Angela Jones fought back against a hefty parking fine after a brief stop, turning her tears into triumph with the help of her MP
Angela stopped to figure out how to pay. Unfortunately, the payment machine was broken. She left after realizing she couldn’t pay.
Even though she left just a minute after the grace period, she got a £100 fine in the mail. Angela appealed to Parking Charge Collections, but they rejected it.
Feeling helpless, the fine grew to £170 over time. Angela, a veterinary receptionist, was in tears. She worried about bailiffs showing up and had to borrow money to pay.
Determined, she appealed again to the Independent Appeals Service. When she got a final demand, she found her appeal closed due to an email verification issue.
Angela explained her situation to the agency chasing the payment. She insisted she wasn’t avoiding payment and couldn’t afford such a huge fine.
She reached out to her MP, Bradley Thomas, after receiving a letter from solicitors. Thankfully, the fine was dropped, and she was promised a full refund.
Angela felt it shouldn’t have gone that far. The stress affected her mental health. She believes the rules need to change, especially for those who struggle with technology.
Private parking companies are now reviewing their code of conduct after similar cases. The International Parking Community confirmed Angela received a full refund. They encourage others to escalate their cases if dissatisfied.
