Gemini PCN- Queens hospital car park Romford - im a doctor!

[Omarsharif]

I have just received a debt recovery demand of £160 on behalf of Gemini car parks.

 

 

Apparently, on 17 October 2016 (two and a half months ago), I parked in a disabled bay in the hospital car park in Romford.

 

This is the first I have heard of it. I had no ticket on the car, and I have had no notice to keeper by post.

 

I have to park here regularly because I work as a doctor in the hospital.

 

 

It is possible I parked there when I was in a rush to get to my shift and there was no other parking space.

 

I am fed up with this company and their tricks, as are many of my colleagues who have similar experiences.

 

Does anyone have any advice?

[Omarsharif]

Thanks.

[Omarsharif]

Many thanks for the replies.

 

ericsbrother, I have tried to upload a pdf scan of the letterf; I hope you can read it.

It seems like a standard debt recovery letter, with date of notice 04/01/17 and date of the parking charge 17/10/16.

 

This is the first I have heard of the ticket, but I know they will say they left a ticket on the windscreen and wrote a NTK by post, even though I didn't receive either. It seems I have lost my right to appeal because of time, but I will approach POPLA anyway.

 

I would be very grateful for any suggestions.

img100.pdf

Edited January 9, 2017 by Omarsharif

[Omarsharif]

Thank you so much. I have asked Gemini for a POPLA code, but I won't hold my breath. I will do as you suggest and let you know what happens.

[Omarsharif]

do staff have to pay to park?

or do you have a free area to use that was full

whats the normal MO for staff there and parking?

 

 

dx

 

Yes. There is a staff car park, for which you need a pass which was about £60 a month when I last checked, but it is very over-subscribed and there is a long waiting list, so I (like many others) don't have one. We have to use the public car park which is more expensive and often full.

[Omarsharif]

That's not a very satisfactory arrangement, is it? It can't be easy to be at work on time if you're trying to park. When my father was very ill in Oxford last year, parking was a nightmare for visitors, but I didn't think hospitals would let staff go through the same.

 

I know this is a side issue to your ticket, but would people who are affected band together and ask for something to be done?

 

HB

 

No, it is not satisfactory. On arrival at the hospital both doctor and patient have to put up with the stress of driving round and round to find a space at a time when it is really important for both to be calm. However, parking is a common problem for hospitals. I'm sorry about your father.

[Omarsharif]

so, for the moment you are taking the matter up with your employer and ignoring the parking co. If you dont get anywhere with your employer then you will need to write a letter telling the parking co or their pet lawyers to get lost because.... but for the moment we will use the other approach .

 

however we still need to see pictures of the signage at all the various car parks and also you can have a look at your employment contract to see what it says about parking since you pay to be there. If you pay directly out of your salary there must be terms attached so we will need to see them.

I'm not sure the hospital will be very helpful, but I have copied my complaint to the BPA to the site director. There is nothing in my contract about parking. I don't have a staff car park pass, and I don't think they are even giving any out except to junior doctors, which is fair enough. I have to hope what you said about Gemini having badly written contracts is true.

[Omarsharif]

signage please

 

Thank you for your continued support. I actually work at both Queen's and King George hospitals, and unfortunately I am not going to Queen's until next week, when I will get pictures.

[Omarsharif]

This is the BPA's response:

 

The BPA is not a regulator for private parking companies we have no legal authority.

We will investigate any complaints about alleged non-compliance with the Approved Operator Scheme Code of Practice,

however, we are not set up to deal with disputes from the general public about parking or control.

 

 

Therefore the Code does not provide a way for a driver to challenge how a landowner or operator has applied parking control and enforcement on private land.

 

 

Any challenge or appeal is a matter for the landowners or operators procedure, with the option of taking it to POPLA, and or the courts. We will not get involved in the arbitration of a dispute between an operator and an individual.

 

The parking charge process is such that a motorist has 28 days to appeal to the parking operator from the date of the parking charge notice.

 

 

If the charge is not paid or appealed, then the operator will escalate the charge to debt collection.

Once a charge has been escalated to debt collection, the option of POPLA is no longer available.

 

Following the review of the below,

we note you advise you did not receive a copy of the documents which Gemini advise were issued.

 

 

With regard to a notice to keeper,

unfortunately, unless recorded delivery is used we are unable to ascertain whether mail has or has not been received.

 

 

As it is not currently a requirement of the Code that the operator send mail recorded delivery,

if they are able to provide the documents they advise have been sent,

we cannot advise there to be a breach of the Code.

 

We also understand that Gemini Parking Solutions have advised that the notice to driver was affixed to your vehicle.

As per our Code

if a motorist requests photographic evidence of the charge,

that should be provided by the parking operator,

 

 

but as we do not hold this information,

we are unable to accommodate your request directly.

 

 

You should first direct this query to Gemini to obtain the details you have requested.

 

So it seems we are no further forward.

[Omarsharif]

So here's where we are:

The BPA seems happy for these scams to continue.

The Trust has bigger problems.

I would have been happy to pay for a ticket at the initial rate, but I've decided to ignore the £160 demand. One of my colleagues has a drawer full of parking-related demands, and ignoring them seems relatively common.

 

Thanks everyone for your suggestions.