I’m furious after being fined £70 after I made a simple mistake paying for parking – I’ll never got back there
A FURIOUS dad has been slapped with a “draconian” £70 parking fine even though he bought a ticket - because of one simple mistake.
Peter Hasted was gobsmacked to be fined five days after visiting Pegwell Bay Country Park in Kent with his children in February.
The 44-year-old from Margate had bought a £2.30 ticket for the family’s hour and a half Sunday stroll, so was shocked to be told he hadn’t paid.
The dad was at a loss over the fine through his letterbox and rushed to appeal the £70 fee.
Euro Car Parks, who manage the parking there, rejected his appeal and asked for a £20 administration charge.
But then on Wednesday Peter received yet another letter now demanding £50 for failing to pay the initial fee within 28 days.
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He said: “I’ve been a long standing supporter of that park for about 15 years, so to be treated like this I think is absolutely despicable.”
Peter angrily questioned the company’s decision, who explained there had been a “major keying error”.
ANPR cameras - which snap your number plate as you arrive and leave a car park - had caught Peter’s Ford Fiesta but hadn’t recognised its registration in the system.
To his dismay, Peter had mistyped his number plate into the ticket machine.
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But confusingly, the machine still issued him a ticket that he diligently displayed on his car’s dashboard unaware it was useless.
The dad said the A-Z keypad had tripped him up because of his dyslexia.
He is used to a QWERTY keyboard - which is used on computers and laptops - so he only managed to type the start of his registration into the machine.
Peter said: “Because the keyboard wasn’t QWERTY it was very difficult to try and find the letters.
“I have good days and bad days to be honest. Thank the lord for spell check and Google, I continuously have to use tools to help me with my spelling.
“If they’d have had a QWERTY keyboard on the keypad, it would have been so much easier to input my registration.”
He added: “The kids got out the car and they were running around, so my attention was more focused on the kids in the car park rather than on the ticket.
“My concentration was more on them and any potential vehicles that could come along.
“I punched in the first two digits in a non-QWERTY keypad - obviously because the kids were distracting me - but it issued it after me just typing in two digits.
“So I put the ticket in the car because it’s a pay and display. We went to the park and we had a nice family time."
Five days later Peter received the first fine.
He said: “I appealed against it and they then said I just have to pay a £20 administration charge, which I thought is very draconian in the sense that they charged me £20 for not inputting my number plate correctly, which I feel is completely unfair.
“I don’t understand why I have to input the number plate if it’s a pay and display - which it clearly is.
“If I’d used Ringo the ANPR would have picked my payment up. They’re penalising people that don’t use the app.”
Peter visits the beautiful park three or four times a year, but has been put off by the parking incident.
He said: “I don’t want to go back there, it’s really lost its sort of appeal to me.
How to appeal a parking ticket
- Check how long you have to challenge the ticket.
- Make an initial appeal to the ticket issuer by phone, post or email, including supporting evidence like photos which show the parking signs weren’t clear.
- Write a further appeal if your ticket issuer has a formal complaints procedure in place. Some ticket issuers belong to independent appeal schemes which provide a free and impartial service.
- Pay your parking ticket if your appeal is turned down - you could be hit with further costs if you don’t.
When should I appeal a parking ticket?
- Signs were wrong - If the signs weren’t visible or gave the wrong information.
- The traffic warden got it wrong - Eg. if they gave you a ticket when they shouldn’t have.
- An error on the letter or ticket- If they’ve left out any information on the ‘Notice to Owner’ letter, then you could get it waived.
- You didn’t own the vehicle at the time - You’ll have to prove this, such as information you provided to the DVLA.
- Your car was stolen - If a thief parked the car illegally then you can get it waived.
How much is a parking fine if you don't pay?
- The fine on a parking ticket varies from one council to another, but most give you 28 days to pay before it increases.
- In some cases, the fine is reduced by 50% if you pay within a shorter time frame, usually 14 days.
“That coupled with the fact that I see it as an unfair system, the method of payment, and the fact that I paid in good faith because I know the money goes back into the park.
“We don’t have a lot of money, we’re a young family. Having to pay out £70 on top of the parking I’ve already paid for, I think, is absolutely despicable.
“There’s absolutely no compassion from Euro Car Parks, they see it as a business and they just had no compassion whatsoever over the appeal.
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“To receive the £50 fee yesterday, I can’t emphasise how frustrating it is.”
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Peter is currently in discussion with Euro Car Parks to waive the fine if he pays the £20 administration charge.
Euro Car Parks has been approached for comment.
