City council parking fine - parked on double yellow lines for 7 mins

[abhi6512]

Hello,

Last night I parked on double yellow lines to pick up the grocery bag from a store.
It was an empty city street with very few vehicles around and dark winter night around 9 pm when I parked.

I got a city council parking fine on my windscreen - PCN mentioning that my car being observed for 5 mins. from 21:01 - 21:06 hrs.

I have the grocery store bill mentioning time 21:08 hrs as a supporting evidence to prove that I left the place immediately.
Another reason is that my son was ill back home & I was supposed to get the grocery and rush back home to look after him.

I just want to check if I can appeal city council to waive off this fine for me for following reasons:

1. I just parked for 7 mins
2. That too cos I have to rush back home to attend my sick baby.

[michael]

Re: City council parking fine - parked on double yellow lines for 7 mins

You can appeal, but it will be rejected. DYL's operate 24/7 and although there is a loading exemption, shopping is not part of that.

The only advantage to appealing is that the council will put the penalty on hold and re-offer the 14 day discount when they reject it, which gives you extra time to save up the money.

Depending on how efficient your council is, it could take anywhere between 10 and 60 days for them to respond, plus the additonal 14 days.

[charitynjw]

Re: City council parking fine - parked on double yellow lines for 7 mins

You can appeal, but it will be rejected. DYL's operate 24/7 and although there is a loading exemption, shopping is not part of that.

The only advantage to appealing is that the council will put the penalty on hold and re-offer the 14 day discount when they reject it, which gives you extra time to save up the money.

Depending on how efficient your council is, it could take anywhere between 10 and 60 days for them to respond, plus the additonal 14 days.

Do they take mitigating circumstances into account?

[des8]

Re: City council parking fine - parked on double yellow lines for 7 mins

Most double yellow lines have a loading/unloading exemption, but the time allowed varies between authorities! (sometimes up to 40 minutes!)
So if you do appeal, don't say you were shopping, but you were loading shopping.
Which City are we talking about?

If there were yellow chevrons painted on the kerb there would be no loading concessions

[michael]

Re: City council parking fine - parked on double yellow lines for 7 mins

Do they take mitigating circumstances into account?

They can, in as much as they can use their discretion to cancel for whatever reason they want.

But PCN's these days are a cash cow for councils, so they are more and more inclined to only use discretion in exceptional circumstances.

[abhi6512]

Re: City council parking fine - parked on double yellow lines for 7 mins

I was hoping my child's health (I have a GP appointment slip with me as an evidence) would help !!

No yellow chevrons on the kerb. This is in Southampton city though.

[michael]

Re: City council parking fine - parked on double yellow lines for 7 mins

I was hoping my child's health (I have a GP appointment slip with me as an evidence) would help !!

Unlikely. It merely explains why you were in a hurry and decided to take a chance on DYL's.

We've all done it, unfortunately this time you didn't get way with it

[des8]

Re: City council parking fine - parked on double yellow lines for 7 mins

You'll need to read the traffic order to see what exemption, if any, is allowed for loading/unloading.

You did say you were there " to pick up the grocery bag from a store."i.e. you weren't shopping but only collecting.

[abhi6512]

Re: City council parking fine - parked on double yellow lines for 7 mins

Yeah .. I will try my luck mentioning I was there to pick up the grocery bag which took me 7-8 mins and also add the GP slip that could justify my cause of leaving early from the spot (only loading).

I will post the thread with the outcome of my appeal. For sure it will take weeks before I come back here, depending upon the speed with which the council responds to my appeal !!