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AIBU?

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Original poster

To not pay hospital parking fine

478 replies

StupidFine · 09/01/2018 08:19

Last week Dd (8 months) suffered an allergic reaction and was taken to the hospital. DH followed in the car and parked without paying (we live on the border and our usual hospital is in Scotland where parking is free, but this is our first emergency and we were taken to the nearest hospital which is in England). Either way the last thing on DH mind was the bleeding parking.

Thankfully Dd was ok, but a week later DH and I are reflecting on what to do about the parking fine. Our options as we see them are:

A) pay the fine and draw a line under this incident (£40).
B) contest the fine as it was an emergency and we have a hospital note with time and reason for admission (if contest is denied fine will go up to £80 as takes 35 days to review).
C) don't pay and just ignore the fine. A colleague of mine said as we live in Scotland we don't need to tell the parking company who was driving (apparently this loophole was closed in England) and since they don't know who was driving it's very costly/time consuming and not worth the company's effort to raise a case to claim the fine.

My head says to go for option A) as I don't want things like this hanging over our head. But my heart says option C) as it's ridiculous anyone should need to pay for parking at a hospital and the fine is just an arbitrary number pulled out of the company's backside (not quite but you get the point).

WWYD?

OP posts:
19lottie82 · 09/01/2018 16:39

Rebecca so these companies are allowed to pluck a figure out of thin air, and you have to pay it? If it was a reasonable amount, then I wouldn’t have a problem with it, but it isn’t, so I do. They’re just profiteering bullies.

WitchesHatRim · 09/01/2018 16:41

Good choice, OP. Most people accept undue punishment like sheep. The system expects you to challenge unfair fines, that's why they have a tribunal at councils for parking fines FFS!

Thats also why there are legal court cases that are actually being won by these companies more and more.

WitchesHatRim · 09/01/2018 16:42

Who's arse has she been licking? It's clearly given her a potty mouth

What a ridiculous thing to say. Hmm

Blackteadrinker77 · 09/01/2018 16:44

Stick to the points of law. The signage and the over the top costs.

Do not say who was in the car, write as the registered keeper.

They will 100% reject your appeal it then goes to Popla who will tell them they ABU.

Rebeccaslicker · 09/01/2018 16:44

19lottie - read the parking eye v beavis case.

BlueSapp · 09/01/2018 16:52

Do not pay the fine tell them they are ridiculous. Glad your little one was ok.

Dungeondragon15 · 09/01/2018 16:52

Thats also why there are legal court cases that are actually being won by these companies more and more.

It only goes to court if people haven't appealed and don't pay or have and don't go with the decision. If you appeal and the hospital decides not to charge then why would it go to court?

Dungeondragon15 · 09/01/2018 16:53

I think that many of those who are so vociferously against OP appealing are just angry with themselves for not having the common sense to appeal in situations where they have been issued with an unfair charge. They don't want to think that they are suckers and are taking it out on OP.

ghostyslovesheets · 09/01/2018 16:54

oh just pay the bloody thing

you parked and didn't pay

ghostyslovesheets · 09/01/2018 16:56

how is it an unfair charge? The charge is for parking and not paying - which is what happened

I wouldn't appeal a parking charge (had one myself from our local minor injuries place where I had also taken a sick child) I overstayed by 5 mins - but that was a fact - I did - so I paid

Downtheroadfirstonleft · 09/01/2018 16:56

Of course you don’t have to pay, you’re “speshul”.

Pay up like everyone else.

PigletWasPoohsFriend · 09/01/2018 16:57

I think that many of those who are so vociferously against OP appealing are just angry with themselves for not having the common sense to appeal in situations where they have been issued with an unfair charge. They don't want to think that they are suckers and are taking it out on OP.

No wrong.

Nor do I advocate lying by omission or insinuation, which you apparently think is a good idea.

diddl · 09/01/2018 16:57

Pearl-are you sure??

Just sounds too sensible to be true.

Allowing a mistake to be corrected.

Oh, you're leg pullingGrin

CherryMaDeara · 09/01/2018 16:58

Witcheshatrim

And yet nothing to say to Rebeccasslicker who is calling OP
a cheap and pathetic tool?

Your agenda is clear my dear

RadioGaGoo · 09/01/2018 16:59

Rebeccaslicker. Give yourself a moment, you are sounding a mess.

Challenge it if you want OP.

CherryMaDeara · 09/01/2018 17:01

how is it an unfair charge? The charge is for parking and not paying - which is what happened

FFS it was an emergency! He got a ticket as soon as he could.

Thankfully council tribunals and private parking companies' regulator POPLA have more sense than you lot.

OP, I've challenged tickets my mum was given even she had a blue badge. You will be fine.

ittakes2 · 09/01/2018 17:02

Why don’t you ring up the hospital? I’m sure this would have happened to other people - maybe you just need a letter from the hospital confirming you were attending an emergency. You have to remember that the parking inspector did not know the owner of the car was attending an emergency, I’m glad your little girl is ok.

MrMeSeeks · 09/01/2018 17:05

OP, I've challenged tickets my mum was given even she had a blue badge. You will be fine•
Yes but your mom had a blue badge, slightly different, the ops dh has parked somewhere without paying ( though can understand how).

Pearlsaringer · 09/01/2018 17:06

diddl I am absolutely not kidding! What’s more, we went home, translated the penalty notice, realised we could just pay for the ticket so drove back and did so. The Spanish have an interesting approach to fines though, they seem to start high then reduce in a bid to get you to pay something at least.

PigletWasPoohsFriend · 09/01/2018 17:07

OP, I've challenged tickets my mum was given even she had a blue badge. You will be fine

Completely different situation.

Chrys2017 · 09/01/2018 17:09

Pay it. Or would you rather the NHS go under and you have to pay for the cost of your child's treatment next time before s/he is even seen?

CherryMaDeara · 09/01/2018 17:10

I understand that MrMeSeeks, my point is that people challenge tickets for whatever reason there is.

All this 'pay it, don't question it' stuff is so stupid.

If people are so bothered by the hospital getting £40, they should ask OP for the name of the hospital and donate £40 to them.

RainbowPastel · 09/01/2018 17:14

Pay up. I am at the hospital at least 10 times a month. I have to pay every single time. You didn't pay for the part of the parking you were fined for. Paying afterwards for a ticket means nothing.

Quartz2208 · 09/01/2018 17:14

But it isn’t an emergency though not for him. That is where for me the challenge fails. If he had his DD with him and was racing to get her to the hospital yes I think the fine should be challenged because it was an emergency.

But his Daughter and wife were in an ambulance, presumably stabilised and he was following, he had no part to play at that point in his daughter getting care

diddl · 09/01/2018 17:17

So you didn't pay for about one & a half hrs?

Surely £40 is then far too much?

You'd think pay for what you didn't plus £5/£10 would be enough!

It would make much more sense to be able to pay when leaving, though.