#12 Single Justice Procedure for Railway Parking Fine
on 03 Jan, 2025 18:12 in Speeding and other criminal offences
Hello,My husband and I parked using a relatives car in a train station car park. I tried to pay for parking, but there was no way to pay on site, you had to download an app instead (RingGo). The app would simply not let me pay or even make an account, because it is done by phone number. I tried to create a new account to pay, and it sent me a text message saying that I already had one with this phone number. It let me request a passcode to log in. I used the passcode, and it told me that there was no account with that number, and to create a new account. I tried to create a new account, and it sent me another text telling me that I already had an account. I was stuck in this loop for ages. I tried for 30 minutes to pay but ultimately gave up.There was a windscreen notice on the car when we came back. I did my best to research how these typically go and found out that this was APCOA and would time out after 6 months. You try to appeal but never say who the driver is, etc. My relative then recieved a few menacing letters about how it was a criminal offense etc. Unfortunately I missed the date to appeal, but I had read online that these time out after 6 months and that they never try to pursue criminal action.Well apparently they are pursing criminal action as my relative has now recieved a single justice procedure notice. How should we respond to this? Obviously we were the ones driving, not my relative. Do we need a lawyer?Truly insane! I guess they really enjoy ruining people's lives so that they can make more money. If I explain what happened to a court would they see the railway company as the big bully that they are? Or should the onus be on proving that it was my relative driving, which wasn't the case??