To think my local council are absolutely heartless?

[Esmediamond]

I am regular, have name changed.

Have a ds (7) with Austism, he is diagnosed etc.

I usually drive him to school, park outside and drop off and am in and out before 9.00 am when charging for parking starts.

One day last term he had a huge meltdown as I dropped him off, there is no way I could have left him. I had to stay with him to calm him down, no-one else can do it when he is like this. Eventually managed to calm him and left, got out to my car at around 9.20 am to find a parking ticket on the car. Fair enough I thought, I will appeal it. Later that day another parent told me that they had spoken to the Parking Attendant and said the Mother who owns that car is inside with her disabled child, please don't ticket the car, he did anyway.

So I appealed the local council explaining this with a supporting letter from school. The reply comes back today, the answer is no and not only that but instead of the original £60 it is now £120 as the appeal did not reach them within two weeks of the penalty notice.

I am gutted, I am on my own with dc so this is a massive dent in my finances.

How can they sleep at nights I will never know.

YABU. You parked somewhere you shouldn't and got a ticket. Tough. I received a ticket once due to an emergency involving an eldery relative with dementia - completely unavoidable on my part but I shouldn't have parked where I did for as long as I did.

You have a point about not being eligible for a blue badge (though unless you actually apply for one I'll reserve judgement).

And if you responded within the time limit and they've still doubled the penalty - well that's a bit rum and worth chasing.

But in terms of the ticket itself - very little sympathy I'm afraid.

Thanks justabout. The advice I was given was "I wouldn't even bother if I were you, we have quite a few parents with these issues". Not very encouraging really.

It all arises from the same issue doesn't it? I can't get a badge as I don't have a badge I got a ticket due to an occurence involving my son's disability. People keep saying, well not having the badge is the problem, well yes of course it is, the ticket arises from the first problem so the WHOLE situation is wrong, including the ticket.

Let me just point out, I DID NOT park somewhere I shouldn't. When I parked I was NOT parking illegally. It was before 9.00 pm. Charging starts at 9. I fully expected to be able to get back to my car before charging started like I have been able to every other day. On this particular day I was unable to because of my son having issues that were directly due to his disability.

I applied for higher rate mobility, was awarded it (on first application) and got a blue badge that way. It's now been awarded for life.

Ds1 clearly fits the criteria for higher rate mobility but I don't doubt that a twunt at the council would have refused a blue badge had we applied in that way.

Do you know what I must be a complete doughnut I never even thought about appealing his mobility. He is on middle rate atm. Maybe that is the way to go.

I don't agree with rules are rules. I think it's disgusting. So MP, local paper, petition, maybe the Prime Minister etc. Or whatever minister is in charge of these things. Usually I find if you make enough nuisance of yourself you get somewhere.

"Er, why should she apply for something she knows she will be refused for?"

Because she hasn't applied? Having worked with enough government officialdom over the years I know what one person may say on the phone can be very different to what the actual reality may be. Unless she actually replies she does not know if she will get a permit or not.

I sympathise with the OP but to be honest this is nothing that most people don't have to handle day in day out. Things don't always go to plan. Decisions may be taken out of our hands. For example, should someone get a refund on a ticket if their doctors appointment over runs? Of if their train is delayed?

Certainly the OPs position is more sympathetic but fundamentally no different to these examples.

Yes things don't always go according to plan but quite often they do.

With a child with ASD it most often doesn't go according to plan.

I have called the council again this morning and been told the same thing by someone else, so I think it will be pretty standard.

Anyway it is pointless discussing in on here any further. Though I am really surprised at some of the responses tbh but then I don't know why I expected much different. If you don't have an ASD child you can't be expected to understand. Fair enough.

Need to do something practical now. So will do. Renderedspeechless If you are still around, if I decide to take this further can I CAT you and perhaps you could look over my emails or something because you sound pretty clued up.

Good luck.

Thank you .

Yes definitely write to your paper. Mine took a photo of me heavily pregnant when they gave me a ticket after removing a parking bay with 24 hours' notice when my car was already parked there. The ticket got dropped.

The blue badge thing really winds me up - my sister has just got hers but I know it's only because she has higher rate disability.

good luck and do check out the forum I suggested - at the least they are your best chance of getting your money back if not making the point you want to make about the unfairness of the ticket in the first place.

Hey, sounds like you got some really good advice here, and fingers crossed that it works out for you.

Good luck!

hi esme, just got in from work. you are welcome to cat me. i hope you post today. i have some info for you that i think will help.

If it's local authority you will not get your money back and pepipoo will tell you that.

the only challenges or ignoring PCN that seem to get anywhere are the illegal ones that you get from the companies employed by supermarkets and their ilk.

It's crap, but you need to pay the fine and don't do it again. Speak to the school and see if they can make some sort of arrangement for you.
Failing that, if your son kicks off, can you not return to your car with him?

I think Sorky is being a bit too harsh. Though the local authority will do nothing as a gesture of goodwill esme may still get her money back based on the precise facts of the case, the correctness of the paperwork and the procedure followed in dealing with the appeal by the local authority

Esme, seems you may be more of a morning person and not around tonight. am posting this as i may not get on here tomorrow and want you to see this.

agree important to act swiftly, but please do not 'give up' at this stage easy for me to say, though. you said you called up and was given the same info. unless you spoke to a manager of correspondence officer, that person would have been a call centre advisor, who most likely would have replicated the info in the letter you recived, so please dont let that put you off. i notice your post says "if". please dont give in. at least not yet.

what did the person you spoke to say about why you had to pay the higher charge?

also what did they say about the error in the letter?

the relevant legislations requires councils to properly consider any mitigating circumstances. as applies in this case.

if you are not up to emailing or writing, i suggest you call them and ask to speak to a manager or correspondence officer. its important that you have your case looked at by a second authoritative officer. please also get the names of that person and note what they say.

although i obviously cant give you any assurances about the outcome, the errors in the letter - no discount and the error re when you parked, are likely to have some sway as it demonstrate a 'lack of care' re the response you received. to save face if nothing else the council may cancel 'without prejudice'.

please call them for this info; a real pain i know, but you really do need to get the info from someone in due authority. then you can draft an email including that info and escalate it if necessary. its important too that you ask them what they expected you to have done, and what supporting info they would require. these things are key.

also many councils use agency staff or contract out their first-line correspondence to private companies. those officers are not council's own officers, but a manager, supervior or appeal officer will be.

sorry that you have been upset by some posts here. please cat me if you still want to. id be interested to know what happens or what you decide.

sorry this is all stresing you out.

sorry esme,

just to correct a couple of typos:

should be

unless you spoke to a manager or (not of) a correspondence officer

many councils use agency staff or contract out first-line correspondence to (not of) private companies.

hope thats clear, as those typos meant something different to what i was intending to say.

also, while im here, the "if" comment above - your last post said "if i decide to take this further..". you dont need to give up yet, stressful as it must be. why not call today and mull over the info over the weekend and then decide? i really do suggests you ask them those questions of my last post.

you do have a two-pronged approached here. nothing i have said excludes seeking confirmation that the councils technical and statutory obligations have all been met.

s'not all doom, yeah?

You can get your money back from councils, but it may take more time than its worth.

However do go for the Blue Badge, that does sound worth it. However do also go for higher rate mobility as that should give you more money too?

Good luck!