Do I have a leg to stand on with this Council Parking Ticket

Do I have a leg to stand on with this Council Parking Ticket

Author
Discussion

BigGingerBob

Original Poster:

1,813 posts

197 months

Friday 16th August
quotequote all
This afternoon I parked my bike at a council run car park.
Usually you don't pay for bike parking because you stick in in the bike bay and it's free.

This car park has no designated bays so I parked the bike nicely out the way causing minimal loss of space.

Came back to a parking ticket on the bike secured by elastic band. Furious.

Attached pics of car park and the sign.





No paint therefore no designated bays?

What do you think?

alscar

5,370 posts

220 months

Friday 16th August
quotequote all
8)
  • Motorcycles may park for free in the designated
motorcycle bays, but must obtain a valid ticket if
parking in a standard bay.

I’m no lawyer but the “ but “ above seems to make it clear.
The fact that there were not any designated bays is possibly then academic.
Possibly an argument from you that there were in fact no bays at all though ?!
Might be worth one email back irrespective just to see what happens rather than capitulate instantly though.

MustangGT

12,268 posts

287 months

Friday 16th August
quotequote all
Were you parked in a designated bay?

No, therefore you should have paid for a ticket.

BigGingerBob

Original Poster:

1,813 posts

197 months

Friday 16th August
quotequote all
MustangGT said:
Were you parked in a designated bay?

No, therefore you should have paid for a ticket.
I get that but there are no 'bays' of any sort in the car park.

alscar said:
8)

The fact that there were not any designated bays is possibly then academic.
Possibly an argument from you that there were in fact no bays at all though ?!
That was my thinking.

I am annoyed though. I know it's not allowed on PH to be annoyed about a parking ticket but I genuinely thought it was fine. I wasn't chancing it like some people do by parking and nipping to the shops, intentionally not paying because the warden probably won't show up.

romft123

981 posts

11 months

Friday 16th August
quotequote all
Its probably a standard sign for that county/district and the moron from the council didnt even bother to read it to see if all was applicable to THAT car park.

JQ

6,034 posts

186 months

Friday 16th August
quotequote all
MustangGT said:
Were you parked in a designated bay?

No, therefore you should have paid for a ticket.
None of the cars are in designated bays either. OP - did the cars get fines? Presumably every car that parks in that car park with a valid ticket or not, will get a fine.

Bobtherallyfan

1,340 posts

85 months

Friday 16th August
quotequote all
I can see white lines on the right side running at right angles to the wall. Faint…but they are there

RazerSauber

2,536 posts

67 months

Friday 16th August
quotequote all
I, personally, would contest that. They've got an exemption for motorcycle parking so it must be somewhere and it's not possible to expect you to know where it is where there are no clear MC bays.

I'd contact them back, explain your reasoning for parking where you did, ask for clarity about where the MC bays are, and how you would reasonably know where they are since the car park is not clearly marked. The worst they can do is say no, and provide you with a reference of where the bays are if you need to use it again in future. You've got nothing to lose. I'm pretty sure they pause any payment timers when dealing with an appeal.

monthou

4,844 posts

57 months

Friday 16th August
quotequote all
I would be appealing that.

JagYouAre

464 posts

177 months

Friday 16th August
quotequote all
That's bizarre. I would definitely contest that and I reckon if they've got any common sense they won't uphold it.

My wife parked in a car park at our local station a while back, she got a ticket for not parking in a designated space. The lines were all over the place, old ones coming through and newer ones fading, it wasn't at all obvious which were old and which were new (particularly when she arrived in semi darkness and there were no other cars around for reference), and it turned out my wife parked between two old ones, which was about halfway between the new ones.

I took some photos and appealed it and they cancelled it immediately. A week or two later I saw signs saying the car park would be closed for a couple of days for line painting laugh

gazza285

10,184 posts

215 months

Friday 16th August
quotequote all
MustangGT said:
Were you parked in a designated bay?

No, therefore you should have paid for a ticket.
If there’s no markings, then how would the OP know he wasn’t?

JQ

6,034 posts

186 months

Friday 16th August
quotequote all
Bobtherallyfan said:
I can see white lines on the right side running at right angles to the wall. Faint…but they are there
Not according to the person taking the picture and I believe they had a far better view than us.

BigGingerBob

Original Poster:

1,813 posts

197 months

Friday 16th August
quotequote all
I will appeal tonight when I get home then. I certainly can't see lines on the ground!

Thanks everyone.

Hol

8,700 posts

207 months

Friday 16th August
quotequote all
romft123 said:
Its probably a standard sign for that county/district and the moron from the council didnt even bother to read it to see if all was applicable to THAT car park.
This,
Can you share the whole sign, as I think the answer may become obvious.

Sebring440

2,307 posts

103 months

Friday 16th August
quotequote all
BigGingerBob said:
I get that but there are no 'bays' of any sort in the car park.
But, but, you said:

BigGingerBob said:
Usually you don't pay for bike parking because you stick in in the bike bay.

monthou

4,844 posts

57 months

Friday 16th August
quotequote all
Sebring440 said:
BigGingerBob said:
I get that but there are no 'bays' of any sort in the car park.
But, but, you said:

BigGingerBob said:
Usually you don't pay for bike parking because you stick in in the bike bay.
Usually you don't pay for bike parking if you use a bike bay or park out of the way. You often - but not always - do pay if you use a car bay. And I imagine you'd typically get a ticket if you park like a cock.

If there's no bike bay, and the sign says bikes pay if they're in a car bay, it's not unreasonable to think parking out of the way is okay.

witteringon

1,726 posts

48 months

Friday 16th August
quotequote all
Meadfoot beach car park, if I'm not mistaken? (Daddyhole Road!). All the council car parks in this area are badly maintained, and the bay markings virtually invisible. The pay and display machines are near impossible to fathom out as well. At least there is a decent beach cafe there!

BigGingerBob

Original Poster:

1,813 posts

197 months

Friday 16th August
quotequote all
witteringon said:
Meadfoot beach car park, if I'm not mistaken? (Daddyhole Road!). All the council car parks in this area are badly maintained, and the bay markings virtually invisible. The pay and display machines are near impossible to fathom out as well. At least there is a decent beach cafe there!
Correct!
Went to see my Mum on my lunch break, haha

I don't have the whole sign, just the relevant bit but I'm down tomorrow too so I'll take another photo then.

QuickQuack

2,363 posts

108 months

Friday 16th August
quotequote all
Out of interest, what have they put down as your contravention - not paying at all, not paying when parked in a car bay, not parked in a bike bay, or something else?

BigGingerBob

Original Poster:

1,813 posts

197 months

Friday 16th August
quotequote all


This is what the ticket says