Parking enforcement firm slammed over mistake issuing fines to elderly couple on hospital visit

Although the penalties have been dropped, the couple’s daughter has described the company as operating like “cowboys”, reports Richard Cubitt

North Middlesex Hospital and (inset) a parking ticket

The daughter of an elderly couple who were mistakenly fined twice for an alleged parking offence has accused the parking enforcement firm used by North Middlesex University Hospital of being “cowboys”.

Pensioners Liam and Mary Boland visited the Edmonton hospital as part of a routine medical appointment in April but, as there is ongoing building work being done in the car park at the main entrance, they could not find a space.

The couple’s daughter, Emma, explained that they parked instead in a line with other cars adjacent to the hoardings at the edge of the hospital car park.

The Bolands visited the hospital for roughly an hour, starting from around 12.50pm, and then returned home. However, the following day, they received two parking fines from UK Car Park Management (CPM), the company which enforces parking at the hospital.

Each penalty charge notice (PCN) was for £100, but stated that a discounted charge of £60 would apply if they paid within 14 days.

The PCNs allege that the couple had committed “obstructive parking” and that this condition was stated on signage at the hospital car park.

The first fine was timed at 12.52pm and the second at 14.52pm on the same day. According to Emma, they were both accompanied by images time stamped at around 12.50pm.

Emma appealed both PCNs on behalf of her parents, questioning where the terms and conditions were displayed as well as the discrepancy with the timing of the second fine.

CPM subsequently accepted the appeal and dropped both fines, without explaining where the signage was.

Emma said: “I think they’re just cowboys, and if my mum and dad didn’t have me, they would have paid either one or both of those, just out of fear of it going up to £100 for each of them.”

She added: “You’re not going to the hospital because you’re in tip-top health or emotionally feeling great. You’re there for an illness or a neurological disease or a child who’s had an accident. And you get a parking fine, the wording on the letter is obviously very stern, and you go ahead and you pay it because you want to pay £60 instead of £100.”

A spokesperson for Agena Group, which includes CPM, said: “We apologise to Mr Boland and his family for the distress this caused, particularly given the circumstances of their visit. Hospital visitors deserve to be treated with fairness, and on this occasion we fell short of that.

“Parking charges at this site are issued when our monitoring systems detect a vehicle parked outside of designated bays. Following our review of the evidence and the appeal submitted, we have cancelled both charges as a gesture of goodwill given the confusion that had arisen.”

Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust, which runs North Mid, has also been approached for comment.

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