Tameside borough council Parking Ticket whilst getting Change for the machine

[Zorro01]

Hello all. I have just recieved my first ever parking ticket.

I pulled into a shopping precint so I could get some shopping however all the car park spaces near to the shops were full so had to park at the opposite end of the carpark.

I then went to the machine which charges 20p for 2 hours parking (yes thats right 20p for 2 hours).

I realised I had no change so went into Wilkinsons and cued up to get some change which took in total from leaving the car about 4 minutes I then went back to the machine to purchase my ticket for 20p - where the lovely Civil Enforcement Officer explained how the Machine worked and that I had to input my registration.

I got the ticket walked back to my car and then noticed I had been given a parking ticket.

The parking ticket was issued at 12:58 and I bought my ticket at 13:01.

I confronted the little pencil neck and he said he had watched it for 5 mins before and they have a 5 min rule. I don't believe he did watch it for 5 mins before.

Even if this is the case I have just had major surgery and have trouble walking with any real conviction so it may have taken me an extra couple of minutes. Surely they should take that into consideration.

What can I do. Anyone got a letter I can send to them appealing against the decision as this is ridiculous - They are asking for £50.00 which will increase to £75.00 after 28 days.

[afcwben]

Assuming its is a PPC, dont even bother writing just ignore, lok at the various threads

[Zorro01]

what is a PPC?

[MARTIN3030]

Private Parking Charge

[MARTIN3030]

Out of interest whats the name of the company ?

[Zorro01]

Tameside bourough council

[green_and_mean]

Assuming its is a PPC, dont even bother writing just ignore, lok at the various threads

 

Never good to assume!

[green_and_mean]

- They are asking for £50.00 which will increase to £75.00 after 28 days.

 

Are you sure it should be £25 increasing to £50 after 28 days?

 

You are not permitted time to get change only time to buy a ticket.

[Zorro01]

Are you sure it should be £25 increasing to £50 after 28 days?

 

You are not permitted time to get change only time to buy a ticket.

 

It's £25.00 if paid in 14 days and increasing to £50 thereafter.

 

As to your second point about time to get change then as I had to park along way from the machine and the shop and the fact I have a bit of trouble walking this will all equate to a longer period away from my car without a ticket (a total of 8 minutes I was gone).

It feel like he basically pounced on my car the second I started stumbling to the shops/machine. He issued ticket at 12:58 and he helped me work the machine and ticket was purchased by 13:01.

The only other machine was out of order so there was a cue at the machine I was using.

It seems very cut throat indeed if this is the way that the council is operating??

[Al27]

HAve a look at Example Cases - Traffic Penalty Tribunal

[lamma]

Post up the PCN, lets see if its flawed.

[Zorro01]

I have no way of doing that other than typing it up word for word which I will do later.

Thanks for all the advice.

[green_and_mean]

It's £25.00 if paid in 14 days and increasing to £50 thereafter.

 

As to your second point about time to get change then as I had to park along way from the machine and the shop and the fact I have a bit of trouble walking this will all equate to a longer period away from my car without a ticket (a total of 8 minutes I was gone).

It feel like he basically pounced on my car the second I started stumbling to the shops/machine. He issued ticket at 12:58 and he helped me work the machine and ticket was purchased by 13:01.

The only other machine was out of order so there was a cue at the machine I was using.

It seems very cut throat indeed if this is the way that the council is operating??

 

Issuing a PCN after 5 minutes is not exactly 'pouncing on you'! If he did see you park then he also saw you leave the car park without buying a ticket so the PCN seems very reasonable to me. Even with a ticket purchased 3 mins after the PCN you could have just as easily returned seen the PCN and then decided to buy a ticket.

[Zorro01]

I take on board what your saying and yeah if the ticket price was £10 then I can understand people not paying that to park but the price for a 2 hour stay is 20p. Why would I not bother paying 20p. Maybe they should get a machine to issue change like many I have used in the past.

So from me pulling up in the parking bay, walking to the machine noticing I didn't have 20p only a £10 note, popping in shop directly in front of the machine (wilkinsons) to change £10, going back to machine, (where the attendent who issued my parking ticket helped me use the machine was and returning to my car all in the space of exactly 8 minutes and within that time being issued a parking ticket is ridiculous to say the least. It was a chain of scenarios outside of my control.

