To ask anyone who has successfully appealed to POPLA to help me?

[Unacceptable]

I have been issued a parking charge for overstaying in a hospital car park.
You cannot pay and display, you just can't stay for longer than 3 hours.

My son dislocated his shoulder during a rugby match. Took him to A+E. We did all the right things, informed reception twenty minutes before the three hours was up that we were still there.
Had notice to say we overstayed by 24 minutes.

Appealed and sent letter from hospital indicating the time we left after son had been to X-Ray and given outpatient follow up appointment.

Letter received yesterday refusing the appeal. The letter informs me that by law they have to tell me about the Ombudsman services but they choose not to work with them so not to bother contacting them.

I'm massively stressed out at the moment, every area of my life is in chaos and I just cannot think straight! We simply can't afford to pay £70. Money is the tightest it has ever been and we are both facing redundancies at work.
I keep crying about it (likely because of everything, not just this but it's the straw breaking the camels back)

The POPLA site gives reasons you can appeal. None seem to apply to us. I think they will also refuse an appeal.
I don't join what to do and looking on the internet about car parking gives so many varying opinions that I just feel helpless.

I think you meant to say you could pay for 3 hours and you did? But you had to wait longer?

The bottom line for me is that if you can't afford to pay then don't. Follow the ombudsman service. If they do make you pay then you offer a tenner a month for 7 months.

No one apart from a court can take your money. And courts don't take money you don't have.

You say you did all the right things. Was that part of the ts and cs of parking that you have to inform reception if you are still waiting?

Please go and have a look at the chat forums on Moneysavingexpert.com, there is a whole section on POPLA appeals and lots of posters on there with loads of experience willing to help, template letters etc. They were a big help to me with my appeal, which I won.

Here forums.moneysavingexpert.com/forumdisplay.php?f=163
It is worth looking up the car park where you parked on here, there may well be other people who have been in the same situation an successfully appealed. Don't let the parking company's response put you off, they always refuse appeals to them and direct you to POPLA,.

I've used POPLA lots of times because of bloody parking eye being used at the hospitals where I work.
They have always found in my favour.
Don't let PE intimidate you with their multiple letters threatening legal action and all that BS.
Also try emailing the estates manager for that hospital. They will usually cancel the ticket for you without you having to go to POPLA.

No there is actually not a pay and display.
No payment machines.
No tickets to display.

It is free parking for a maximum of 3 hours. The signs in the waiting room in A+E advise you to speak to reception if you are there longer than 3 hours.
Milkofamnesia the lady at reception gave me the letter to prove how long we had been there but said the parking manager wouldn't enter into correspondence and I had to follow the appeal process. Would the estate manager be different to the parking manager?

Don't panic, I've had this with parking eye. I didn't have to pay in the end.

Firstly visit this website and start a new thread with your situation, there are amazing people on there who will guide you through the process.
forums.pepipoo.com/index.php?s=4fb58c7917e7c61afd47e069680e23e3&showforum=60

I've advised four friends to do the same after its happened to them, and they've all had their fines written off.

I can't remember then ins and outs of it but legally they cannot fine you for overstaying in a free carpark, they have to prove to POPLA that you have cost them money, which of course they can't do, so they have of write off the fine (which in fact isn't even a fine, it's an invoice). This will take time so be patient and ignore the increasingly more desperate invoices they send you. They make money by duping people into thinking they have a legal right to enforce a fine on you.

Please follows this advice and all will be fine. I hope everything gets better for you soon

Thank you bitterboy and snowbodyforrrrm I'll have a look at them.
Seems ridiculous that they don't offer an option to pay but fine you for being there 'too long'

I'm sure in a crisis situation when you need medical help paying to park isn't a priority anyway. Talk about profiting from misery.

I had a parking "invoice" from a company for overstaying in McDonalds 23rd December. Was taking DD to meet her Dad as she was staying with him.

I complained to CEO of McDonalds and they rescinded it for me.

snowbody The avice always was that the fine was unreasonable based on the loss to the parking company, so no need to pay.
This has changed as a court has decided that a £70 charge is reasonable. court case

How many cases have been successfully taken to court carol?

OP check out Pepipoo, sometime ago someone was taken to court and they lost, but this is in no way happening to the majority.

It only needs one at the supreme court level - all lower courts have to follow that ruling. Courts, including small claims, have no alternative to follow the supreme court ruling.