A PENSIONER says she’s being threatened by bailiffs over a £1.60 parking ticket she’s already paid for.
Francis Joy, 75, was slapped with a £170 fine from private firm ParkingEye after leaving her car to take her daughter’s cat to the vet.
Francis says she the prospect of going to court is making her feel quite sick[/caption]
She says she paid for the ticket in Eltham, southeast London, before displaying it on her dashboard – and has accused the machine of being “rigged”.
Francis says the prospect of now having to appeal the charge in court is making her feel “quite ill”.
She was taking sick cat Mo to the vet in Passey Place with her daughter Michelle, 48, on January 29 when the incident occurred.
Michelle entered the car’s registration into the machine and Francis attempted to pay the £1.60 with her contactless card, but it was not accepted, she said.
“This card has never been declined before or since,” Francis told The Sun.
“I therefore told my daughter to go to the vet appointment and I would go back to the car, which was parked a few yards away, and find some cash.”
After fishing out a £2 coin, she paid the £1.60 for an hour, but says she wasn’t given any change before displaying the ticket on her dashboard.
She said no one else appeared to be in the car park or using the machine during this time.
Two weeks later, Francis received a £60 fine – and on appeal was told her registration was not in the machine.
“They refused my appeal and are now sending bailiffs,” said Francis.
“It is quite obvious I paid to park, it is causing me quite a lot of stress at a very bad time.”
The company had offered to reduce the fine to £20 before it was bumped up to £170 but Francis said: “I can prove I paid, and I have the ticket.
“It’s the principle, they are doing all this to get some money out of me, and I think it’s so wrong, it’s like they rigged the machine.”
Francis asked a solicitor she previously worked for to send a letter to ParkingEye on her behalf, but claims this was ignored.
She has since received a letter saying DCBL Bailiffs have been instructed to collect £170 from her.
The letter said she could no longer appeal the charge, and the next chance she could do so would be in court.
The Sun contacted ParkingEye for comment and a spokesperson said: “On this occasion the motorist failed to register their vehicle correctly and received a parking charge.
“Their appeal was rejected and we offered a further reduced amount of £20.”
“The motorist failed to make the £20 payment or use the additional appeals process to POPLA, and therefore the case has now been escalated to debt recovery”, the company added.
She forwarded the ticket she paid for as proof to ParkingEye[/caption]