Thank you Ethel for your thoughts. I too can't think of a logical reason against related parties, it just crept in to my wonderings because occasionally something you never imagined to be relevant to something turns out to be a factor after all, or even a requirement. Best to have no surprises! I have done a little research since I posted, and it appears not to be a problem as long as the relationship is entirely proper and under contract, just person B renting from person A. And in this specific case, yes for sure, neither of us would wish to continue unless on a proper business-like basis anyway. I don't believe he was asked about relationships when exploring his mortgage options, however thanks for raising that and I will be speaking with him later and will suggest a without-prejudice check conversation to be sure. Regarding condition, the house is in good order just gently tired because of its age. In a perfect world it would benefit from a new kitchen, totally facelifted bathroom, replacement windows to the newest standards and a couple of other touches making it today-new not '70's new - much has advanced in all of those things over 40-plus years. But it is still a good house today and comfortably offers what we long-pre-1970s folks need Maybe our son would choose to make upgrades at some point(s) in time, and no doubt for-sure before eventually selling it if/when that comes along later. Right now however nothing is broken so there are no plans to do any fixing just get this change of owner/landlord in place if actually achievable, and be able to relax and breathe. He really is a Saint! Thank you again for your thoughts, I will add them to our words when we compare notes later.

We, the parents and in our 80s, live in a private rented house (1970s and sound but unimproved, good area, okay rent), the tenancy aranged via an Estate Agent/personal friend. We've been there almost 6 years and have a good relatiionship with the landlord who has always behaved fairly and promptly. Landlord notified us they will be selling the house at the end of our current term (10 months). They first offered the house to us at a small discount - easiest exit for them, avoids upheaval+ for us. This did get our attention though we already knew our circumstances made it impossible - no assets/savings after business collapse, income now only state pension + benefits, no chance of mortgage/loan at this age + zero prospect of change now. Landlord/EA have since been exploring investor-buyers first so we might remain and continue, but no interest to date. Local EAs I've spoken with separately say there's significant investor caution, with only *clean* new/newish houses that can fetch top rent and make the numbers work getting a look-in. The house is now planned to go on the open market in Spring if not sold to an investor before, and landlord is looking at modernising options (Kit, Bthrm, flooring, fireplaces, conservatory, CH, datapoints etc.) to make an attractive sale (current val 280, improved 345-365). Which brings me to ... Recently and without letting us know our son has looked at stepping-in and buying it, initially so that we can stay and be secure, plus whichever of us outlives the other has no worry ahead. Afterward it continues as an investment in whichever way he then prefers. He let us know this just yesterday "to avoid the upset of another move and stop the worry and uncertainty", and feels from his broad conversations that in coming days he will have decided which of a couple of mortgage options he feels suits him best, and will be able to set the wheels in motion. I have just two questions : First Q - can landlord and tenants actually be close relatives? It occurs to me that there could maybe be some formal/legal/title aspects that have a bearing? Just to emphasize, it wouldn't be purchased as a gift for us, he would become our new landlord and we would continue our tenancy, all properly contracted. 2nd Q - he may well have discussed mortgages in the context of us still living there not he himself, but in case not I am looking for some insight in to whether mortgage lenders would consider this any differently and he might need to reassure himself accordingly with further words? Any other pointers I/we should be aware of would also be gratefully received, it is all a bit nervous-making.

