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Man fined £100 for parking outside his own home in Maidstone

A man is refusing to pay a parking fine he was given outside his own home.

Lawrence Puckett had a permit attached to his windscreen so he could park outside his home in Scotney Gardens in Maidstone.

Mr Lawrence Puckett, 31, holding his valid permit and the £100 parking fine. Picture: Lawrence Puckett
Mr Lawrence Puckett, 31, holding his valid permit and the £100 parking fine. Picture: Lawrence Puckett

But when the 31-year-old refrigeration director took his vehicle to have the windscreen replaced, he forgot to move it over.

The following day, Mr Puckett received a £100 fine from UK Parking Control who controls the parking in the area.

Mr Puckett appealed the fine believing it was an honest mistake, as he has a valid permit and therefore has the privilege to park in front of his home.

He provided a picture of his permit and a copy of the invoice for his windscreen repair.

According to Mr Puckett, UKPC replied saying they still believe they had a valid reason to fine him, but as a 'gesture of goodwill', he could pay a reduced fine of £20.

UKPC's reply to Mr Puckett's appeal Picture: Lawrence Puckett
UKPC's reply to Mr Puckett's appeal Picture: Lawrence Puckett

Mr Puckett believes they have no right to fine him whatsoever.

He said: "If you break the rules, that’s fair enough. I understand. There are circumstances where it is fair if you’re getting fined.

"But when it’s somewhere that you live, it’s not fair at all. We’re not talking about a retail car park, it’s my actual home."

Mr Puckett described the situation as a 'very unfair practice' and wants to see change in the way UKPC operates.

He added: "These guys hold all the power and it’s all very money-oriented.

"They just purely make their income on serving tickets to people.

"A lot of people might just pay the £20 just to get off their backs, but why should I pay when it is perfectly within my rights to park there and have been for several years?

"It was an honest mistake, but there doesn’t seem to be any sort of humanity in it, it just seems to be like a machine."

UKPC were approached for comment.

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