G24 PCN - no Permit - Sports Direct & Matalan​​​​​​​, Heathcote Road, Longton, Stoke on Trent ST3. Voluntary 73yrs Old NHS Responder

[Doffydel]

I received a charge notice for parking on a town carpark monitored by G24. 

 

I am a 73 year old NHS Responder and had an urgent request to collect emergency medication for a neighbour.  In my haste I parked as near to the pharmacy as I could, thinking I would be only a couple of minutes and also believing that the car park was free because of the lockdown. There was a queue in the pharmacy and it took me half an hour to get the medication.  My neighbour died shortly afterwards. 

 

I received the penalty notice from G24 demanding £100, and immediately responded with an appeal.  They claim they responded but I did not receive the letter. 

 

A second, identical, penalty notice arrived two months later and I again responded immediately with a copy of my previous letter.  G24 responded and denied my appeal, then referred me to an Independent Appeal Service in Macclesfield.  The IAS refuted my claim, saying I am out of time because I did not respond within 21 days when my first appeal was denied - this is because that communication did not reach me. G24 have confirmed that they are willing for my independent appeal to proceed but the IAS now want £15 to consider the appeal and have rejected my application. 

 

I cannot afford this amount and it is extremely unfair to penalise me for doing my Christian duty when a vulnerable person was in dire need.  I am an NHS Responder voluntarily and at my own expense, so why should I have to pay out £100 when consideration should be given to the circumstances surrounding the "misdemeanour".  Yes, I parked, but if an ambulance had parked, would there still have been a penalty charge ?  I was as much part of the NHS as an ambulance on that occasion and therefore I feel strongly that G24 should take the circumstances into account.

[Doffydel]

1 Date of the infringement  8th December 2020

 

2 Date on the NTK [this must have been received within 14 days from the 'offence' date]  11th December 2020
 

3 Date received 15th December 2020
 

4 Does the NTK mention schedule 4 of The Protections of Freedoms Act 2012? [Y/N?] No
 

5 Is there any photographic evidence of the event? Yes
 

6 Have you appealed? [Y/N?] post up your appeal] Yes
 

Have you had a response? [Y/N?] post it up Yes
 

7 Who is the parking company? G24

 

8. Where exactly [carpark name and town] Sports Direct & Matalan, Heathcote Road, Longton, Stoke on Trent ST3 2NU

For either option, does it say which appeals body they operate under. IAS
 

Working on putting all the documents into a single PDF to make things easier.

 

In answer to the query about two fines, both notifications refer to the same date, 8th December 2020. 

 

What I can't understand is why G24 claim to have received my first letter dated 15th December and denied my appeal, then sent a duplicate notice for the same misdemeanour. 

 

The IAS have said that because G24 denied my appeal on 30th December (a letter that did not reach me) I am now time-barred from appealing to them unless I pay £15, despite the letter from G24 saying that they are willing for me to follow the Standard Procedure. 

 

Clearly a put-up job and I'm not falling for it.

 

I hope I have done this correctly !

Thank you

D.

 

Doc File.pdf

[Doffydel]

I don't really want to involve the Press as often everything gets taken out of context and they insist on publishing your age and personal details before anything else. 

 

I have already warned all my friends in the area about that car park and spoken with the two shops adjoining the car park, so they will also warn people that G24 are on the prowl all the time. 

 

As a volunteer with the NHS they don't actually do anything to assist, as it's just a case of "get on with it" and they won't take responsibility for any difficulty or cost you incur in the process of being kind and helpful at your own cost.  Although I am disillusioned by the system I still want to help people. 

 

The fact is that I would have paid the parking charge if I had thought the machines were in operation, as throughout the first lockdown they were not operative and were covered up, but on that day it was pouring with rain, dark and misty, and I was in such a hurry that I completely forgot to check whether the machines were functional.  My own fault, but in an emergency you don't always think of anything but the emergency itself. 

 

Thanks for your comments.

 

Thank you DX100uk.  I appreciate what you have done and I will do what you suggest.

[Doffydel]

Thank you for your support. They're heartless, but I'm grateful to have found this action group to help and advise me. Cheers.

[Doffydel]

I have now received what they call a "Final Notice, of which a "sanitised" version is attached.  I hope someone will "eat them for breakfast", as suggested previously !!  I will be so grateful and happy to make a donation !! Thank you in advance and fingers crossed !!

 

final notice.pdf

[Doffydel]

So far so good, I haven't heard anything since the third (final) demand. Thank you!