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Legal matters

Parking fines - bum steer?

5 replies

pinkdelight · 27/08/2013 16:17

(Have posted in AIBU but thought - praying! - someone here might help)

Having read many, many threads about the bastards private firms who issue parking fines, I have duly been ignoring the one which fined me in a particularly craven way at Tooting Leisure Centre a few months ago.

My DS(5) was invited to a friend's birthday party at the centre. The car park was busy but I found a space between two cars and parked there. After the party, a couple of hours later, we were leaving and I found a penalty notice on the car. The crime I apparently committed was being "Out of Bay". When the cars at either side of me had left, it revealed that the whole row of cars had been out of whack with the white lines and therefore instead of being parked perfectly within one space, I was parked over the lines, maybe a foot into the next space. Which was completely unknowable when I parked as I was just parking in the car-sized space available and didn't stop to scrutinise the hidden white lines.

It made me fume (still does, can you tell!), but I remembered all those threads here that said these firms' fines are unenforceable and not to engage with them in any way. My DH has been getting increasingly worried with every threatening letter, and now we've just one from a bailiffs warning us not to be led astray by misinformation on the internet.

The fine has now gone up to £160 (for going to a kids' birthday party!! makes me want to cry). Please will someone reassure me that I am NBU to keep ignoring them? If anyone can point me to somewhere official that says these firms can fuck right off and aren't going to come banging on my door, I would be very, very grateful.

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pinkdelight · 27/08/2013 16:21

PS: I know there's a parking fines thread below, but it's a zombie and I want to be certain thing's haven't changed. Hope some of those experts are still around...?

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Collaborate · 27/08/2013 17:10

I think there may be a difference between a private car park and a local authority owned one. Go back and check the signs. If it refers to local bye-laws, or the penalty notice does so, then you may have to pay up, but otherwise the private "fines" issued by parking companies are usually unenforceable.

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nothernexposure · 27/08/2013 20:48

Google pepipoo, its a whole site dedicated to sorting out fines. Loads of advice including what to do for private or council fines and how to appeal effectively.

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pinkdelight · 29/08/2013 08:12

It's definitely a private firm. That's very helpful, thank you. Will Google...

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TheDoctrineOfPositivityYes · 29/08/2013 10:00

Good luck!

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