ZERO TOLERANCE
Keying in the number ‘0’ instead of letter ‘O’ can cost hundreds in parking penalties
GETTING the letter ‘O’ mixed up with number ‘0’ is an easy mistake to make. But get it wrong when using a car parking machine and it can end up costing you hundreds of pounds in fines.
Personal trainer Danni Crawford faces such a demand from debt collectors after failing to key in correctly her car registration number on four separate occasions – tapping in a zero rather than the letter O. She says the first she learned about the errors was when details of the fines, now totalling £640, arrived in the post.
Experts say that motorists that make such honest mistakes in a private car park should not be required to pay any fine.
For 20-year-old Danni, who suffers from dyslexia, her problems began l ast year when new machines were installed in the gym car park she uses for work in Altrincham, Cheshire.
Although parking remained free for the first two hours, the changes meant it was necessary to tap in her car number at a machine and then display a ticket in her car. Although she e did this, the use of number 0, , rather than the letter O, meant she had generated an invalid ticket, leaving her open to a fine. e. Although she did this four times es she insists the mistakes were re genuine.
Failing to take heed of the ini- nitial £60 fine meant the charge per er invalid ticket escalated to £100 00 after a month – and then £160 60 when debt collectors were called in after six weeks. The extra costs were justified on grounds of extra work required to recover the overdue money.
Danni took her case to the independent Parking on Private Land Appeals scheme. But her appeal was rejected because there was clear signage explaining free parking was only available provided a motorist punched in the correct registration number. By getting her letter O and number 0 mixed up, she had been deemed to have failed to abide by the terms and conditions of the car park.
When Danni ignored the scheme’s decision, car park operator Smart Parking handed over the debt to collector Debt Recovery Plus.
Danni’s father Philip says: ‘While it is true my daughter should have taken heed of these fines earlier rather than let them escalate, the reason for the fines is wrong. Danni has been hounded by these debt collectors who have sent threatening letters and she has often been too frightened to open them.’ Earlier this month, Debt Recovery Plus gave notice of court proceedings if she fails to pay up.
She was given a July 2 deadline to pay. In a thinly veiled threat it gave an example of a Scottish motorist ordered to pay £ 24,500 by a Supreme Court ruling this year. Parking campaigner Barrie Segal, who runs website AppealNow, believes Debt Recovery Plus is not acting fairly. He says: ‘If a motorist is dyslexic under the Equality Act 2010 this condition must be taken into account when issuing a ticket and subsequent fine. It also appears Danni’s breach of contract is trivial as there was no charge to pay for the limited time her car was parked and no trespassing was involved. So in court it should be thrown out.’
He adds: ‘My advice to Danni is that she should sit tight and let the firm take the case further. It is employing under hand scare tactics.’ The Mail on Sunday was unable to get a response from Debt Recovery Plus despite numerous phone calls. Private car park firm Smart Parking also failed to respond to our request for a comment.
A spokesman for Parking on Private Land Appeals says: ‘We treat each appeal on an individual basis and in some circumstances we recognise a motorist may have put in an incorrect vehicle registration number.
‘We are able to refer these circumstances back to the operator to ask if it wishes to continue to pursue the motorist and whether the charge should stand.’