Update: A couple of weeks further along, and the charge has now been cancelled. In that regard alone the outcome is acceptable. In the interim ... There have been additional demands from CPP/PE in the most glorious and laughable obfuscated prose/legalese I have pressured PALS I have chased past correspondence I have contacted other Execs I have involved my MP who has now acted I had primed the local newspaper who was planning a piece this week However ... - PALS didn't respond until I complained in person after almost 2 silent weeks; then promised to help and a couple of days after that advised that the Hosp had said thye had no authority over the Parking Co. I told them the hosp had told them wrong, explained why and pressed them to go back ... since when I have heard nothing despite chasing them. - UHCW Trust Estates & Facilities Dir. is yet to respond, though contact was *only* a week ago. - UHCW CEO/Chief Administrator has never acknowledged/replied-to any of my letters/chases. - UHCW CEO/Chief Admin reacted immediately to MP letter however by passing it and my correspondence to Estates and Facilities Dir to deal with, who in turn replied to MP with cancellation, who yesterday copied that to me for confirmation received this morning. Passing thoughts ... - People who could/should have been dealing with it for the injured party elected not to. - PALS has good intentions but is useless if they don't have a leaflet on it - will follow the Hosp line on everything else without questioning their words. - The Trust's Administration is not approach-friendly, in this instance stating "... car parking managed by a Private Finance Initiative Service Provider" and that therefore ".. Trust has no power ... in the processes applied by CPP .." Oh, really?! - Trust accepted CPP's word that the equip't was not faulty as claimed, not the rather more reliable word of a visitor having been put to considerable inconvenience at 5 a.m.and who went to some length with staff to deal with it instead of buggering off home. - CPP "have agreed (to cancel) as a gesture of good will." WHAT?! THEIR good will? THEY are willing to let MY failings pass and kindly make allowances? Couldn't be more self-delusionarily wrong! Sadly, I can guarantee that what is actually important in all of this will not get any attention - providing an alternative payment method for patients/visitors for when the equipment malfunctions ... at any time not just the wee-hours ... and tell staff ... and put notices up. - UHCW taking any notice of their culpability in CPP's unlawful breaching of GDPR in accessing keeper details now that it has been brought to their attention. Head In Sand. All of this comes of course from pulling-up the drawbridge and deny, deny, deny. It is the knee-jerk response of almost all large organisations, but one for which there should be no place in a Hospital Trust that should strongly want to distance itself from uncaring attitudes and irresponsible practises. Anyway ... Anyone finding this because of a similar issue of their own, my strongest advice is to heed the advice given to you on this forum - it put me straight on to the right path and got rid of some nervous uncertainties which makes all the difference to peace of mind, something that CPP relies on to add pressure for those who aren't aware of what's what. My thanks again to all who kindly helped.

Thanks for dropping back on to this, ericsbrother. All noted, plus I'll be chasing up the Estate Mgr for sure.

Just got home far later than expected and very grateful for the further advice and more that has been added. I will form a focusing response and have it in the post tomorrow, possibly also some further approach given some of what I have just quickly read here. Brassnecked and Lookinforinfo - the PE/PCC reassurance is most appreciated, thanks! Won't waste any time on them. Manxman - Thanks for the further words, and for troubling to check. I am very familiar with that link from frequent use on the way to various Hosp and Trust pages at different times. It drills down - amongst other things - to the hospital's address and ultimately contact info for PALS there with whom I am already dealing (!) of course. Also, Re admin. - already explored, there's a parking-office in the building .. have visited, manned by two jobsworths in rotation: "You'll need to take it up with Senior Admin." I already did of course, and have been ignored from the outset thereby generating all this kerfuffle

dx100uk - Entirely agree, and my draft reply kicks off with exactly that correction even though I suspect that the writer didn't even think to check and probably thinks that they are interchangeable anyway. Manxman in exile - Thank you for those excellent new-avenue suggestions and info! I will re-read and put something together when I am back later this afternoon as I have to head elsewhere for a while shortly. Yes I thought about videoing the process/result too - a couple of hours after I had reached home! Iy came to me as I sat to write a letter to the Hosp registering all the fun I had just had over there! But initially it wasn't even a thought that it might become necessary, and then I expected that they would naturally have a fall-back way to deal with such a malfunction, and later it still didn't come to mind because I was advised by the Reception staff-member that having done my best to comply and pay, and with my Reg No not recognised suggesting the system hadn't seen my car arrive for whatever reason, I was able to depart perfectly safely! Anyway thanks again for your first-class pointers, all are noted and I will start with some digging later to unearth the E&F Dept and rope them in too!

