Has our council made absent-mindedness an offence?

I’ve been trying to help an elderly relative who was fined for not displaying a residents’ parking permit correctly despite paying the renewal fee a month early.

A PCN was issued because the new permit was still behind the old one. When an appeal was made, instead of taking thirty seconds to check if the payment had been made, an email was sent stating that the fine would increase if not settled promptly - a tactic also used by scammers to intimidate victims into parting with money before they’ve had time to think. Has it really come to this CYC?

When I contacted the council I was informed the case was closed (as the fine had been paid) and nothing more could be done! What’s with this “computer says no” attitude? Sounds more like, “we’re too busy to help”.

I think most of us support measures to reduce illegal parking and are glad to be able to park outside our own house (even for a fee!) but penalising a senior citizen for a slight memory lapse, then refusing to correct the mistake, I can’t support that.

Richard Hind, Alma Grove, York