Parking fine (but had a ticket)

Docmac

I parked in greystones a few weeks back with my mother, and we parked at the 'south beach' area on the mill road. We couldn't see a parking ticket machine so she walked across the road to get one from the closest ticket machine (this ticket machine is just inside the tiny car park at south beach, directly opposite where we parked). We did not notice any distinct difference between parking area / boundaries.

Foolishly we set off with our ticket displayed in the car window valid from 14.26 to 16.26, happy as Larry (we were trying to give the ticket away when leaving as we left at half 3! Always pass on a good spare ticket but there was no one around, and thank god we didn't! More people might have got fined)

When we got back to the car there was a parking ticket with fine from Wicklow county council at 15.03. My mother rang up to explain the Monday after, and on the phone they said oh yes that should be fine just send in the ticket and fine. Now they sent back that they rejected the ticket, and go ahead and pay.

Its not that much money but Jesus where has common decency gone on their part, its the principle that is bothering us! We will probably just pay but, any thoughts or similar experience? They would want to make their parking protocols and boundaries a bit clearer imo!

Alun

The 'tiny' car park is a private one for the shops there, managed by a private contractor. I don't recall there being any machines there as I haven't used it in a while, but it's possible they've since made that pay and display as well.

The parking bays on the opposite side of the road are pay and display run by the council, and there's a ticket machine here https://www.google.ie/maps/@53.1429769,-6.0603316,3a,75y,186.84h,82t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s8wi2eAVbCuYJFAaPmpK4qA!2e0!7i13312!8i6656?hl=en and another one a bit further up.