Thanks, ericsbrother I got on to PALS who said they would look in to it. I also emailed them copies of the PCN & my letters to the Hosp so they would have the specifics to refer to. They've now emailed their response which is bewildering in its confident incompetence. I have copy/pasted the body of it here so it is exactly as written: “Unfortunately, our car parks are run by an external company and so therefore do not have the ability to override any fines that they issue. The only thing that we can advise is to use the appeals process to contest the parking fine; the information should have been sent out along with the details of the fine. I am sorry that we are not able to help with this matter any further.” I think this is so full of holes it is simply one big one. It reads as though the writer was just wanting to empty their in-tray as quickly as possible and be seen to have “dealt” with complaints, and either saw the PCN and assumed I was contesting it, or just skim-read the details but checked nothing at all and then knee-jerked the same uninformed response - either way without bothering to look in to the facts or to speak to anyone. Either that or they are being deliberately obstructive, though to me it comes across as laziness and incompetence. I now gather they are laypeople/volunteers tasked to help patients/visitors in ways ranging from giving directions, to helping practically if they are unhappy with aspects of their medical attention. So much in their response is wrong, even to my newly-knowledgeable eyes: - They use “fine” and aren't aware of the distinction. I did NOT. - They haven't considered (don't know?) the relevance of payment not being accepted because of a malfunctioning system and the lack of any alternative for such occasions. - They haven't regarded the relevance of the hospital's requirement given to me at the time and which I followed fully, and their guidance to then just leave without fault or consequence. - They say wrongly that the Hosp can't have it cancelled, which I'm certain they can easily by lifting the phone. (I once had a hotel's parking Co. send a PCN when hotel guests should park free - I complained to the hotel with a copy of the PCN, 20 mins later they emailed back with an apology having called and had it cancelled.) - No mention/explanation/apology AT ALL for my previous letters to both the Hosp and to themselves being completely ignored to this day. - No defence/denial of the hospital's culpability in PCCs subsequent actions, as pointed out by you. ... and I'm sure that there's more by implication also, that direct awareness/expertise such as your own will see but that I am not able to appreciate just now. I presently intend to snap-back a response to PALS that: - they have entirely failed to understand the heads of my complaint and have therefore not responded to any of them in their short reply - I now require them to approach the hospital on the specific points put initially to them and more recently to PALS - I require them to now do their job, which is to act to help those dissatisfied with aspects of their hospital experience and particularly when the hospital has failed to deal reasonably with a direct approach. - and anything further that your experience/knowledge wants to add, in which regard I would then appreciate suitable forms of words that display knowledge and ability that I should reflect. Unless of course you are aware by experience that I would only be wasting my time and should now escalate to the NHS Ombudsman? For your awareness: I am still going ahead with my MP etc, meeting at their surgery after this coming weekend. Also my FOI request for information about parking equipment malfunctions has been acknowledged and data is now awaited. Annoyingly the lack of any response for over a month means that the end of the PCN's payment-period arrives in a couple of days, past which PCC will no doubt be escalating matters. Should I now advise them as a courtesy therefore of what is going forward, or continue to ignore them which presumably will trigger further processes should things still go on long enough? If you would advise me on this point as well as regarding anything that might usefully be added to my own reply outlined above, I would be grateful. Very many thanks for your valuable help.

Thanks dx100uk .... Thought not, but just checked to be sure and no neither one used ... A parking/penalty slip, and in just the above post only.

An update 2 weeks further-on for the benefit of anyone coming along later in similar circumstances or currently following for a directly related reason. No response to date from the Hospital, either to original correspondence or subsequent chase. No response yet from PALS, written-to with all details/copies just a week ago after allowing a period for the Hospital to respond to a chase letter and step-up and have the penalty charge cancelled. All corres. Special Delivery. Parking charge reminder received from CPP dated 11 days after original (no contact intended with CPP, less than zero intention of making payment this side of eternity.) FOI request sent Re. car parking equipment reported-faults - request received and acknowledged. MP contacted, details/copies provided, moving toward meeting Re their involvement. To contact press, local radio etc. accordingly. Watch this space ...

Thank you HB, and I will certainly take up your suggestion on the next occasion - which regrettably I am sure will not be a long way off. Kind regards HH

Hello Ethel Street, and thanks. No, no reply ... of course! Yes a written record straight away has extra value, which is why I set it all down to them within a couple of hours of getting back home ... useful in all kinds of situations! Thanks for your kind interest.

honeybee 13 Yes I agree, it's a complete disgrace, a tax on being ill! Mum's grand age, increasing physical frailty and horribly escalating dementia is increasingly seeing her hospitalised for emergencies ... 3 times in the past 7 weeks alone. inevitably it is many hours getting through assessments and more, and whilst the last thing on my mind is paying to be with her, almost £10 a pop for the Emergency-event parking and then a fiver-plus for subsequent days until she is stabilised and able to return, amounts to a penalty for loving! I'll bear PALS in mind, thanks!

