Woman charged £11k by parking firm ‘beats them at their own game’

A motorist who was issued £11,000 in parking fines has successfully managed to avoid paying the eye-watering fee after a court case. One of the worst experiences a driver can have is returning to their car after a busy day only to find that a yellow penalty charge notice (PCN) has been stuck on the windscreen. This was certainly the case for Hannah Robinson, 21, from Darlington, who regularly parked in the Feethams Leisure multi-storey car park to go to work.

Despite paying an £8.50 charge each time she used the car park, Hannah received 67 different fines that totalled £11,390 since June 2021. Each ticket claimed that the motorist had failed to pay within five minutes of entering the car park - a rule enforced by many parking firms, including Excel Parking Services, who operate the Feethams Leisure car park.



Speaking to Teesside Live , Hannah noted that she tried her best to follow the rule, but would regularly encounter issues with the parking app and machines on site that made it impossible to pay within the short time-frame. She explained: "I knew about the five-minute rule and knew I sometimes couldn't pay within it, however I've shown proof of the app not working and cash machines nine out of 10 times not working. "It is 3G in that car park, and I feel sorry for people with babies or disabilities who can't pay in five minutes.

It's a joke. After a string of letters and phone calls demanding money, Excel Parking Services eventually took Hannah to court. However, District Judge Janine Richards deemed the company's 'conduct in relation to this litigation was unreasonable and out of the room', ruling that the fine be removed.

Excel Parking Services were also ordered to donate £10,240.10 to the charity Access to Justice Foundation - the same amount that Hannah's legal team spent defending the case. Excel Parking Services did not provide an immediate response to a request to comment but stated that they wished to appeal following the ruling.

Whilst Hannah's case is particularly unusual, two parking authorities have announced changes that will help to reduce the risk of being fined for not paying in time. Under the new code of practice, the British Parking Association (BPA) and International Parking Community (IPC) have stated that drivers will get a 10-minute grace period. Nevertheless, some motorists have also called for the maximum penalty a parking company can issue to be slashed, with the fee currently standing at £100, reduced to £60 if it is paid within 14 days.

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