PARKING MAD
We are being charged for parking cars in our OWN spaces outside our homes after company put up signs…we are in a panic
The company were confronted as they put up the signs
HOMEOWNERS claim a parking company is trying to charge them to park cars on their own land.
Residents in four homes say UK Car Park Management incorrectly installed signs on private land threatening drivers with a £100 parking fine if they didn't have a permit.
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They say they were left stressed and anxious that their parking spaces were going to be used by visitors to a nearby care home.
Now one resident, Penny Jackson, 73, says the company should be paying compensation for the stress and anxiety caused by the signs.
Retired grandmother Penny, from Maidstone, Kent, said: "I've sent them other emails now saying they should be paying compensation for the stress they've caused and any damage they've done.
"One of the neighbours was in a complete panic about it - she didn't believe her husband that they owned the land and weren't doing anything wrong.
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"Parking is bad enough with people visiting over the road as they park out the front.
"If my kids come round to see me they struggle to park.
"So if any visitors have a permit they'll think they can come round here and think it's an overflow car park.
"On Friday, I must've spent a whole day trying to get hold of them to sort it, as did my neighbour."
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Penny, who needs to be able to get a walker out of her car, said she went out to go shopping on May 10 and when she came back a man was putting the signs up.
When she objected and said they were in the wrong place, he told her to take it up with the parking company.
I was slapped with £170 parking fine as I stopped my newborn baby from choking to DEATH
However, she says after a week she still hadn't heard anything from UK Car Park Management - but claims one of her neighbours was told they were investigating the issue.
Penny said: "It gets busy around here especially when they're visiting the old people's home.
"I went out Friday morning to pick some shopping up from down the road and when I came back he was out there putting the signs up.
"He was on his fourth sign - he hadn't put the one up on the lamppost yet.
"I went over and asked what he was doing and he just said he was told to put the signs up even when I told him he was in the wrong place and on private property.
"He just told me I'd have to take it up with the parking company.
They should be paying compensation for the stress they've caused and any damage they've done.
Penny Jackson
"It took me five goes of ringing them and I spoke to someone who said they understood my frustration and they shouldn't be up.
"I told her I'll go and take them down but she said not to do that in case they were damaged."
The signs were removed on May 17.
Golding Homes spokesman Genette Pinwill, assistant director of tenancy and housing change, said: "The car parking signs near Northumberland Road were put up by mistake by our parking management company CPM.
"We've spoken to CPM were out on Friday afternoon to see our customers and have removed all of the signs.
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"We're sorry for any upset this has caused customers."
UK Car Park Management has been approached for comment.
HOW DO I APPEAL A PARKING TICKET?
MORE than half of motorists have successfully appealed parking fines from local councils, an investigation by The Sun found.
The best way to beat a parking charge is to avoid getting one in the first place - but if you do come back to your car and find a ticket there are some ways of beating the system.
However, how you appeal will depend on the type of parking ticket you have - so it's important to check before you start the process.
Here's how the process of an appeal works.
Once you have received a parking notice, the first stop is hold of paying the amount find if you're hoping to appeal.
The second step is to read the information provided on the ticket so you know how long you have to challenge then fine.
Once you've got an idea of how long you have, you can make an initial appeal to the ticket issuer.
You can do this by phone, post or email - make sure to include supporting evidence as to why you believe you have been incorrectly fined.
One example would be to provide evidence showing the parking signs weren’t clear.
According to Money Saving Expert Martin Lewis, it is best to appeal within 14 days as this allows time to pay the fine at the reduced rate if your appeal is denied.
The next stage is to make a formal appeal - this happens if you're initial appeal was turned down.
Some ticket issuers belong to independent appeal schemes which provide a free and impartial service.
When making a formal appeal, make sure to include a space for you to put the grounds for appeal.
The council has 56 days to respond to a formal appeal or you win by default.