Couple will ‘never return’ to The Range after receiving fine

The couple were fined for ‘parking in a permit area’ despite only ever parking in The Range (Image: Andrew Teebay)A couple claim they are “petrified” to return to a retail park after receiving an unexpected fine for “driving through a different entrance”.Jane Almond says she and her husband “will never go back” after being slapped with the hefty fine for “parking in a permit area” despite only ever parking in The Range car park.The pair did not receive the parking charge notice until nearly six months after the incident supposedly occurred at the Liverpool Innovation Park.Mrs Almond said normally she would not have any recollection of an incident so long ago, but the date listed on the notice is May 18—the day she was picked up by her husband in her car after a job interview.The 51-year-old, from Merseyside told the Liverpool Echo: “We do everything by the book so we were completely shocked to receive the fine.”I remember the date it happened because it was a huge day for me as I had just had an interview for a new job after 17 years in my previous role.”My husband had taken me to the interview, waited for me and after the interview we wanted to pop into The Range.”We approached The Range from the opposite direction to which we were used to and my husband took a wrong turn.”There was a notice stating private land but we were only in this part of the park for literally minutes.”My husband managed to find his way back to The Range area of the car park.”Our parking notice said we ‘parked in a permit area’. But we never parked anywhere other than The Range car park – we just inadvertently drove in the incorrect entrance.”The parking notice said Mrs Almond was in the “permit area” for 85 minutes.But she disputes this saying that was the whole time they were in the park including the time parked correctly outside The Range.Mrs Almond said when she received the £100 fine she “laughed out loud” and thought it was “a scam”.And she added her efforts to contact Vehicle Control Services Ltd, which manages the parking, have been unsuccessful.Mrs Almond said she was speaking about her experience because “hundreds” of people could find themselves in a similar situation.She said: “It’s very unfair and there’s lots of confusion over parking at Innovation Park. Hundreds of people have probably been in the same situation before and hundreds will probably experience it in the future.”My husband said he’ll never go back again. We’d just be petrified driving there worrying about being in the wrong place.”A representative for Vehicle Control Services Ltd said: “We would invite Mrs Almond (or her husband) to formally appeal to us through our recognised appeals process and within the prescribed timescales.”Details of how to appeal are set out on the reverse of the Parking Charge Notice she received.”Once we receive an appeal we will review matters further.”