Fines for parking at wake added to toll on grieving mourners

A car parking fine was the last thing a grief-stricken dad needed as he attended the wake for his deceased son held at a private venue that the family had reserved for guests.

Outraged Tony Frewin got in touch with Crusader after he was staggered by the insensitivity of the £80 penalty issued by operator Euro Car Parks on behalf of its client the Colney Fox pub and restaurant near St Albans, Hertfordshire.

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The day had been tough enough anyway for him and all the other mourners after they said farewell to Nick, an adored dad with young children and Tony’s only child, who had passed away suddenly leaving everyone deeply shocked.

Following the church service last month, Tony had attended the cemetery and then driven to the Fox, part of hospitality group Mitchells and Butlers. 

Several hundred people had turned up to honour Nick. After the day’s harrowing experiences Tony’s mind was on other things as he arrived at the venue which was very crowded.

“There was no sign I could see warning about the restrictions or needing to get a ticket. Nor is there anything on the Fox’s website,” he pointed out.

A couple of days later he received the £80 penalty with the usual offer of a discount for paying promptly.

Crusader took it up, not least because we really felt for him and going through the rigmarole of appealing the fine meant reliving a very difficult day.

Also challenging such fines can be a long-winded process of possible rejection then a further appeal to the industry’s arbiter Popla.

Then it emerged more than 10 other mourners, including very close relatives, had also been hit.

The family had paid the Fox £1,600 for its services and a quick tally of the fines came to over £700, Tony reckoned.

“Maybe lucrative for them, but we feel very hard done by,” he added.

We highlighted Tony’s complaint first to Mitchells and Butlers and while it insisted it had no say in Euro Car Park’s actions, the parking operator then told Tony it had wiped the fine as a “goodwill gesture”. 

Crusader was warned however others might not be so fortunate. Last week though there was a change of heart and it was confirmed all charges are being cancelled and that those who had already paid would be refunded.

A spokesperson for The Colney Fox, said: “We have a parking monitoring system at the pub to manage the use of the car park by our pub and hotel guests as well as non-guests incorrectly using the space meaning at times people intending to visit the Colney Fox couldn’t, as the car park was already full.

“The system asks guests visiting the pub to enter their car registration into a number of tablets located inside the pub, including the entrance, giving them free use of the car park when visiting.

“There are multiple signs installed inside the pub and across the car park informing guests of the system. We also encourage our busy team to make sure guests are aware of the parking arrangements when they visit.

“However, we understand on occasion, especially in times of sorrow, these systems may be mistakenly and understandably overlooked by our guests.

“Therefore, we ask any guests who feel they have incorrectly received a fine to get in contact with the team at the pub who will be happy to work in partnership with our car park operator to help.”

Tony remains less convinced, responding: “More understanding of different situations is needed. They said they would call me but nothing yet.”

But he thanked Crusader for our support and stressed: “I hope this stops others having the same ordeal.”

Given the number of fines issued for this event, it would indicate there was a general communication problem and better management needed, for example when there are many guests

Parking controls maintain order and businesses need them, no one is disputing that, but focusing only on that misses the point.

Euro Car Parks was doing its job and almost certainly was unaware it was a wake and indeed that might not have made any difference to its actions.

But unlike birthday bashes and wedding celebrations, wakes surely merit different consideration and that requires empathetic, competent management that puts itself in its customers’ place.

In the meantime, mourners be on guard.