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i hoped someone could help me with the below. In summary we have received 3 PCN’s for overstaying in the car park at my daughters nursery. There’s a 10 (or 20 minute) window that we weren’t informed of and the nursery and landowner will not support me in revoking these claims.
We joined my daughters nursery on 30.11.22 and saw the parking signs from Smart Parking in the car park. Having read the sign which stipulated “authorised users” could park there, I considered us as authorised users as we are customers of one of the businesses in the car park. I had seen other parents park there and with no information provided otherwise I continued to park there to drop off and collect my daughter.
On 03.01.23 I received a PCN for parking at the nursery for 40 minutes on 30.11.22. I immediately contacted the nursery who told me there is a 20 minute limit for the car park. I told her that I had parked for 40 minutes as my daughter tantrumed after her first day at nursery and refused to get in the car, I also told them that no one had told us about this time limit and it wasn’t written on the signs. I asked if they could contact the landowner and ask them to support my appeal.
We have now received 2 other fines for parking over 20 minutes in the nursery car park during December and the landowner is refusing to support us as “if she revokes our fine she’ll have to revoke everyone’s”.
i have argued with the nursery on this, that on the multiple emails, phone calls and face to face meetings we had with them during our first week of joining the nursery no one told us about this time limit, or that we wouldn’t be considered an authorised user of the car park as noted on the signs.
the nursery have since replied to say it’s in the newsletter (which we didn’t receive as we joined after the date it’s sent out), and on the websites about page. I’ve since checked and the about page states:
“Additionally, we are able to offer parking to parents on a first come first served basis. This provides the added benefit of being able to drive to the nursery in the morning and leave the car in our secure car park, the station and all local bus routes are then just a short walk away. For further details of our parking facilities please contact us.
It should be noted that the car park is not owned by the Nursery and without parking being previously arranged with us, users of the car park are only permitted a 10 minute window in which to drop off or collect their children from the Nursery.”
which is different to the 20 minute time limit that I was previously told. And I think it’s silly to assume I’m going to scour the website for parking information, they gave us so much documentation and we had multiple meetings with them where they could have told us the parking rules.
from 30.11.22 to 03.01.23 we had no idea of any time limit in the car park, and are now in reciept of 3 fines. I assume there will be more because whether it’s a 10 minutes or 20 minutes time limit, it’s not a very long time to get a toddler in the car, especially if you’re not aware of a deadline.
we pay a lot of money for the nursery and generally I don’t think customers should have to pay £180 in fines when they weren’t told the rules. Our fines could actually total £300 as due to postal strikes, we didn’t receive any of the PCNs until a month later.
I have appealed the first two tickets and smart parking haven’t confirmed reciept so I have to call them today.
do I have any legal standing to get out of these fines without the landowners support?
i hoped someone could help me with the below. In summary we have received 3 PCN’s for overstaying in the car park at my daughters nursery. There’s a 10 (or 20 minute) window that we weren’t informed of and the nursery and landowner will not support me in revoking these claims.
We joined my daughters nursery on 30.11.22 and saw the parking signs from Smart Parking in the car park. Having read the sign which stipulated “authorised users” could park there, I considered us as authorised users as we are customers of one of the businesses in the car park. I had seen other parents park there and with no information provided otherwise I continued to park there to drop off and collect my daughter.
On 03.01.23 I received a PCN for parking at the nursery for 40 minutes on 30.11.22. I immediately contacted the nursery who told me there is a 20 minute limit for the car park. I told her that I had parked for 40 minutes as my daughter tantrumed after her first day at nursery and refused to get in the car, I also told them that no one had told us about this time limit and it wasn’t written on the signs. I asked if they could contact the landowner and ask them to support my appeal.
We have now received 2 other fines for parking over 20 minutes in the nursery car park during December and the landowner is refusing to support us as “if she revokes our fine she’ll have to revoke everyone’s”.
i have argued with the nursery on this, that on the multiple emails, phone calls and face to face meetings we had with them during our first week of joining the nursery no one told us about this time limit, or that we wouldn’t be considered an authorised user of the car park as noted on the signs.
the nursery have since replied to say it’s in the newsletter (which we didn’t receive as we joined after the date it’s sent out), and on the websites about page. I’ve since checked and the about page states:
“Additionally, we are able to offer parking to parents on a first come first served basis. This provides the added benefit of being able to drive to the nursery in the morning and leave the car in our secure car park, the station and all local bus routes are then just a short walk away. For further details of our parking facilities please contact us.
It should be noted that the car park is not owned by the Nursery and without parking being previously arranged with us, users of the car park are only permitted a 10 minute window in which to drop off or collect their children from the Nursery.”
which is different to the 20 minute time limit that I was previously told. And I think it’s silly to assume I’m going to scour the website for parking information, they gave us so much documentation and we had multiple meetings with them where they could have told us the parking rules.
from 30.11.22 to 03.01.23 we had no idea of any time limit in the car park, and are now in reciept of 3 fines. I assume there will be more because whether it’s a 10 minutes or 20 minutes time limit, it’s not a very long time to get a toddler in the car, especially if you’re not aware of a deadline.
we pay a lot of money for the nursery and generally I don’t think customers should have to pay £180 in fines when they weren’t told the rules. Our fines could actually total £300 as due to postal strikes, we didn’t receive any of the PCNs until a month later.
I have appealed the first two tickets and smart parking haven’t confirmed reciept so I have to call them today.
do I have any legal standing to get out of these fines without the landowners support?
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