An Australian couple faces a hefty parking fine after a Stourport trip, raising concerns about local parking regulations and machine functionality
Stourport: Emma Riddington and Max Pegram, a couple from Wangaratta, Victoria, were in town to celebrate their tenth anniversary. They were visiting friends who own a pub, Maria and Andy Gooding, and had a blast at The Black Star.
They met Maria and Andy while watching an F1 race in Singapore a few years back and wanted to surprise them by flying all the way to Stourport for the celebration.
After checking in, they parked in a lot owned by Future Parking, thinking they could leave their car there for 24 hours. They had a great time over the weekend, but when they got back home, they found a parking fine waiting for them.
Ms. Riddington, who works for the local council, explained that they were told by their accommodation provider that the High Street car park had 24-hour options. So, they parked there, thinking it was all good.
However, when they tried to pay at the machine, it only allowed them to pay for 2 hours. They were confused and thought maybe it was a mistake, so they figured they could just top it up later.
When they mentioned where they parked to other guests at the party, they were warned to move the car immediately due to past issues with fines. They did move it, but unfortunately, the fine still came in the mail.
Emma said they always pay for parking and would have happily paid for the full 24 hours if the machine had let them. She reached out to Future Parking to explain, but they insisted she either pay the fine or appeal it.
She was frustrated, saying they wanted to pay but couldn’t select the right option. The fine ended up being nearly $300 AUD, which included the original fine and a fee from the hire car company.
Emma expressed her disappointment, saying she won’t be using Future Parking again and warned others to be careful. She felt like they were treated unfairly, as if they had done something wrong when they just wanted to park properly.
Despite the hassle, they enjoyed their time in Stourport and loved surprising their friends. Emma just wishes the fine didn’t overshadow their trip, as it’s been a bit of a cloud hanging over them.
Future Parking, however, didn’t comment on the couple’s situation.
