I am acting on behalf of a friend – who is 80 and has terminal cancer – in her battle with ParkingEye. She parked at the short-stay Castle car park in Southampton, displaying her blue badge, for no more than half an hour. A few days later she got a demand for £160 claiming she had parked illegally.
ParkingEye claimed disabled parking is only allowed in marked bays. But it also suggested she had parked at Town Quay, in a different part of Southampton. She hasn’t been to this car park for 10 years or so and has had no reason to (it is offices and a ferry terminal).
We have tried to explain all of this by phone, email and letter but ParkingEye is having none of it. It even suggested we go to the police to get crime numbers etc so it might then accept someone had stolen her car briefly and parked there. We requested they send all correspondence to me as she is so vulnerable, but they ignore that.
I’d like to make a counter claim for costs, damages, harassment, etc. JS, Southampton
Your friend insisted she had parked in a different place, but ParkingEye told us, in no uncertain terms, it has photographic evidence that she was parked (illegally) in the other location. It also disputes your version of events and says it did not suggest that you go to the police. It says it issued a parking notice because your friend did not pay for parking when she should have done.
The AA says that having a blue badge doesn’t let you park anywhere – you have to follow the usual regulations (there is helpful advice on Citizens Advice) and there may be local restrictions.
Even if her number plate was “cloned” (which presumably would have led to a flurry of further demands like this), it thinks that if ParkingEye has photographic evidence of the vehicle’s whereabouts, it should show you. It inists it did this in its initial letter.
But ParkingEye has now agreed to cancel its action as a goodwill gesture.
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