I was slapped with £1,900 fine after taking more than five minutes to pay for parking – it’s totally unreasonable
A MOTORIST was slapped with a £1,906 fine after taking more than five minutes to pay for her parking.
Rosey Hudson left her car in a car park in Derby before heading to work in the Derbion centre.
But claims there was no ticket machine in operation at the Copeland Street site and her phone reception was poor so she walked a short distance before paying the £3.30 daily charge via the app.
She did this each time she was working there in February last year, for 10 days in total.
Rosey was horrified when she later received 10 Parking Charge Notices (PCN), each for £100, because she had supposedly breached the “five-minute payment rule” multiple times.
She called it “totally unreasonable” but operator Excel Parking says she is the “author of her own misfortune”.
Rosey – who won the Bikini Athletic Pro Qualifier 2023 – is now taking the company to court.
After receiving the first PCN ordering her to pay £100 within 28 days or £60 if paid within 14 days, she paid it “to keep them off my back”.
But then received the others in quick succession.
The amount has since increased to £1,905.76 because Excel Parking has added an extra £70 “debt recovery” charge to each one, interest of 8% per annum, a £115 court fee, and £80 costs for a legal representative.
Rosey told the BBC: “I haven’t got children but I can imagine a busy mum trying to sort her kids out, trying to pay for something when there’s no signal here, and the machine being out of order.
“This has been going on for over a year now, and I’m just really hoping it can be resolved.
“I desperately don’t want this to happen to anybody else, more than anything, because it gives you a lot of stress.”
In a statement, Excel told the BBC the signage at the car park is “clear” and that there was a “maximum period of five minutes” to buy a ticket.
The firm added that the short window is to “mitigate against abuse” from motorists using the car park to drop off or pick up passengers from nearby retailers.
It claims Rosey took “between 14 and 190 minutes” to purchase “each parking tariff”.
She said this is “ludicrous” and if there was any lengthy delays it was due to the app not processing them immediately.
Excel said Rosey could have paid with cash at a machine – though she says the only machine was out of order.
The company added that she chose not to appeal to the Independent Appeals Service (IAP).
Jumpin Fun, a business next to the car park, told the BBC hundreds of its customers have received PCN letters from Excel Parking.
Manager Nikola Slovakova – who has a folder on her computer of all the complaint emails – said a parking touchscreen was installed in the reception area in a bid to stop people getting PCNs.
But it “caused more harm” as some users still received the fines, and has now been removed, she said.
Excel Parking has made a claim through the Civil National Business Centre against Rosey.
Both parties had a telephone mediation on November 11 but a settlement was not reached.
Rosey said she’s been told there will be a court hearing within six months.
The Sun has contacted Excel for further comment.
Have you been given a PCN at the same car park? Email ryan.merrifield@thesun.co.uk