Parking warning as woman fined after meter broken but she left a friendly note

11 February 2023 , 13:28

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Janice Bailey received a parking ticket fine when returning to her car despite the parking machine being ‘out of order’ (Image: Matt Gilley/PlymouthLive)

A woman received a parking warning after the pay meter was broken, despite leaving a friendly note to inform the warden of what happened.

The tour guide was slapped with a parking fine, despite claiming that the ticket machine was out of order.

Janice Bailey has now urged other motorists to be vigilant and to never park without paying, even if you leave a friendly note to inform the warden of the case.

Since receiving the fine, Janice says she was embroiled in a back and forth dispute with Plymouth Council.

She says she received the penalty charge notice at the beginning of January, despite thinking she would be let off as the machine she used was "covered" and visibly "out of order".

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Janice tried appealing the notice, but it was rejected (Getty image) (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

And as she did not have any other form of payment other than coins, and did not know how to use an app to pay, which Janice says she wrote a note of explaining.

However, her appeal has since been rejected.

As a result, Janice has been forced to cough up the £25 fee, saying she has 'given up' appealing the ticket any further.

She told Plymouth Live: "I just feel very cross and inflamed.

"Apparently I should have scanned a barcode but I didn't have my phone on me, and I don't have internet on my phone anyway. People older than myself in their 70s and 80s must not know what to do; I wouldn't have a bloody clue even if I did have my phone."

She said she had no other means of paying the ticket, as she only had coins on her persons (Getty image) (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Janice parked at Derrys Cross, near The Athenaeum, on January 11 at 12.05pm, and 30 minutes later received the penalty charge notice.

Subsequently, she lodged an appeal with the council but was unsuccessful, and so has warned other motorists to never take the risk and either find alternative ways to pay or park somewhere else.

She said: "The car parking department have told me that their cameras showed the meter was working. But if it was working, why was it covered? Please be careful motorists in Plymouth: if a meter isn't working, park elsewhere.

"I should have taken a photograph on my iPad really, I wish I did. I’m not going to get my money back but I can warn other people."

Janice has now been forced to cough up the £25 parking charge (Getty image) (Getty Images)

A Plymouth City Council spokesperson said they could not comment on an individual case, but did say: “If a parking machine is out of order people should use an alternative method of payment (for example phone call, text or the RingGo app or website), use another machine nearby (where available) or move to an alternative location with a working machine.

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“As we announced in November, we will be soon be removing cash payments and upgrading all on-street machines to accept payments by phone, credit and debit cards and mobile apps. This will offer more payment options for drivers while also removing the need for cash to be collected, stored and processed, reducing the city’s carbon footprint."

They added: “If someone feels they have been issued with a penalty charge notice unfairly or in error they can submit an appeal. Details on how to do this are enclosed with the notice and can be found on our website.

“If an appeal is not upheld then the reasons for this are explained, along with further routes of appeal, should that person wish to challenge the findings.”

Sarah Elmes