On Wed, 17 Nov 2004 09:15:52 -0000, "Carlos"
wrote:

I parked in a pay-and-display area at 17:05. Put £1 in the machine (charge
is £1/hr) and the ticket came out valid until 17:30 after which time parking
is free. The signage also confirmed that parking is chargeable only between
09:00 - 17:30.

Came back to find a parking ticket, time-stamped at 17:36.

Clearly the parking attendant was trying it on, aware that a certain
percentage probably just pay up. But I want to make a stand and sue the
council for wasting my time. Would I be reasonable in charging a £50 admin
charge for having to issue an explanatory note..?

Firstly, you need to check with the cark park owners (not the
ticketing firm) to find out what the extant regulations were on the
day in question. It *may* differ from the notices. However, it is not
unknown for parking wardens to try things on, so if the notices were
current, ring their company and explain the position.

I once parked my motorcycle in a marked motorcycle parking bay in a
local authority car park. The notices did not mention motorcycles.
When I returned, there was a parking ticket jammed down behind the
headlight. Luckily, the wardens were still on site, so I challenged
them. Their answer was that "We didn't know whether motorcycles park
for free or not, so gave you a ticket just in case".

I rang the local authority, who confirmed that motorcycles did indeed
park for free, and gave me the direct phone number for the parking
firm. They cancelled the ticket. Subsequently, the notices were
changed. That was the third ticket that year that I had had withdrawn
- and one of those was issued by a police officer. In each case I had
parked legally. Good Luck.