AIBU to challenge this parking fine?

[AlwaysChargeAtom]

I 100% believe in obeying parking restrictions and generally agree that we give too much public space to cars. However I have been long-term unwell and sometimes driving is the only way I get to do things.

NB this is for a council-enforced penalty. The rules and processes for penalties for parking on private land are different and probably irrelevant here.

This was for a relative's birthday lunch. See diagram. The light grey shows the footpath with the side-path pointing up in the image being the path to the restaurant. I arrived from the left, and passed the first bay which was clearly marked with lots of paint on the road as "LOADING ONLY" but further on there was another bay with no such markings, 2 cars already parked in it, and a parking pay-machine (purple rectangle) nearby. Blue cars are other cars, I am the red car. I parked and sent my teenager to go and get the parking location number for RingGo off the machine.

I log into Ringo and pay for 2 hours parking and we walk to the restaurant and have a lovely lunch.

On returning to the car there is a penalty notice, saying I had parked in a Loading Only area. On searching the area I find a tiny "loading only" notice on a pole where the small brown circle is in my diagram. I had not seen that when I parked because the view of it was blocked by the 2 cars already parked there. There was no "loading only" paint on the road where I had parked.

On the one hand it's a fair cop, I should have checked for signage that this was a legitimate parking space, I took the existence of the parking machine to mean it was OK and I can see in retrospect that this was inadequate.

On the other hand the massive amount of attention drawn to the fact that the other bay was loading only makes this feel unfair because it doesn't feel like an unreasonable assumption that the unpainted area had a different status than the painted area.

AIBU to appeal and has anyone had any success with an appeal like this due to inadequate signage?

From the diagram you have to walk past the sign that says "loading only" to get to the payment machine for the other parking area, which would probably count as adequate signage - especially with the larger loading bay signage behind it.

It's like you say, you should have checked and you also can't trust the fact there's cars there already to mean it is legitimate parking.

@TTPDTS this is true - but I didn't because I can't walk far and I just sent a teenager to get the parking location number from the machine. I didn't walk in that direction at all.

Appeal. Take photos of the bay fully marked loading only and photos of the empty unmarked bays. Also take photos of the notice you didn't see, including height and size of the sign. The onus is on the parking provider to make the restrictions absolutely clear. If it was dark, or bad weather, stayed that this impacted the visibility of the very small sign.

If the signage was visible, I can't see that you have a case.

Is a picture of the signage included in the photos they've sent you?

Not really relevant, but I've not paid for parking on a road for about 20 years and only ever had one £30 fine.

I see this as me sticking it to the man like some sort of anarchist, but you bet your boots I paid the fine within 14 days before it doubled to £60

If you’re not able to check the parking signs around you, which is all part of driving when necessary, perhaps it’s time you weren’t driving. You cocked up, you should pay the fine.

have a look at the highway code for loading bays:
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/the-highway-code/road-markings
seems to suggest the need for road paint

otherwise, search uk legislation for the requirements...
really likely that the road is in-accurately marked which would invalidate the fine.

Council? No chance. They don't even bother to consider your case or read your letter.

There are so many dodgy council parking rules where I am, it's hard to believe they are not purposeful to trick people. Such as different locations whether your park on the right or left of one road. Or one side free parking (by a wall) but payable the other (in front of houses)....

Can you share a screenshot of the Google Maps street view of the road?

I would appeal - it seems odd to me that 1 bay has a huge amound of signage and another with the same restrictions so little.

If you appeal the rise in the fine for non-payment within 14 days is paused so don't let that put you off

Worst case senario, they refuse your appeal and you're in the same position you are now

Annoyingly thats on you.

Parking doesnt care if you cant walk far, and your teenager did.

Definitely appeal anyway but I'm sorry I have to say I think its a fair cop

I appealed a fine with my council after I accidenlty entered a O instead of 0 on my registration and they let me off - It's probably one of those things where it's luck of the draw what your councils like and what mood the person who picks up the appeal is in!

edited for spelling!

My council is pretty good too. I live in a city centre and have visitors permits. When I first moved in I stupidly didn't check what roads they actually cover, and my boyfriend at the time got a fine. I appealed (and apologised) and they let him off even though my permit wasn't valid at all on that road.

What's crazy is he parked there AGAIN and didn't tell me, then moaned when he got another ticket. I didn't expect much but I appealed a second time and they waived it a second time!

I just dumped the boyfriend shortly afterwards to avoid any more embarrassment

It's a good diagram but can you provide the location in streetview. It will be clearer from that how prominent the sign is.

Pretty rotten when you paid. Hope it gets overturned.

It's like they deliberately make it hard

I was parked where the white car is, next to the tree.
Interestingly in the streetview, taken in May 2023, there is no "loading only" sign at all by that bay.

I’d look at the Highway Code details as provided about, and if you feel the signage wasn’t adequate, appeal on that basis, give evidence that you paid for parking to show you genuinely thought it was a parking space, explain that you missed the sign as a result of it being blocked and your mobility issues and see what they say.

I would take a photo as it was in 2023 and one as it is now and say there is now inadequate ‘loading only’ signage (along with proof you paid for the bay you mistook it for).

Dont mention the teenager or the family event or anything like that, they won’t care.

If you are that disabled you would have a disabled badge

Unless you park outside the front of every place you ever go you walk

Everyone will always come up with excuses why their excuse is better than everyone elses

I often challenge parking fines under these sorts of circumstances and have a pretty good success rate. Worth a try.

I have written to the council about a parking fine.

I paid twice in a no return zone because my pregnant friend wasn’t well and I wanted to stay with her until her husband picked her up. I explained and they cancelled the fine.

I'd definitely appeal that. I think I could have been caught out by it too.

Good luck.

Appeal it. In my experience it's best to be apologetic and admit it was an honest mistake, but also suggest they make both bays the same in terms of signage.