parking fine in Mullingar

beggars_bush

Was recently in Mullingar and picked up a parking fine

I feel I was treated very harshly by the traffic warden, who saw me parking, sat waiting in his car during a large rain shower until I hadn't returned until after the shower and issued a ticket. I was 18 minutes gone, grace period is 15 minutes.

I appealed but county council turned down the appeal.
what would happen if I ignore the letters sent out to me?

BoB_BoT

Where you parked, was it pay and display?

from citizensinformation.ie

"Under this system, if you receive a parking fine, you must pay the fine to the traffic division of your local authority within a period of 28 days from the date of the fixed charge notice. If you fail to pay within the allotted 28 days, the charge increases by 50 per cent. If the fine is still unpaid after a further 28 days, court proceedings are initiated. Furthermore, if you are convicted of parking dangerously you will receive 5 penalty points and a court fine"

http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/travel_and_recreation/traffic_and_parking/parking_fines_and_vehicle_clamping.html

beggars_bush

It was.
I did not have money on me, went to the bank, cam back and there was the ticket.

The parking warden said he saw me get out of car and he waited until I didn't return.
I was gone 18 minutes.

Are they allowed to do that - just hang around and issue tickets to cars?

endacl

beggars_bush wrote: »

Are they allowed to do that - just hang around and issue tickets to cars?

That's ... Kinda their job ...?

BoB_BoT

I've never heard of a 15 minute grace period for pay and display, the signs even say get your ticket before you park or if during busy periods to get space first, then ticket.

Perhaps it's their own grace period of 15 mins if they come across your car without a ticket and give you the benefit of the doubt to return with a ticket from the machine or if you had to go off and get change.

I'm afraid you're in the wrong here, you used the space without a ticket, 15 or 18 minutes, doesn't really matter, you were caught out.

If there had being a giant sign saying first 15 minutes free, then you'd have a case to argue.

Steven81

Do the crime, get the fine.

beggars_bush

Steven81 wrote: »

Do the crime, get the fine.

its not really a crime.

I didn't know traffic wardens were instructed to go out of their way to catch people out??
I won't be doing anything in Mullingar again

mackerski

beggars_bush wrote: »

I didn't know traffic wardens were instructed to go out of their way to catch people out??

But it seems like he didn't go out of his way. He could have slapped a ticket on the car after 2 minutes. He waited a bit and when you still hadn't come back he finally ticketed you.

I'm having difficulty understanding why you would be surprised by any of this.

beggars_bush

cause that's what he said he did, he told me when I returned.
he sat in his car and waited

there was a huge car park full of cars that could also have been checked.

€40 is a good bit of money to me. would feed me for the week

jamesd

Would have been cheaper to pay the parking fee.

beggars_bush

jamesd wrote: »

Would have been cheaper to pay the parking fee.

really? you're clever
if you read my previous posts, you'd see I had no cash on me when I parked my car.

wesf

beggars_bush wrote: »

really? you're clever
if you read my previous posts, you'd see I had no cash on me when I parked my car.

well don't park in a pay and display spot without money for a ticket, what is so hard to understand?!

beggars_bush

that I tried to go get money to pay, couldn't get back in time and there was a ticket on my car.
I don't know the town so didn't know if there is free parking

wesf

I have yet yo see pay and display with no ticket machine or signs up. Also most towns that size are pay and display so saying you didn't know won't work.
20 minutes is too long to be gone looking for a ticket, there is no "grace period".
You parked in a pay and display spot with no ticket and got done, thats what happens.
If you were gone 2mins looking for a ticket and got done that wouldn't be on but 20mins is taking the p!ss.

athlonelad

You have two options. Pay the €40 fine or fight it in court.
You didn't pay for parking and got caught. Traffic warden was simply just doing their job.
I got a fine recently in athlone and I was only gone less than 5 mins. I took a chance and got caught. My own fault.


Thats what happens when you live life on the edge.

Steven81

If your going to pay the fine in cash make sure you get a ticket too outside the council, its pay and display there too, heard of someone getting a fine paying the fine.

beggars_bush

life on the edge? really?

I won't be going near Mullingar again if the policy of traffic wardens is to hang around your car to issue a fine.

athlonelad

beggars_bush wrote: »

life on the edge? really?

I won't be going near Mullingar again if the policy of traffic wardens is to hang around your car to issue a fine.

Well .......
first stop not paying for parking. Its a slippery slope. Mullingar people think they are deadly with their niall horan but we'll always have joe and donna over them ;-)

Dubl07

beggars_bush wrote: »

life on the edge? really?

I won't be going near Mullingar again if the policy of traffic wardens is to hang around your car to issue a fine.

Traffic Warden

Traffic Wardens are uniformed employees whose duties consist of the enforcement of parking controls and the regulation that prescribes the exhibition of a current road tax disc. They are assigned a particular area to patrol and their visible presence in this area serves as a reminder to drivers to park their vehicles in accordance with bye-laws and other relevant rules.

They're hardly stealth-operatives.

Fuzzy Clam

beggars_bush wrote: »

The parking warden said he saw me get out of car and he waited until I didn't return.
I was gone 18 minutes.

If he waited, then obviously he was giving you some time. They don't wait for you to return and then slap a ticket on you.

I find that it usually better to pay the small parking fee, even the minimum amount allowed. This way if a warden does come along, he he see you,ve paid something and you may get an extra few minutes free.

beggars_bush

Fuzzy Clam wrote: »

If he waited, then obviously he was giving you some time. They don't wait for you to return and then slap a ticket on you.

I find that it usually better to pay the small parking fee, even the minimum amount allowed. This way if a warden does come along, he he see you,ve paid something and you may get an extra few minutes free.

as I said, I had NO CASH on me.

athlonelad

beggars_bush wrote: »

as I said, I had NO CASH on me.

Would you go into a pub or restaurant with no cash. No you wouldn't. If you dont have money to use the service dont use the service. You chanced your arm and got caught. Just take it on the chin.

Fuzzy Clam

beggars_bush wrote: »

as I said, I had NO CASH on me.

That's fine so....