A man from Bucks was left in shock after receiving a £100 parking ticket for leaving his car in a reserved bay for just 20 minutes.
Stanley Luckhurst, 85, from Gerrards Cross, told the national press that he received the 'extortionate' charge after paying £1.60 to park in an underground car park in Uxbridge for 20 minutes.
Stanley accidentally parked his car in a bay reserved for electric vehicles, telling The Sun that the car park's poor visibility, which he described as "so dark you couldn't see a sausage" meant he wasn't able to see the relevant signage.
Excel Parking initially brought a claim against the Bucks resident in Uxbridge County Court before it was transferred to the Royal Courts of Justice's 'Blitz Court' in Westminster.
The parking company's claim was for a total of £255, with additional charges including "debt collection costs" added to the original £100 ticket.
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However, the claim was dismissed by Deputy District Judge McCloskey, who instead called on Excel Parking to cover Stanley's legal costs of £306.
The 85-year-old told the press that the picture of his number plate included in the penalty notice had been taken using flash photography, confirming his position that the reserved space signs were difficult to see.
He added: "I strongly resent how Excel tried to turn a £1.60 parking fee into a £100 fine and ultimately into a demand for £255.
"Legal or not, it's bordering on extortion."
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