I’m fuming after being fined £60 while visiting my father in hospital – and I didn’t even find a parking space
A MAN was left fuming after being fined £60 while visiting his father in hospital – and he didn’t even find a parking space.
Niel Amos, 49, drove to Hull Royal Infirmary to visit his sick father and was fined £60 by a nearby car park for leaving without paying – despite never actually parking his car.
He drove from Scunthorpe with his elderly mother in November after his dad had undergone emergency brain surgery.
Niel entered the Fountain Street car park on November 1 at around 1.30pm, while visiting hours were beginning.
He claims the car park was ‘rammed’ and spent a lot of time hunting for a spot in the huge area – mainly made up of unmarked spaces.
After 15 minutes stuck in queues and an unsuccessful search, Mr Amos left the car park to find a side street instead, but was shocked when a £60 fine landed through his letter box a couple of weeks later.
Niel said to Hull Live: “I couldn’t believe it when I received the fine, as they had absolutely no evidence of me parking at all. All they had was a picture of my car entering at 1.30pm and leaving at around 1.45pm.
“Me and my mum got there when visiting hours at the hospital were just starting, as my dad had surgery on his brain following an accident.
“I went in the Fountain Street car park, which advertises itself as a ‘charity car park’, but it was absolutely rammed.
“It’s a massive area and a lot of it is surfaced with gravel with no markings, so I spent time trying to find spaces that weren’t too tight.”
However, Fountain street car park, managed by Bank Park, advertises next to their meter that a valid display ticket must be purchased within 10 minutes of entering.
Despite Niel’s appeal that bad congestion never allowed him to find a space and leave in under ten minutes, it was rejected.
He added: “After my appeal was rejected, I was told I could go through a second independent appeals process, but my fine would go from £60 to £100 if I didn’t pay it soon.
“I didn’t want to pay £100, so I paid £60 in the hope I would get it refunded after my second appeal. What they didn’t tell me was that paying the fine meant the appeals process couldn’t continue.”
Bank Park has been contacted for comment.