Parking fine because ticket wasn't visible

martipants

I park in the Quay St car park in Balbriggan every weekday at about 6:50am before taking the train. One morning last month, the ticket I'd bought must have fallen out of sight from the dashboard as I closed the door. I returned to my car that evening to find a fine on the windscreen.

As I found the purchased ticket easily enough and it had the time and date on it I sent it off with the fine and a nice note Fingal Co. Co., asking them to reconsider. Today I received notice that my appeal has been rejected due to the fact that the ticket wasn't displayed correctly and that the €40 fine is to be paid in the next 10 days. If that's left unpaid I think it'll go up to €60 and if that's not paid I suppose it will go to court?

I'm half considering paying the fine for a quiet life, but it galls me that Fingal Co. Co. get almost €500 a year from me alone, in that carpark alone. It's got to count for something that I bought my ticket as usual that morning, fine, I should have double checked it was in sight, (believe me, I do so now!) but I feel that I fulfilled my part of the transaction.

I'm writing this partly to warn anyone who uses paid public parking like me and partly to see if there are any others out there who've had the same experience. Has anyone gone as far as court with this (I'm realy tempted!)

Happy commuting!:)

ballooba

martipants wrote: »

It's got to count for something that I bought my ticket as usual that morning, fine, I should have double checked it was in sight, (believe me, I do so now!) but I feel that I fulfilled my part of the transaction.

It's called Pay And Display. You completed half your obligation.

corktina

a bit harsh...i think they could leave you off with a warning or something.....i wonder would the court throw it out?

I guess they would argue that you could have obtained a used ticket from someone else parking there that day....

Del2005

It's pay and display as ballooba said, not pay and fall off. You've no comeback.

What p!sses me off about this is that they removed the stickers from the tickets and now they can fall off the dash, as happened to the OP.

Why don't they put the stickers back on so we can stick them onto the windscreen?

keano_afc

Happened to me in Blackrock last year. Put the ticket on the dash but it was blowing a fierce gale and the ticket must have blown across the dash and ended up upside down. I get back to the car and find a ticket on my window. Took it to the Garda station who told me they couldnt help. I done the same as you, photocopied the ticket and sent it back with the fine. Appeal rejected. I paid the €40, but in coins.

Creamy Goodness

Del2005 wrote: »

It's pay and display as ballooba said, not pay and fall off. You've no comeback.

What p!sses me off about this is that they removed the stickers from the tickets and now they can fall off the dash, as happened to the OP.

Why don't they put the stickers back on so we can stick them onto the windscreen?

why can't you just check it's visible before leaving the car? if there's no sticker on it and it's windy i normally put something on top of the ticket (obviously still showing it) to stop it from blowing around.

steyr fan

it's gas on a windy day saying 'stay' to the ticket (as if speaking to a dog) before closing the door.

Del2005

Cremo wrote: »

why can't you just check it's visible before leaving the car? if there's no sticker on it and it's windy i normally put something on top of the ticket (obviously still showing it) to stop it from blowing around.

I do, but it would be easier if the stickers where still on them:D

Victor

But whent hey were stickers people were complaining that they fell down because of condensation! Wa, wa WA!

Get a holder like you have for your tax disk and put it in that.

lynchie

martipants wrote: »

I park in the Quay St car park in Balbriggan every weekday at about 6:50am before taking the train. One morning last month, the ticket I'd bought must have fallen out of sight from the dashboard as I closed the door. I returned to my car that evening to find a fine on the windscreen.

As I found the purchased ticket easily enough and it had the time and date on it I sent it off with the fine and a nice note Fingal Co. Co., asking them to reconsider. Today I received notice that my appeal has been rejected due to the fact that the ticket wasn't displayed correctly and that the €40 fine is to be paid in the next 10 days. If that's left unpaid I think it'll go up to €60 and if that's not paid I suppose it will go to court?

I'm half considering paying the fine for a quiet life, but it galls me that Fingal Co. Co. get almost €500 a year from me alone, in that carpark alone. It's got to count for something that I bought my ticket as usual that morning, fine, I should have double checked it was in sight, (believe me, I do so now!) but I feel that I fulfilled my part of the transaction.

I'm writing this partly to warn anyone who uses paid public parking like me and partly to see if there are any others out there who've had the same experience. Has anyone gone as far as court with this (I'm realy tempted!)

Happy commuting!:)

If you were to go to court and you could produce the ticket for the date and time, how would the council prove that it was not visible in the car?

Saruman

Exactly... You have proof you had a ticket for that time. Its up to them to prove you did not. Unless they took photo's of your car clearly not displaying a ticket then it could be down to the inspector just not seeing it.

Victor

Saruman wrote: »

Exactly... You have proof you had a ticket for that time. Its up to them to prove you did not. Unless they took photo's of your car clearly not displaying a ticket then it could be down to the inspector just not seeing it.

They often take photos.

Saruman

Victor wrote: »

They often take photos.

In that case... pay the fine before it gets any larger.

Fratton Fred

Those tickets always worry me, so I always have a check befoire I walk off.

I parked in Glathule the other day, walked to the ticket machine, which was broken so i walked to the next one, around the corner and by the time I came back there was a warden writing out a ticket!! I did say to him where I had been and he said how was he to know, I asked him how long had I been there then and he said he didn't know, fortunately we managed to sort it out, but if I had been one minute lionger he would have fined me.

Ford Cortina

Victor wrote: »

But whent hey were stickers people were complaining that they fell down because of condensation! Wa, wa WA!

Get a holder like you have for your tax disk and put it in that.

I had a holder (like a tax disk one) for my ticket, and I still got a parking fine. Apparently the inspector was looking for my ticket on the top of the dash where most other people place it. You can't win. The inspector may as well cherry pick which cars he will issue a fine for.

I know someone that does this job and he said that your job performance is based on number of fines issued. It's factored in at the start of the year (as guarenteed income) when council budgets are prepared. He said if it was coming up to 3pm on Friday and the quota was not met, he could have "momentary instances" of not seeing a ticket. He said usually he was more cautious and spread the quota evenly throughout the day and week. Also cars belonging to certain people are not to be given tickets. I will not mention which council as it is being done to this day.

I guess he wants to keep his job.

martipants

All valid points, and thanks for taking the time to reply.
Yes, I should have checked and will do so from now on!
I've invested in some bluetac for the dash!
I'll pay the fine, but you can be sure I'll make sure I'm down there early enough to park for free in the station carpark to 'make' my money back off them. It's petty, I know but it makes me feel a bit better.:rolleyes:
I really like the idea of paying it back in coins...i and 2 cent pieces methinks

Ham'nd'egger

martipants wrote: »

I really like the idea of paying it back in coins...i and 2 cent pieces methinks

Marti, they have the legal right to refuse any transaction that tenders 50 or more coins (And they will, you are not the first to think of it) so save yourself a trip to the bank.

martipants

Aw Rats!
Thanks ham'nd'egger!

Could be worse, I've heard of one Car Park in the UK where they have fined drivers for displaying the ticket "upside down" :eek: Bastárds!!!!

must find the story

edit: just googled - hundreds of different stories!!!!