A pensioner is fighting a £170 fine after a broken parking machine left him ticketless
Hornchurch: A 75-year-old man is really upset about a £170 parking fine he got. He says he couldn’t buy a ticket because the machine was broken.
Berkeley Bathurst parked his car for just over ten minutes to pop into the Post Office. When he got back, he found a fine waiting for him in the mail weeks later.
He was shocked to see a £100 fine, which later jumped to £170 with threats of legal action. This all happened just before Christmas, which made it even worse.
Mr. Bathurst is determined not to pay. He believes it’s not his fault the machine didn’t work. He’s calling the parking company “gangsters” and says he’ll fight this all the way.
“How could I pay if the machine wasn’t working?” he said. He tried to appeal the fine, but it was rejected. Now he’s feeling stressed about the whole situation.
He parked at Elm Park car park on October 16, hoping to pay the £1 fee for half an hour. But the machine was out of order, and he didn’t have his phone to pay another way.
After refusing to pay, the fine was sent to a debt collection agency, which added a £70 fee and threatened him with court action. That’s a lot of pressure, especially around the holidays.
“They sent the second letter three days before Christmas,” he said. “It’s disgraceful to do that to pensioners.”
Mr. Bathurst is adamant he won’t back down. “I’m not paying it. End of story,” he insists. He feels it’s all a scam and compares the parking company to the mafia.
His wife, Angela, 73, agrees, calling the company’s actions “tyrannical.” They’ve lived in Hornchurch for 30 years and are now warning others to be careful in that car park.
One Park Solution hasn’t commented on the situation yet, leaving Mr. Bathurst feeling even more frustrated.
