Help with a parking ticket

[BoopK]

DH has received a parking charge notice through the post. Letter addressed to Mr First Name Middle Name (no surname)

He was parked for 12 minutes on private land, the private land being a pub which closed 3 years ago which is of course unable to validate customer parking.

Reading MSE threads re parking charges is a massively confusing place. DH thinks he should just ignore and it'll go away (his usual course of action) I think he should appeal asap and have seen a helpful template.

Anyone any advice? I can't be arsed with a long drawn out appeal and debt collector court threats but at the same time I know they're cowboys and it would pain me to pay it.

He should not ignore it as the parking company might take it to court and get a ccj which will wreck havoc on his credit rating.

If he accepts that he parked there without permission of the landowner/business on the land, then he should pay the invoice. If he feels there is any reason to appeal the invoice (was parked with permission, lack of clear signage etc) then he should try an appeal but expect it will be denied.

What are the grounds to appeal? What did the signage say? We're there pay machines?

Have a read of this - it might help.
www.moneysavingexpert.com/reclaim/parking-ticket-appeals/

Don’t ignore it. Is there an online appeal procedure shown on the letter?
I received a parking fine a few months ago, the appeal was easy to do, I still had the parking ticket in my bag, turns out I’d incorrectly input my registration, It was sorted in about three weeks and the fine cancelled. Appreciate this is different but if there are signs and a pay and display machine then they will be able to charge for parking despite the pub no longer being open.

Advice on the MSE forum is clear but you do need to put the time in to read and understand it.

No way would I be paying that.

He pulled into a side road to make a 5 min phonecall then saw the signage (obscured by overgrown bushes not easy to spot) stating parking for The Pub only and its customers, he has a photo of the sign he didn't get a ticket on the car just the notice through the post. There was no pay machine.

Once he saw the signage he went to The Pub to buy a drink then he could validate parking / get permission only to find it closed and boarded up, a quick Google shows it closed over 2 years ago - I guess that would be his appeal but I suspect they will reply with a standard refusal.

We used the info on mse website to challenge a parking ticket where the signage was really unclear. The parking company dismissed it but the ombudsman agreed with us. It is a really simple process.

You need to dispute the ticket to make it easier to win at court should it ever get that far. Submit your evidence of the obscured sign and state the reason for parking there. They will almost always reject your first appeal in the hope that you give up and pay. Next you need to tell them to wish to appeal to POPLA and to begin the process - note that this costs them money so they rarely go this far.

Make it clear to them you will not be paying without them having a court judgement in their favour even if you should lose at the informal and POPLA appeals.

Expect a load of letters through the post with big writing to try and scare you into paying. In the rare events that court papers get served them come back for more advice.

Note that this is not intended as sound legal advice but only my experience from several years ago when I got a ticket on private land.

I'd ask on MSE forum if you even need to acknowledge it given it's not addressed to either the keeper or the driver of the vehicle.