ericsbrother Oh, I can do Awkward Thanks, that sounds like an excellent approach and I will start those wheels turning - though it is annoying of course that it is even necessary. Regarding the FOI request ... I send that to the Hospital Trust, yes? No doubt there's a form/template for that? And notification to the same senior individuals as other hospital correspondence too, just to reinforce my stance? (Or is that a little OTT?) Thanks again!

dx100uk Thanks, and completed as requested. I don't know if this is at all overwritten by ericsbrother's grand advice that came in as I was going through this list, but I have completed it anyway in case it is/becomes relevant/useful. Appreciate the input. For PCN's received through the post [ANPR camera capture] 1 Date of the infringement - 30 May 2019 2 Date on the NTK [this must have been received within 14 days from the 'offence' date] - Unfamiliar with the jargon, presume this means the Parking Charge Notice so 7 June 3 Date received - 13 June 4 Does the NTK mention schedule 4 of The Protections of Freedoms Act 2012? [Y/N?] - Yes 5 Is there any photographic evidence of the event? - Yes, v grainy ANPR of front and rear 1 near black, plates legible on both 6 Have you appealed? [Y/N?] post up your appeal] - No Have you had a response? [Y/N?] post it up - n/a 7 Who is the parking company? - Car Parking Partnership (ParkingEye Ltd., trading-as) 8. Where exactly [carpark name and town] - University Hospital Patients & Visitors Car Park 8&9, Coventry For either option, does it say which appeals body they operate under. - Appeals initially to Car Parking Partnership, if unsuccessful then POPLA There are two official bodies, the BPA and the IAS. If you are unsure, - Their stationery claims BPA membership ... please check HERE If you have received any other correspondence, please mention it here - None

I would appreciate any further thoughts regarding: 3 weeks ago my 96 year old mother was rushed in to University Hospital Coventry from her residential care home shortly after midnight, I was notified and arrived there a little after 2 a.m. Not long ago parking control and payment there switched from ticket-issue to ANPR-based terminals and no barriers, when I went to pay and leave just after 5:00 a.m. the system did not recognise my registration number and display the usual proof-photo and charge. I retried assuming I'd entered it wrong, but with the same result. I tried 3 or 4 more times in case of a momentary system-blip, but still with no change. I even walked back to my car to check my own number (!) but I had not somehow switched anything around in some unseen wee-hours fuzz. I tried a couple more times and then made my way to the main foyer to find someone to deal with this, however at that time of the morning there was no administrative staff present yet. I went back to the Emergency department to ask if anyone had already reported a glitch, and told the reception staff what had happened. I asked what alternative payment method the hospital had in place for when the automatic system developed a fault or was down for maintenance. I was told there was none, also that they couldn't accept cash payment when I then offered. I asked how they would suggest dealing with this before just driving off, which I was entirely sure would raise a penalty alert despite the system apparently not at that moment recognising that I had previously arrived. They said I should try paying at terminals on other levels and also at the exit if still needed, and if after all that the car still wasn't recognised then I could leave with no penalty as the system seemed to have missed my arrival plus I had tried a number of times to make payment one way or another anyway but the Hospital was unable to accept it. I took those steps, nothing was any different, and so shortly afterward I departed though In reality there was nothing I could have done further anyway. As a precaution I put a letter in the post later that same day to both the Chief Administrative Officer and to the Car Park office, registering what had happened. I stressed that in the event of a penalty charge being raised nevertheless I would require their intervention to cancel it in light of my numerous attempts to pay at the time, and also what I was told by their staff. I also advised that I would have no intention of paying such a charge, and would challenge it in the most robust manner. Setting aside the questionable morality of levying parking charges at Hospitals in general, costs at UHC are stupidly high, and because not everyone can, wants, or is able to use the 'Bus, hospital visitors are being treated as a substantial income-stream, which is quite obscene. And yes you guessed correctly ... this morning I received a PCN for £100 ... from Car Parking Partnership, the trading name of ParkingEye Ltd., Chorley. So ... I will now be notifying the Hospital, referencing my earlier letter on the matter, and requiring that they take prompt steps to have the charge cancelled. Given the shabby behaviour of third-party car parking operators however, who appear to display all the courtesy and charm of President Trump and just as much concern for anything other than their own best interests, is there something more that I should sensibly do pro-actively at this point? ... Write to them also? Ignore them completely? Use a particular form of words to the Hospital? Copy-in any other bodies? Any useful guidance would be appreciated, thanks.