Forum Topic

UNFAIRLY TICKETED?

Ever appealed against a parking ticket that you thought was unjust only to have your appeal dismissed out of hand? Ever thought that the Parking Department had issued a PCN but hadn't acted properly themselves e.g. not signed the bays correctly?It is often alleged that Parking Services do not meet the standards that they are supposed to when issuing PCNs and then refuse to cancel them when the motorist appeals even though they know their conduct would not stand up to scrutiny. Since councillors are warned off from 'interfering' in individual cases I am conducting a study to see if there is evidence to suggest that Parking Services do behave in such a manner thus enabling our local representatives to take a more strategic view on this issue.  It is obviously wrong that there is no democratic oversight in this matter.Please send me details of any PCNs that fit this category.  The final report and the (anonymised) data will be made public as well as being sent to all elected Members for action.

Hugh Mann ● 5259d6 Comments

There was a parking bay just out side the deli in South Street which had a post but no sign on it - which made it unenforceable.  After informing Parking that this was so over a period of nearly a year and the sign not being replaced I took to parking my car on the bay whenever in the area to make a point.Sitting in the deli one day I noticed a Parking Attendant taking an interest in my vehicle and went out to speak with him.  He seemed confused by the fact that he couldn't legally serve a PCN on my vehicle and radioed to his bosses for advice: I clearly heard the response which was to book me anyway even though they were told that the sign was missing and that I was telling the PA the bay was unenforceable.The Council has an obligation to ensure that officers enforce parking fairly and in accordance with the law: it should not allow officers to serve tickets which they know are not legal.  I call upon Cllr Ed Mayne to ask for a Scrutiny Committee to look into the manner in which the Parking section operate and conclude whether the instance reported on this thread are the exception or the rule.

Jon Hardy ● 5232d

YES, 1) In the yellow box at Kew bridge which I successfully appealed by taking photographs that show the yellow box marking is now worn to the point of illegibility when the road is wet.2) In the same yellow box when exit was blocked by someone cutting across at the last minute.  Unsuccessful appeal, but that was before I knew that they can only fine you if your exit is blocked when you enter the box, and not if it happens whilst you are in the box.3) Stopping for 5 minutes to take cash out on the High Street and getting one of those through the post taken by the camera fines shortly after the camera was installed.  Appealed under the grounds that there should be a whopping great sign telling you there was a camera and not having it was just unfair and not the way we should do things in Britain.  Unsuccessful.4) Outside my house for residents permit not being visible.  Furious and successfully appealed.5) My wife several times when dropping off or picking up kids from school in Kew.  The local wardens making a point of hiding around the corner so they can’t be seen.  Equally unfair and un-British and equally unsuccessful appeals.I now include a section for ‘traffic fines’ in my annual budgeting for running our cars as the cost is a significant expense.

Lorne Gifford ● 5243d

Always worth appealing and holding your ground. I find 50% of any tickets I have been given are cancelled, on appeal.It's like a game.

Richard Smith ● 5243d

I received a ticket on James St Hounslow. There are 4 pay and display bays there - and a sign by one which says 'residents parking only' and has an arrow pointing to a yellow line.  Its totally ridiculous.  I appealed it and won - the parking adjudicator said the council cannot put signs up where they like when it doesn't make sense.

Lena Armstrong ● 5244d

My son got a ticket when he was in my car and parked outside the post office in Brentford one morning. He was spotted by the CCTV camera and they sent me the Notice to Owner. The PCN stated that he had left the car there at about 5 minutes to 9 (restricted hours) but he had bought a ticket and displayed it and the time on the ticket showed a couple of minutes after 9. I queried this with the council but they would not relent until it went to the parking adjudicator, withdrawing their claim just before the hearing date. They wrote to notify they were cancelling the ticket but had the cheek to suggest I keep an eye on parking times!Bloody cheek! I think they just tried it on but thought we wouldn't go to the adjudicator.I believe they still issue tickets on that stretch of the high street but believe the markings are not correct so tickets would be invalid.

Ian Silver ● 5244d

I had a ticket in Brentford high street about a year ago for parking outside the hours allowed for parking.Some vigilent camera operator had spotted me parked, but they had failed to spot me walking to the meter to pay but on arrival I found that unlike the same road in Isleworh, parking was only allowed after 10am and not 9.30am.On seeing this, I got back in my car and drove away.The PCN notice even had a photo of me walking to the meter.I disputed this with these details and they wrote back saying they wouldn't cancel due to the ticket being issued for parking on the pavement.The photo clearly shows no wheels parked on the pavement.I decided to take it to the independant tribunal and the ticket was finally cancelled but with no explanation as to why.The independant tribunal said that Hounslow parking are the only London borough that don't take telephone calls, so I sent a fax asking for an explanation, but got no reply.

Peter Thompson ● 5250d