THREE PARKING TICKETS

[SerenaBeans]

We have a blue badge, and have signed it up with the NCP parking company. It's logged in with our number plate- but the one time we come back late at night with a small child, the blue badge holder was accidentally left closed- but you can see its a disability badge from the big disabled logo on the front. It's a station carpark about 10 minutes from our house as our road refuses to give council tenants parking, only private tenants.. fair enough.

But now we owe 300 pounds all because it was left closed for one day, despite us already sending images, signing up our badge and car over a month before hand.

The other ticket comes from the hospital (NHS) where we parked in a blue badge spot but the camera automatically couldn't see the badge... so we owe another 100 pounds.
We don't feel safe leaving the car ANYWHERE now.

AIBU to appeal this and possibly take it to court? Everyone in the car, child included- is disabled.

Do not ignore it. They aren't fines, @Concannon88 is correct, but they are still enforceable in court and you can end up massively in debt or with a CCJ. Years ago you could ignore them. Now you can't.

With the hospital one do you have to register your badge and reg plate at reception? I know when our hospital changed over to ANPR lots of blue badge holders got caught out as previously you'd just had to display your badge.

@Ratfinkstinkypink
We did check the signs when we went back (parked elsewhere that time lol) and no... it doesn't state that on signs in the area.

I did wonder that aswell because with a private hospital you had to go to reception etc

@Plankingplanks
DH wouldn't ignore it anyway, but thanks to the PP for the life hack, even if it doesn't work 😉 😄

No because that could be an empty case and the badge being used elsewhere

have you got picture of the one where they say it wasn’t displayed

my gym has a camera system and part of the rules is very specific where the badge has to be displayed to ensure the camera can capture it

With regard to the hospital, do you have to register with them?

My local hospital is pay as you leave with ANPR, free for BBs. As you say, the cameras can't see the BB so you have to physically register your car with the hospital.

@OldTinHat we did go back and check the signs but it just said display the BB, which we did. Nothing about registering from what I could see.

The camera on the otherhand looked new. Maybe they've updates their policies but in that bay was an old sign? Unsure

Have you Googled parking at the hospital, see if it sheds any light on the issue?

Unfortunately it's your responsibility to display the badge correctly. Maybe ask for a payment plan?

Just ring them up. I got a ticket because I put our number plate in wrong in the machine. Quick phone call, and all sorted. Your hospital one will be similar I reckon,

the first 2 - just ring them up and say honestly what happened. The fact you’re registered etc with them will be in your favour. They might not back down - then you can formally appeal, or do whatever you want.

But a phone call first may well sort out the problem.

ALWAYS appeal if you made a genuine mistake. Your husband is doing the right thing.

Just Google “parking fines for non-display in the location it happened”. There’s lots of threads online about this.

In the past I have appealed several instances where I’ve bought a ticket and failed to display it through absent mindedness or it’s blown over as I’ve closed the door. Or if I’ve overstayed in a carpark, but being a customer in a store that fronts the car park.

Cant believe the advice you’ve been given is to suck it up and pay. Do not do this! I have won every appeal I’ve ever made and your personal circumstances are much more deserving than my own.

I think you're unlikely to win the station car park appeal. But no harm trying.

I don't think parking 15 minutes from your house when you have a blue badge is on - the council need to sort their shit out and print you a space on the road outside your house. The whole point of a blue badge is that you can't walk that far so I don't know what they are playing at must be a right pain for you all to walk that far.

@wokbun
We have brought it up with the local council and even the landlord but they said we accepted the property knowing there was no parking- which isn't true. We were told parking was being built. We just didn't know it was from private tenants only, otherwise we wouldn't have taken the apartment. (Which is an adapted disability apartment, that in itself says something.)

@Symphony830
DH would never not appeal anyway, its not in his nature. He's mentally and physically disabled so making a mistake at times is less avoidable that usual, especially when exhausted.

I feel bad for not noticing myself but I'm heavy and pregnant and always tired.

We will most likely only pay as a last resort. If the appeal doesn't work, that is

@FranticHare
DH is owner of the car so I might suggest this to him tomorrow, actually.

Sometimes human interaction helps the case when people realise you're human too, not just numbers on a sheet.

UPDATE!!

All our tickets got cancelled, as they realised we had a valid bb in their system, and their ticket inspector was being unfair because we are a frequent user of the car park and the automated cameras have never had an issue with us!

Woohooo!

Sorry - you didn't display your badge and them's the rules. First time I ever used my BB I got a parking ticket because I forgot to set the clock - just inexperienced. Never did it again. To add insult to the injury it was my own bloody employer who ticketed me parked outside one of their buildings going to a meeting they required me to be at! But it was my fault so I had to suck it up.

The camera thing is different if it was displayed and the camera didn't see it.

@Neriah

and the rules here are read the whole thread, it was updated by OP 14 minutes before you posted.

For the first one that's your fault. You won't win an appeal as there a lack of evidence that it was a current valid badge. Then again I may be as I didn't know you register with NCP

For the NHS one you might get lucky, you won't know unless you try.

Edit: just seen the update. Great news!

@SerenaBeans well done. I mentioned before that in very similar circumstances I have had tickets cancelled. I’ve had more tickets with a BB than before I had one- it’s really easy to make a mistake.

A word of warning though, if they have been lenient once ( as in the badge not being displayed) they may not be again.

Celebrate!

Excellent!

Can you fashion some sort of holder/rest that you can put your blue badge on and a place on the dashboard/windscreen where it can be clearly seen by whatever cameras it needs to be seen by so that no matter how tired you might get, the last thing you do before you leave the car is place the blue badge on the stand/in the holder, and you know it's clearly visible?

I am so pleased for you OP. That is great news!!!!!

I would appeal all of them. I have had 2 parking tickets that I have appealed and they have let me off in both cases. I would think it a pretty poor case if they didn’t give you extra consideration because of a disability.

Sorry I am a bit late