Matt Browne was already navigating the unbearable grief of losing his father, Philip, to cancer when a seemingly minor parking ticket ignited a relentless battle. It wasn’t the £1.50 charge itself, but the unwavering insistence of the parking firm that plunged him into months of agonizing stress and frustration.
His father, his “soulmate,” had endured aggressive cancer treatments for ten months, never once complaining. Matt had devoted himself entirely to his care, but even amidst that profound hardship, this parking dispute felt like a cruel and unnecessary burden. He’d paid for a ticket when the app failed, receiving only a partial printout, yet the demands for payment continued to escalate.
The initial ticket quickly morphed into a barrage of increasingly threatening letters, styled to resemble demands from debt-collecting bailiffs. Phrases like “can’t pay, we’ll take it away” felt like harassment, a callous disregard for the circumstances he’d painstakingly explained. Matt refused to yield, determined to fight for what he knew was right, even as his father’s passing last year left him to carry the burden alone.
The fight consumed him. Days off work – a significant sacrifice for a self-employed gas engineer – were spent contacting councillors and his local MP, hours lost on the phone attempting to reason with a system that seemed determined to punish him. The cost wasn’t just financial; it was the precious time stolen from rebuilding his life after such a devastating loss.
He wasn’t alone. Ben Romney and his wife Kathryn faced a similar ordeal at Lullingstone Country Park in Kent. After paying at the machine, they received a PCN due to a “major keying error” – the ticket only printed the first letter of their registration. Despite displaying the partial ticket, they were threatened with court action unless they paid an additional £20 “admin fee.”
Data revealed Lullingstone Country Park generated the most fines for keying errors in the area, with 17% of penalties stemming from this issue between January 2024 and January 2025 – a staggering 295 fines. Ben described the situation as “ridiculous,” pointing to a clear pattern of faulty machines and a deliberate attempt to “gaslight” customers.
Sri Dayalan experienced the same frustrating cycle. He paid for a ticket, entered his full registration plate, yet received a PCN claiming he’d only entered the first two letters. He too was offered the option to pay £20 to avoid further action, a tactic he found deeply unfair, especially considering the widespread reports of machine malfunctions.
“It’s not about the money,” Sri explained, his voice laced with frustration. “It’s absolutely unfair. It is stressful and has taken time out of my day. I don’t want this to happen to anyone else.” He vowed to avoid the park altogether, unwilling to risk another encounter with the same frustrating system.
While the car parks are privately managed, the recurring issues have prompted calls for councils to re-evaluate their contracts. Kent County Council maintains its machines are checked regularly and that errors are investigated, suggesting customers contact park officials or the council directly to resolve issues. However, the experiences of Matt, Ben, and Sri paint a different picture – one of relentless pursuit and a system seemingly prioritizing profit over fairness.
The council stated that a successful appeal after a PCN is issued may lead to the charge being reduced to an administration fee. But for those caught in this web of parking charges and alleged errors, the cost extends far beyond a few pounds; it’s a toll on their time, their peace of mind, and their faith in a just system.
