A man who has successfully fought a parking ticket worth £4.50 issued four years ago says he won a victory “for the small man”.
Andrew Mogridge was issued with the ticket during a visit to a car park in Peterborough.
When he tried to pay the amount it would not accept his debit or credit cards so he popped to a nearby shop for the cash.
By the time the 59-year-old got back the amount had increased to £6.50 which was more money than he had, so he decided to pay when he got home.
When he got home he found it was now £7 and he decided not to pay as the machine being out of order “wasn’t his fault”.
The issue went through the courts by which time it had escalated to £300 and Andrew emerged victorious.
He told Peterborough Telegraph: “‘They sent me lots of letters, and the fee reached £300 by the end, and it was taken to court.
"It was very nerve wracking, as if I had lost I would have had a CCJ against me and my credit rating would have fallen through the floor. Doing this isn’t for the faint hearted.
"But it was a victory for the small man. I know lots of people have been stung by machines that are not working in Peterborough.”
A spokesman for Britannia Parking said they could not comment on individual cases, but changed had been made due to a shift towards card payments.
They told the Peterborough Telegraph: “Britannia Parking is a responsible car park operator and manager of more than 30 years’ standing and we take our responsibilities very seriously.
“Whilst we cannot comment on individual circumstances, following the pandemic there has been a large shift towards card payments and as a result we installed new pay on arrival payment machines in October 2020 that accept card payments only along with offering the Pay By Phone and pay-online services.
“We encourage all motorists to make themselves familiar with the terms and conditions of our car parks.
“We are a member of the British Parking Association and operate strictly in accordance with the industry’s Approved Operators Code of Conduct.”
