The couple, from Rise Park, have remained adamant that they did not break the rules during their visit to a retail park
Deb Wardle and Wayne Kaladinskas say they will fight the ‘frustrating’ fine(Image: Joseph Raynor/Reach PLC)
A disabled couple battling an “unfair” £250 parking fine have now been threatened with legal action – but they are still refusing to pay it.
Wayne Kaladinskas, 56 and Deb Wardle, 58, have remained adamant they did not overstay their welcome at the Lady Bay Retail Park since first receiving the three-figure fine last September.
The couple says they had driven from their house in Rise Park to the retail park on Meadow Lane on Saturday, September 20, to get a bite to eat and pick up some shopping.
But two days later, they received a letter from the car park operator accusing them of staying well beyond the 150-minute free time limit and walking away from the retail park to go elsewhere.
The pair claims it was even suggested by a member of staff from the company – UKPC – that they had parked their Cupra Formentor and walked to Notts County’s Meadow Lane grounds for that day’s home fixture against Crawley Town.
But Mr Kaladinskas and Ms Wardle – who are Forest fans and unable to walk far due to their disabilities – say they were in the car and well on their way back home by the kick-off time at 3pm.
Within four months of first receiving an initial fine for £175, another letter came through the post informing the couple it had risen to £250 as they had not paid it off within the time frame.
Mr Kaladinskas and Ms Wardle say they have been attempting to contact the parking company since to request CCTV footage which allegedly shows them walking away from the retail park – something they deny.
The couple has not heard back from the company since, but the situation has escalated further, with the couple receiving a letter from HM Courts and Tribunals warning of a legal threat.
The fine came following the couple’s visit to the Lady Bay Retail Park at Meadow Lane(Image: Joseph Raynor/ Nottingham Post)
“We’d not heard anything until receiving that letter and, since December, I’ve emailed them several times asking for CCTV which shows us walking away from the car park,” Mr Kaladinskas said.
“I’ve shown them the receipt which shows we were at The Range at the time the match kicked off and that we’d been to Subway beforehand.
“If we had stayed longer than we were supposed to, we would have paid it. But I’m not paying for something I haven’t done.
“It’s something we weren’t expecting and I’ve never been in this position before. How many people get these letters and just pay it off?”
The couple claims they arrived at the retail park at around 1pm, parked in a disabled bay outside Subway, and purchased their lunch.
When the sandwich restaurant began to fill up an hour or so later with Notts County fans making a pit stop before the game, the pair recounted how they got back in their vehicle and drove to another disabled space outside The Range, on the other side of the retail park.
Yet, the couple says this was not picked up by CCTV cameras and, as a result, they received a letter invoice for a £60 fine the following Monday.
The couple have no plans to back down in their fight over the fine(Image: Joseph Raynor/Reach PLC)
Because the couple did not pay this within 14 days of receiving the letter, the fine rose to £100. They then received a letter informing it had risen to £250, before being notified of the threat of legal action.
The letter, sent on Saturday (May 2), explains the couple must respond to the claim made to HM Courts and Tribunals Service by a certain date, or the parking company could request a County Court Judgment (CCJ).
This is a court order ruled by a judge that states an individual legally owes money to a person or company, and often occurs when debt is not paid off.
The couple says they have responded to this letter and sent all relevant information – including a receipt which shows they were in The Range – back to the courts service.
But they remain adamant they did not break the rules, and say they would fight the parking company’s claim further in court, should it come to it.
Hugh Bladon, of the Alliance of British Drivers, previously said “unfair” fines like the one Mr Kaladinskas and Ms Wardle claim to have received are too often given by parking companies.
“They should fight this ticket and refuse to pay it as it’s outrageous – the parking company has no right to suggest people are doing things they aren’t,” Mr Bladon said.
UKPC, which runs the car park at Lady Bay retail park, did not comment at the time of publication.
