Parking Fine - I did not exceed the limit

[MissyPants]

Hi, just wondering if anybody is able to shed some light on why I have been issued a fine please.
In October (not the day the clocks went back) I went to KFC drive through, it was busy, however I was in and out of the drive through within 24 minutes. I didn't park up or anything.
A few weeks later I received a civil enforcement from a parking company saying I outstayed the 60 minute free parking, when I didn't?
The proof they sent me states my 24 minute duration - And the timing was between 23.55 - 00.19am - so is it because it crossed over into midnight?
I have appealed stating this as my reason however my appeal has been rejected based on the reason of outstaying the 60 minute time limit?
KFC have said they can't help with it and have said I have to go through the parking agent. I can now still pay the £60 which was the initial payment but I don't feel I should have to as I didn't do anything wrong?

Many thanks!

Definitely, I’ll ask him later when he gets home from work.

I would fight - I once received a parking fine for a well known supermarket. I visited twice in the one day, once in the morning and again in the afternoon. Their cameras picked me up entering in the morning but not leaving, didn't pick me up entering again but picked up leaving in the afternoon so they said I had breached their maximum stay. I emailed them to complain providing proof of transactions and luckily it was resolved but its so frustrating and a way for these companies to make more money!

You know I was thinking that I hoped it would get picked up by media.
They can inbox me on here and I'd love a chat 🤣

They rejected your appeal because that's their policy: to put the onus on you to defend yourself. You're falling for it. They depend on people not being able to read properly, being terrified of "official" letters, terrified of being accused of something bad...they will ramp up totally unwarranted pressure to try to get money out of you. The letters will look serious, the language will be threatening, the font will be friendly, but don't be fooled. Sadly it's the elderly who fall for it, mainly.

Do the absolutely minimum. Let them come chase you for the money. If these parking companies were people, they'd be thugs wearing masks who come up to you in the street threatening to do you harm if you don't hand over your bag. Just walk away.

You don't need to pay a fine from a private parking company. It's all a big scam. They sell your details to debt collectors who threaten for a bit then sell you on to someone else and so on. I'm pretty sure it doesn't affect your credit rating. I used to be really scared by it but now I just raise my eyes and delete the email/throw the letter in the bin. They don't issue CCJs for a small amount because they're charged for it.

I wouldn't waste your energy trying to fight it....ignore.

Appeals suspend the passage of time so if unsuccessful you are no worse off

Pay the fine but go after them anyway to get it plus interest back. When you pay write to them and make it clear you are only paying to avoid increased charges but you don’t agree with the fine and are paying under duress and are appealing. I’d go after them. Use small claims court

The very many people who do end up with CCJ’s because of terrible advice like this would have something to say.

POPLA appeal just on hold for now, as the bank said no to timestamp, however since I've mentioned it's for legal reasons they are going to see what they can do today.
Altho the time stamp transaction still doesn't prove I was in the drive through, at least it's evidence I was a customer at that exact time, and still entered and exited within 24 minutes, not 60. Further evidence to gather to send to POPLA to back up what I'm saying about being in the drive through.

"You have asserted that I parked for over 60 minutes in X car park, but you have failed to demonstrate any evidence of this whatsoever. All you have done is to confirm and acknowledge that I was indeed only parked for 24 minutes - which I am sure you will appreciate is less than half of 60 minutes.

Therefore, I consider this matter now closed. If you wish to pursue your clearly spurious and wholly unprovable claim, you may take me to court and discover whether a judge will agree with you that 24 minutes can somehow be more than 60 minutes.

Be hereby notified that I may consider exploring all available options for my commencing legal action against you for wasting my time and for falsely accusing me, should you choose to persist with this vexatious false claim."

Absolutely do not pay them a penny. If anything, send them an invoice for your admin time in dealing with their utter stupidity.

But why? I agree that it would be foolish to just ignore it, but why on earth should you lend them YOUR money and then have to apply to them to pay it back?

Paying the fine is accepting lability - guilty.
I do not accept liability and I am innocent.
So much so that even their evidence is showing I was 24 minutes. Not 60.
I'm taking it all the way, with my next step appealing to POPLA.

Thank you. I will use some of this in my POPLA appeal including all my screenshots of the evidence I have.

Do you need more evidence from your bank? Their own letter to you has evidence that they are wrong.

I've beaten one of these through POPLA using the MSE site to check my arguments out. These companies are legalised extortion rackets and we have to fight them. But it's time and mind consuming.

You are innocent. Save the KFC one!!!!

@SwedishEdith ”These companies are legalised extortion rackets and we have to fight them. But it's time and mind consuming.”

Exactly and they rely on people either not understanding how to fight back or vulnerable people being unable to.

POWER to MissyPants!

oh my! OP, I’d keep trying to call the parking company. As soon as someone human sees it they will cancel it. I’d also drop them another email and a quick snail mail letter. There is no need to try and write it in a pseudo legal way. It sounds silly and pompous. 😅😅. I’d just ask them to review the ticket and enclose the ticket and your KFC receipt. Good luck.

I don’t understand. Did you park in the drive through or just drive through? Why can you be issued with a parking fine if you don’t park? That’s nuts!

It would be a good idea to use snail mail too MissyPants, make sure you send it recorded delivery/signed for.

Don’t know if it’s up to date but I also found this number for their switchboard? tel:0115 822 5020 0115 822 5020

I'd fight this to the death. Thieving, greedy bastards! The fact they've sent you their 'evidence' which backs up your claim must surely go against them.

My local council issued two fines for litter dropping, one to me and one for my dying DH. Sent photos of litter on the road with our names and address on. I knew we were innocent and wasn't prepared to let it go. They claimed the offence had happened in a Saturday, but the photos showed a road works sign outside, and it dawned on me the local roadworks had ended on the Thursday that week. Fortunately for me, I have cctv at the front of my house and I spent ages watching it back. I found the clip that clearly showed the refuse collectors dropping tons of litter while emptying our bin. The dropping and the enforcement officer photographing it all happened within minutes, and all while we were at a hospital appointment. I took great delight in sending them detailed info on what I'd found. I challenged them to take me to court and said I'd happily take my cctv recording to show the truth. Funnily enough they wrote back and said that due to lack of further evidence, they'd be dropping the fines. No apology for falsely accusing us mind

Just drove through the drive through - ordered my food via the drive through. In and out within 24 mins

I don't really need any evidence as their evidence even states 24 mins!
Just trying to add more evidence for POPLA I suppose as my last appeal was rejected. I didn't include my bank statement on that one.