My mum had treatment for cancer last year and now is not able to walk very well and finds it hard to sit down etc.

She went to her local shopping centre and was parked in the disabled area as she has a disabled ticked.  She was 2 hours and 18 minutes before getting back to her car and has rec'd a fine.  How can we go about not paying?  I think it's disgusting that someone who has gone through all that she has and stayed so strong and amazing has something like this happen.

If her ticket and time clock were correctly displayed then she would be entitled to three hours parking, unfortunately as I have recently found to my cost when they changed the parking rules at a Car park we have often used (we didn't have the clock set as previously Sunday was unrestricted for Blue badge holders) they expect you to read the parking notices. 

It was gauling as we ahd probably only been parked half an hour while we popped into the Co-op for milk.

My husband is a blue badge holder.Awhile ago we parked in our local town carpark,unaware of disabled parking changes.When we got back to the car we had a plastic fixed penalty notice stiker.When weopened it there was aprintednoteexplaining the changesbut on this occasion we wouldn't be fined.

Pay the fine to avoid those horrible letters saying it will be doubled and your mum worrying and write a letter of complaint contesting it to the head of traffic or whoever (you should be able tot find this out and the address when you pay). I've done this before and explained in the letter I'd paid the fine out of worry but that I felt it was completely unfair because of x y z and I had my fine refunded.

You don't have to pay these fines as apparently they are little more than invoices if they are from a private company.  There are loads of threads on the MSE site on the parking fine subforum.

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/forumdisplay.php?f=163

I got a fine from the council recently from a council car park and even though the machine was broken and had a sticker over the coin slot and building work going on at the other end where there is a second machine so it wasn't accessible they haven't accepted my appeal so I still have to pay.  Grrrr.

What information had she recieved about changes ? was there anything displayed to tell her ?
Depending on the answers to those questions i would contest the fine if it doesnt add more stress for her.
Phone the council I am assuming its the council and tell them what you are doing from that time untill they decide what they will do you will not have to pay. At least that is what I was told when I contested a fine and won.
I must say I wasnt aware that blue badge holders had a time limit

LOADS of free info and sound advice on Parking Fines/Invoices here,

Consumer Action Group - Parking/Traffic Offences

Also the best ways to get your specific situation sorted.

Hope this helps.

I know how stressful getting a parking fine can be - even when it's a bogus fine!    These people gave good advice though.

>What information had she recieved about changes ? was there anything displayed to tell her ? <br />Depending on the answers to those questions i would contest the fine if it doesnt add more stress for her.<br />Phone the council I am assuming its the council and tell them what you are doing from that time untill they decide what they will do you will not have to pay. At least that is what I was told when I contested a fine and won.<br />I must say I wasnt aware that blue badge holders had a time limit

The OP said the fine was issued in a local shopping centre which suggests that it is not the council who would have given out the ticket, it would have been a private company.  If it is a private company, the ticket should be ignored not contested as contesting it admits a level of acknowledging the 'fine'.

Yes true I would have a word with c.a.b. or look on line. Didnt see your post dill looks like a good link

It does depend on who owns the car park.  My husband was very naughty and parked in disabled car parking space once - actually the car park was nearly empty at the time so there was nothing else parked there so he thought he wasn't really doing anything wrong - he wasn't denying anyone else a space and he was only running in for one thing.  He got a ticket and completely ignored it - after a number of threatening letters - the fine is just sent to a debt collection agency - it all just went away.  However I think they are changing the rules.  Cameras now record who is driving. 

Doesn't matter if cameras record anything!

If the council have issued the fine/charge notice - then you usually MUST pay.

If it's a Parking company,then not as the driver has no contract with the company.

ALL is explained on the link I gave.

We had a Parking Charge Notice dressed up to look like an official Police parking fine    Got great advice from the people on the link and paid NOTHING :-D  

You can check out companies/councils and how they operate via Consumer Action Group Forum