1. Had to park a long way from the machine.

2. Had to walk (which for me is difficult) to the machine furthest from where I had parked.

3. Had to wait at the till in the shop to get change

4. Had to wait in line to get my ticket

5. Had trouble with the machine, Civil enforcement officer showed me how to use it.

6. had to back to the car. There was a ticket on car.

 

Out of interest what would you have done differently to avoid getting a ticket if your situation was the same as mine other than bring change with you??? Would be interested to know?!

[green_and_mean]

Out of interest what would you have done differently to avoid getting a ticket if your situation was the same as mine other than bring change with you??? Would be interested to know?!

 

I think you have answered you own question 'bring change with you' or look for the CEO and explain that you need to get change and ask if they will give you a few minutes.

If there was a legal right to get change how long would be given 5 mins, 10 mins, 15 mins? If you gave a grace period to get change a great deal of people would abuse it and return having been to the shop, bank etc and drive off without paying. If you made it 10 mins people would moan if they got a PCN in 11 mins as there was a queue in the shop they got change.

[lamma]

I have no way of doing that other than typing it up word for word which I will do later.

Thanks for all the advice.

 

digital camera ? mobile phone with one ? friend with such a phone ?

[Zorro01]

I think you have answered you own question 'bring change with you' or look for the CEO and explain that you need to get change and ask if they will give you a few minutes.

If there was a legal right to get change how long would be given 5 mins, 10 mins, 15 mins? If you gave a grace period to get change a great deal of people would abuse it and return having been to the shop, bank etc and drive off without paying. If you made it 10 mins people would moan if they got a PCN in 11 mins as there was a queue in the shop they got change.

 

Whether I needed to get change or not is not really the issue anyway in my eyes, more the timescales involved and all I know is that it is not acceptable. He must have been writing out my ticket before I had even gotten out of my car as an eight minute round trip including time spent with the attendant at the machine (at least a couple of minutes) to purchase a ticket and get back to the car is pretty damn fast for someone like me who has difficulty walking. It was only after this that I went to do my shopping. Even though it may appear this way - I am not going to risk a ticket of £25.00 plus for the sake of 20p and to suggest otherwise is ludicrous.

[green_and_mean]

Whether I needed to get change or not is not really the issue anyway in my eyes, more the timescales involved and all I know is that it is not acceptable. He must have been writing out my ticket before I had even gotten out of my car as an eight minute round trip including time spent with the attendant at the machine (at least a couple of minutes) to purchase a ticket and get back to the car is pretty damn fast for someone like me who has difficulty walking. It was only after this that I went to do my shopping. Even though it may appear this way - I am not going to risk a ticket of £25.00 plus for the sake of 20p and to suggest otherwise is ludicrous.

 

It takes about 30 secs to issue a PCN you already stated it was issued 5 mins after you parked. Even if you did pay you have effectively parked for 8 minutes without payment.

[Zorro01]

So what you are basically saying is that it is therefore acceptable to issue you someone with a ticket whilst they are attempting to buy a ticket.

The enforment officer firstly has to locate a random car in a busy carpark not displaying a ticket then he has to start recording the time without a ticket so that he can issue a penalty after 5 mins. he has to take pictures, record the registration, the tax disk and then take more pictures of the car with the penalty attached, sign the penalty and then continue is rounds.

My point is this. I parked at 12:53 and by 12:58 a ticket was already issued and placed on my motor then he walked the length of the carpark to come to the machine I was using.

He must have been punching in my registration to his little machine before I had even gotten out of the car is what I am saying. There is not enough time for him to do all of those things if he had followed the book so to speak.

Anyway to sum up I will be appealing it and I am very confident I will win given similar scenarios I have been reading about.

Thanks to all those that helped out.

[green_and_mean]

So what you are basically saying is that it is therefore acceptable to issue you someone with a ticket whilst they are attempting to buy a ticket.

 

No but then again you were not issued a PCN whilst trying to buy a ticket at the time of issue you had left the car park and were in Wilkinsons.

 

Good luck with the appeal anyway.