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Original poster

Nanny gets parking ticket, who pays?

41 replies

Parkingticket1 · 05/08/2014 19:49

Have name changed for this but am regular on MN and this forum, won't for the moment say if I'm the nanny or the employer as I'd like to get unbiased opinions!

As part of job nanny uses own car (mileage paid) to drop child at preschool. At start of job told by employer that it is fine to park on yellow line outside preschool as only enforced for one hour per day which isn't pickup or dropoff time. Nanny has instead regularly been parking on pay and display next to yellow line, which is marked as being enforced 9-5 under the impression that she will get a few minutes grace as dropping off. Others who drop off at nursery seem to park there and gets away with it until today when they all, nanny included, get a ticket. Nanny thinks employer should pay. Employer thinks nanny should pay. Compromise reached that employer gives nanny half the cost of the parking ticket.

Opinions please! Can't think of any other relevant info but do ask......

OP posts:
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Original poster
parkingticket1 · 07/08/2014 20:24

Yes agreed, though it is a world of hassle as they only take payments on the phone and far easier to park on the other single yellow/residents less than five minutes away.

OP posts:
FishWithABicycle · 07/08/2014 19:07

Ah sorry yes I misunderstood. In that case I think she's fully responsible for the fine. But she should have spending money available to pay for Pay&display tickets if there are no spaces available on the free bit.

Spotsonmydots · 07/08/2014 16:09

Nanny should pay. Irrespective of what employer says nanny should obey the law

Original poster
Parkingticket1 · 07/08/2014 10:22

but she was told to park there by her employer and assured that the parking restrictions would not be enforced

no, she was told by me to park on the single yellow (restrictions not at pickup or dropoff time) not on the pay and display. I think other parents do take a chance but I'm very risk averse on these things so never do myself!

OP posts:
Blu · 07/08/2014 08:25

Fish, you have misunderstood the OP. she was not told to park there. She was told to park on the single yellow where parking is allowed at that time of day.

FishWithABicycle · 07/08/2014 08:14

Normally I would say the person who decided to park there should pay, but she was told to park there by her employer and assured that the parking restrictions would not be enforced - so I think the employer should pay the full fine this time BUT the nanny's work schedule should be adjusted to find a way to park elsewhere (e.g. this might mean leaving the house 20 minutes earlier to allow time to find a legal parking space and walk from there) and any future fines should be 100% the Nanny's responsibility.

ABlandAndDeadlyCourtesy · 07/08/2014 07:50

I think that's a bit different, chickadee!

Nanny, legally. Maybe you should clarify after this you'll reimburse pay and display but not parking tickets ie this is a one off.

chickadee87 · 07/08/2014 07:44

My employer paid my parking fine when I parked in pay and display outside hospital, I didn't pay as I was taking child into a&e quickly. I would have paid the fine but employers offered!

NCFTTB · 06/08/2014 23:52

Nanny, but 50/50 this time as a gesture of goodwill. If it happens again, the nanny should pay the whole fine.

Original poster
Parkingticket1 · 06/08/2014 23:13

The yellow line is free, but if she'd wanted to park on the pay and display I would have of course reimbursed it.

OP posts:
chocomochi · 06/08/2014 22:54

Nanny should pay for the ticket.

Employer should in the future reimburse nanny for the parking fees as the nanny is dropping off/picking up DCs.

HSMMaCM · 06/08/2014 22:47

Nanny should pay this time. Employer should pay for al parking fees in future.

adp73 · 06/08/2014 18:12

The Nanny should pay. She is the driver and responsible for her car and parking it legally. If she parks in a Pay and display space she should pay and claim the fee from the parent of the child she is collecting. It is her fault she took a risk, didn't pay and so got a Parking Ticket.

monsterowl · 06/08/2014 13:57

I have no legal knowledge here, but I agree with those who are suggesting a 50/50 split.

I imagine that, legally, the nanny is probably responsible. After all, if she'd run someone over rather than simply parked in the wrong place, nobody would expect her employer to be responsible. But you presumably want to have a good relationship with her so paying half is a nice gesture. And it shouldn't be the employer who pays the full cost - that would just give the nanny free reign to park wherever she likes in the future!

SuperDuperJezebel · 06/08/2014 13:47

Eek, I'm a nanny and I assume all parking tickets are my responsibility, I feel dreadful on the rare occasion that I've gotten one, so I've always paid them and THEN told employer. My employer told me to take the cost out of the kitty, but I figure my mistake, up to me to sort it out!

Original poster
Parkingticket1 · 06/08/2014 10:29

CointreauVersial (great name by the way!) that was really why I offered to pay half, made it clear that it was a gesture of goodwill. Thanks again for all the opinions, I feel better now that I wasn't being mean!

OP posts:
eeyore12 · 06/08/2014 08:11

Nanny should pay and I say that as a nanny. I had one temp job where dropping off and picking up involved parking in a pay and display carpark. Family told me not to bother getting a ticket as they never do and most of the other parents don't either. I didn't do this, I got a ticket (20p) a time from my own money as I didnt want to risk getting a larger fine, and yes I would of paid that too, even though it had been then that had told me not to do it.

CointreauVersial · 05/08/2014 20:26

I look after the vehicle fleet at work, and it's very clear that parking tickets, speeding etc. are the responsibility of the driver. This is what the law says too. If any tickets come through we deduct from wages.

However the relationship between a parent and a nanny is somewhat less formal, and I think it would be a nice gesture to offer to split the cost.

Blondeshavemorefun · 05/08/2014 20:25

nanny

she knew she shouldnt park there and if she does park in a pay and display the PAY bit means you pay lol and she didnt

i had a dc at a private school with very limited parking and often parked on double yellow lines and ran as just no other choice

luckily i never got a ticket tho many did,wardens would come round and get 30 odd cars

you have been very fair paying half

BuildYourOwnSnowman · 05/08/2014 20:24

Have you appealed? Round our way they will often let you off if you can show you were picking up/dropping off a child under 7 and were only there long enough to do so

Cindy34 · 05/08/2014 20:23

If the nanny had parked legally, then the cost would come from the weekly kitty provided by employer. So as the pay and display was being used, why did she not buy a ticket?

Employers should not tell their staff to break the rules, such as parking on a yellow line if that line means no parking at the time in question.

50/50 on this occasion sounds a reasonable compromise. In future all parking tickets are responsibility of the nanny and they should get a pay&display ticket if using that place even for a few minutes.

blueberryboybait · 05/08/2014 20:21

I'm a nanny and I would ever expect my boss to cover the cost of a ticket I got due to my bad parking practice. If I am big enough and old enough to be in charge of someone's child, I am big enough and old enough to know when I park illegally I risk a ticket.

Blu · 05/08/2014 20:21

My only second thought about it being the partly the employer's responsibility is if the employer instructed her to park on the yellow line and said 'park there because we don't want to spend money in the Pay and display bay', and then there were no places on the yellow line.

Original poster
Parkingticket1 · 05/08/2014 20:19

Thanks all, I'm the employer so you've made me feel much better!

To clarify I never said or implied that there was a grace period on the pay and display and I never park there, always on the yellow line, as I have always assumed that the council would know that changeover time for the preschool sessions would be rich pickings for tickets. Yellow line often full but there is equivalent space round the corner or on side streets and I provide a buggy.

I thought I was being pretty generous paying half but it was clear that she doesn't agree so I wanted to get a more general opinion. Much appreciated!

OP posts:
pandorainabottle · 05/08/2014 20:15

Nanny should pay if she parked the car in a pay and display are and didn't purchase a ticket!