Hospital parking "fines"**......are they always enforced?

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Dave7

Legendary Member
Location
Cheshire
As a cancer treatment patient I used to get free parking at our 2 hospitals. Now they have sub contracted it to one of the big outfits and they have those machines were you have to key in your full reg number and pay according to how long you have been. If you dont pay etc. they will fine** you
(**I know they are really charges as against lagal fines).
So........
Bearing in mind that if you refused to pay they would have to take you to court (which would be expensive)......I was wondering how likely it is that they would actually do that for a one off charge of,say £60.00
And.....if they did and they won... would you have to pay thier court costs?
 

midlife

Guru
Here at the Cumberland Infirmary parking charges are enforced and yes they will take the matter to court (and have done).

Since Barry Beavis lost his case the situation is much clearer......
https://www.lawgazette.co.uk/law/supreme-court-dismisses-85-parking-ticket-challenge/5051987.article
 

woodbutcher

Veteran
Location
S W France
As a cancer treatment patient I used to get free parking at our 2 hospitals. Now they have sub contracted it to one of the big outfits and they have those machines were you have to key in your full reg number and pay according to how long you have been. If you dont pay etc. they will fine** you
(**I know they are really charges as against lagal fines).
So........
Bearing in mind that if you refused to pay they would have to take you to court (which would be expensive)......I was wondering how likely it is that they would actually do that for a one off charge of,say £60.00
And.....if they did and they won... would you have to pay thier court costs?
I would lay odds that they would take you to court if that is an option for them. The "big outfit" you refer to won't be short of money and in any case their legal costs will be a business cost and so tax deductible !! Plus they will want to make an example of you in order to deter other would be non-payers.
You would be taking a risk !
 
OP
OP
Dave7

Dave7

Legendary Member
Location
Cheshire
I would lay odds that they would take you to court if that is an option for them. The "big outfit" you refer to won't be short of money and in any case their legal costs will be a business cost and so tax deductible !! Plus they will want to make an example of you in order to deter other would be non-payers.
You would be taking a risk !
I tend to agree with you. I have no intentions of testing this out.....its just got me thinking eg what if I made an error when keying my reg number in. Technically I would have broken the "contract" so they could fine/charge me. Would they take that to court if I refused to pay? Not expecting you to know the answer.. . just airing thoughts:sad:
 

Sharky

Guru
Location
Kent
I tend to agree with you. I have no intentions of testing this out.....its just got me thinking eg what if I made an error when keying my reg number in. Technically I would have broken the "contract" so they could fine/charge me. Would they take that to court if I refused to pay? Not expecting you to know the answer.. . just airing thoughts:sad:
At a local park I typed in the reg no of our other car. Got a letter with a fine, but I contested, explaining that I did pay and sent them a copy of the ticket proving it. Heard nothing more.
 

13 rider

Guru
Location
leicester
@Dave7 I believe Macmillan UK will remeberse your parking charges .Seems a travesty that a charity has to do this for patient having on going cancer treatment and a private company still makes money out of patients but that's the world we live in . Least it would save you getting fined . Worth looking in to
 

BoldonLad

Not part of the Elite
Location
South Tyneside
I tend to agree with you. I have no intentions of testing this out.....its just got me thinking eg what if I made an error when keying my reg number in. Technically I would have broken the "contract" so they could fine/charge me. Would they take that to court if I refused to pay? Not expecting you to know the answer.. . just airing thoughts:sad:
Despite the scare stories in (sorry for using these words), the Daily Mail, etc, my experience of errors and parking, have all ended favourably (for me). You just need to act. Write or Email, explain the error, enclose the proof. If possible, I always pay for parking via phone app (not only hospital parking), that way, you get a time-stamped log of the transaction.
 

13 rider

Guru
Location
leicester
Most hospitals remit or discount parking charges for cancer patients and other patients receiving long term treatments.
I think that's when the hospital runs the car park but in op case car park is run by a private company out to make a profit
 
And.....if they did and they won... would you have to pay thier court costs?

Yes, I believe as the losing party you have to pay the winning party's legal fees. So a £60.00 fine can quite quickly become a few hundred to pay.
 
OP
OP
Dave7

Dave7

Legendary Member
Location
Cheshire
I think that's when the hospital runs the car park but in op case car park is run by a private company out to make a profit
Yes.....with the appointment letter is a leaflet explaining that they no longer control the car park and that everyone has to pay.
 
U

User33236

Guest
I think that's when the hospital runs the car park but in op case car park is run by a private company out to make a profit
The NHS FT I worked for had outsourced parking but still had free parking for certain medical conditions and discounted parking for visitors fulllfilling certain criteria.

Other option is move to Scotland where parking at hospitals is free*

*I believe there are two exceptions where hospitals had entered long contracts will outside companies.
 

gavgav

Guru
Most hospitals remit or discount parking charges for cancer patients and other patients receiving long term treatments.

Yes.....with the appointment letter is a leaflet explaining that they no longer control the car park and that everyone has to pay.

That’s scandalous @Dave7

When my mum was in the QE, having her cancer treatment, the private parking company there allowed us a pass to show, which meant we didn’t have to pay, as per @User’s post.
 

BoldonLad

Not part of the Elite
Location
South Tyneside
I think that's when the hospital runs the car park but in op case car park is run by a private company out to make a profit
Our local hospital has outsourced parking, but, long term outpatients, including those for cancer treatment get free parking, on application. Similarly, visitors of long term patients can reduce costs by buying “season ticket” type parking.
 
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