a private invoice (from a private company) and not a penalty (from police or Council).

Don't do anything yet. Moneysavingexpert has a dedicated forum for such matters. As its a hspital (assuming NHS) they also have policies they have to follow as regards parking management.

Edited by daveyjp on 11/04/2025 at 13:49

Get your camera and/or phone out and scour the car park area for signs.

Only an odd sign in a large carpark, signs too high, writing too small, hidden by trees, dirty, Pay machines out of order, poor mobile signal to pay by phone etc etc

Edited by daveyjp on 18/04/2025 at 20:40

In England the Parking Vultures chase the car owner irrespective of who was driving the car.

In Scotland, the Parking Vultures only have the name of the car owner from the DVLA. The car owner is not obliged to communicate with the PVs. Assuming you do not communicate with the PV they have no place to go as "their contract" is with the driver and they do not know who the driver was!!

After about 6 months of increasing amounts the PVs gives up. I had one, in the past, that threatened going to the County Court - none exist in Scotland. Last I heard

Parking Fines (rather than PV invoices) from Local Authority and Police must still be paid in Scotland.

How do you tell a LA/Police Fine? - ££ BUT NO VAT

Parking Invoice from the Parking Vultures should show VAT Number & VAT added to the base value. Some PVs send out their "claims for payment" without showing VAT

Beware

If you drive a Company Car/Hire Car /Lease Company i.e. a car not registered in your name, the Company will pay the fine in many cases and then add a chunky fee on top!!

Not sure I agree that the term 'Parking Vultures' should be universally applied. There are plenty of circumstances, not least shopping centre or rail station car parks, where it's perfectly reasonable to penalise those who fail to comply with the rules.

I agree though that there are plenty of egregious practices around things like short overstays, arrival and departure in minutes due to misdirection and 'time to pay'. I was rebuked by an attendant on the South Coast 'cos we'd parked the car and then walked off to find out what the P&D situation was.

I've paid up when I forgot to pay at the station when going into London for the day. On the other hand I got a penalty revoked when I'd forgotten to change the reg on the App after changing my car.

I've had a couple of tickets withdrawn in council car parks when I forgot to display my Blue Badge - my fault but worth a polite letter

I think "vulture" is entirely appropriate.

Personal recent experience - sold car to WBAC located in Asda car park. Normally a 2 hour limit on parking. WBAC only moved the car the following morning hence the PCN.

In that case I agree. As was set out in my post there is too much bad practice.

Which parking company and which appeal mechanism (if you used it)?

In a case like that, assuming it's private land and not for some reason regulated by the Council I'd have waited for them to take it to the County Court and defended the claim.

Mrs B had one from the Council where she'd failed to check the P&D regs correctly and not displayed. We could prove we'd paid but as you say some battles are not worth fighting.

Amazing how many recipients of Council fines turn up at CAB looking for advice after the Bailiffs turn up. While enforcement by private companies is hit/miss Councils WILL enforce if you don't engage.

Either they've moved and not updated their address with DVLA or they are, in some way, careless about dealing with post. Bills behind the clock on the mantelpiece territory.

Edited by Bromptonaut on 09/06/2025 at 15:17