Norwich man in Riverside car park charging row
Rob GarrattA motorist is furious after being dealt a fine for spending more than four hours in a city car park - when he actually stayed for fewer than two.Rob Garratt
A motorist is furious after being dealt a fine for spending more than four hours in a city car park - when he actually stayed for fewer than two.
Mathew Browes and his wife Jolene, 32, stopped at the Riverside car park in Norwich to do some shopping at about 11.30am, leaving less than an hour later.
At about 2.30pm on the same day they went back to the car park, shopping for less than 40 minutes and heading home.
Nearly two weeks later a letter dropped on the family's mat fining them �60 - for parking on the site for 267 minutes. The time limit for free parking is 180 minutes.
With the letter there were two pictures - one of the family's Ford Escort arriving in the morning, and a second of them leaving in the evening.
Mr Browes said there was no way he is paying the fine and has fired off an angry letter to car park managers to argue is case.
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The 38-year-old, a carer, said: 'I'm pretty annoyed - you go to do a bit of shopping and you get a letter charging you 60 quid.
'There's no way I'm paying; I wouldn't pay one penny. I have no idea what's going on - they must just be a greedy firm. It's put me off shopping their again.'
The couple, who live at Bassingham Road, Mile Cross, have three children, Jaimee, 12, Anja, eight and Daniel, seven.
The shopping trip took place on December 27, with the fine letter arriving on January 9. Mr Browes sent operators G24 an explanation on Wednesday but is yet to receive a reply.
G24 declined to comment on the case.
This is not the first time the Riverside Retail Car Park has infuriated shoppers. In November 2008 Warren Jones, of Pennyroyal in Old Catton, was left livid after facing a fine and possible legal action for leaving the car park one minute late because a queue of cars in front of him.
In 2007, G24 was forced into a climbdown on its controversial two-hour time limit after complaints from hundreds of angry customers.
One of them Steve Bradford, of Thurlton, refused to pay his fine and demanded detailed information from the company, including how it was able to trace him through his number plate as it is not a law enforcement agency.
The Evening News discovered that the DVLA has been allowing the company to trace addresses from number plates for a charge of �2.50 a time.
Have you been hit with a fine you feel is unwarranted? Call Kate Scotter on 01603 772326 or email kate.scotter@archant.co.uk
