A woman from Bath has issued a warning after her husband, a cancer patient recovering from a stroke, was charged £170 due to a simple mistake when registering their car at a pub car park.
Karin Streete and her husband were visiting The Globe Inn in Newton St Loe this summer when Karin accidentally reversed the last two letters of their car’s registration number while entering it at the pub’s payment kiosk. Unaware of the error, they parked for just over an hour.
Weeks later, they were shocked to receive a final notice from Euro Car Parks demanding a £100 fine for illegal parking. This fine was subsequently increased to £170 after the case was handed over to a debt collection agency, Debt Recovery Plus.
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Karin said, “I just want other people to be warned. I didn’t realize such a small error could lead to this.” She believes that CCTV footage from the car park would have clearly shown a minor difference in the plates, indicating an honest mistake rather than intentional wrongdoing.
Assuming the initial letter was a scam, Karin did not respond immediately, which led to further complications. Attempts to resolve the issue with Euro Car Parks proved difficult, with poor communication frustrating her efforts. The Globe Inn staff was unable to assist as the pub is not responsible for the car park management.
When advised to seek legal help, Karin questioned who would cover the solicitor’s fees and was met with silence. The couple faced the possibility of court action, which was not a viable option given her husband’s health and the distance involved.
Ultimately, on September 3rd, Karin and her husband reluctantly paid the £170 fine. Despite the ordeal, they remain patrons of The Globe Inn, though Karin now double-checks their registration details meticulously when parking.
This experience serves as a cautionary tale for others to carefully verify their car registration details when paying for parking to avoid unexpected and costly penalties.