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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To not pay this parking ticket from Total Parking Solutions because its a scam?

79 replies

littlejo67 · 22/06/2013 18:01

There is info online saying this company is unethical and don`t pay, but ts difficult when you get threatening letters to find the courage to ignore it (thats the ploy apparently).

I have been ignoring Parking Invoices from Total Parking Solutions (TPS). I have now received a letter from Debt Recovery Plus a "Notice of Intended court Action". It states if I don`t pay £148.00 it will go to the creditors solicitor to commence court proceeding.

Apparently I have ignored a previous letter from them - but this is the first I have received.

The original parking invoice was because I stayed 20 mins over the allowed time in a Health Centre car Park. The Health Centre has a Boots and two Dr`s Surgeries on it. So I guess that they are the clients of TPS.

I work from one of the Doctors Surgeries- I am not employed by them but work as a therapist with their Patients. I was asked to come in by the Surgery for an I.T induction and I parked in their car park.

The Car Park was free so there has been no financial lose on their clients part, plus I was invited by them (but I should of noticed the cameras I guess).
Therefore should I just keep ignoring this?

Anyone else have a ticket and it went away? Hmm

OP posts:
kali110 · 16/12/2014 11:13

Advice did change. They can take you too court. Some do, only ones i'v heard of taking peopleto court is parking eye.

prh47bridge · 16/12/2014 12:53

i told him the place isnt council land and not enforceable

I'm afraid you gave him poor advice. The law has changed.

The change to the law means that the parking company can go after the registered keeper of the vehicle. Previously they had to identify the driver. They are therefore in a much stronger position to enforce. However, they may still lose if the signage is inadequate or the amount they are claiming is excessive. Also as this is a small claim they can reclaim the court fee from you but they cannot reclaim any other legal fees they incur in taking you to court (although they will often try). It is therefore quite possible that they would end up out of pocket if they sue you as any award the court makes would be swallowed up in solicitor's fees.

If you appeal you may get it overturned. If you ignore them they may give up but they may take you to court. Sometimes they do that even if they are going to end up out of pocket just to get some publicity showing that these charges may be enforceable.

greenbananas · 16/12/2014 13:03

Oh bum, I paid one of these! I spent two and a half hours in asda (ds1 has multiple allergies so it takes me ages to check ingredients on everything, and then I spent twenty minutes in the cafe with a plate of chips).

I was well miffed at the time, and I complained to asda, but they said I would have to pay it. It was about ninety quid that I could very ill afford.

queenofwesteros · 16/12/2014 13:24

Just to point out, the law may have changed in England and Wales, but not in Scotland. They still cannot make you id the driver and therefore the advice is to ignore, ignore, ignore. I'm in the process of doing that now after getting a ticket in a Glasgow hospital car park where it has not been made clear anywhere in the park that you can only stay for 4 hours max (I checked for signage carefully the next time I went back, there is none). The ticket came from something like Central Parking. I've ignored 2 letters, the last one a wee bit threatening. They can take me to court if they like but they haven't a leg to stand on.

amun · 24/03/2015 12:12

I also have received many PCN'S from TPS
I am forced to park there on the university campus as I have to collect my child from nursery following lectures etc.

They have now just sent me 3 letters (all in one) for 3 different parking fines saying I must pay by 6.04.2015 or they will take further action.. slightly worried now as I am just a student and cant afford to pay £300 in parking fines...

HELP!

SunnyBaudelaire · 24/03/2015 12:13

ignore ignore ignore.

Phephenson · 24/03/2015 12:15

Ignore them.

They could take you to small claims court but in my experience they won't. Don't respond, not even with an explanation.

FuckkityUp · 24/03/2015 12:20

The law HAS changed since this thread started in June 2013. - go to PEPIPOO and Martin Lewis's MoneySavingExperts websites for info.

FuckkityUp · 24/03/2015 12:21

The advice to ignore is now out of date.

TheJiminyConjecture · 24/03/2015 12:29

Don't ignore them! That's old advice. Best place to start looking is mse forums. They have all the letter templates etc and links to pepipoo and the official ombudsman. Ignoring means you'll miss deadlines and you may end up having to pay.

xiaozhu · 24/03/2015 12:29

Almost the exact same thing happened to me. They are very unlikely to take you to court, as this is an unenforceable penalty charge. I would ignore until you get an actual court summons - do NOT ignore this. If you are taken to court then the penalty is unenforceable anyway, as long as you raise this as a defence.

One thing you can do if you want to lessen the stress is call these guys: www.appealparkingticket.co.uk/ They will fight the ticket on your behalf and guarantee you won't have to pay it, for a fixed fee of £16. It think that's a small amount to pay to avoid the stress! (PS: I'm not one of their representatives! Just a suggestion).

xiaozhu · 24/03/2015 12:31

PS: Are their 'appeals' people POPLA or ICP? Because if ICP then they are a total joke, not independent at all. POPLA are a lot better.

Be careful about giving them your personal details by the way. How did they get your address? From DVLA I assume? Do NOT give them DOB or any other details, as they have no right to ask for them and could use them against you in the future.

amun · 24/03/2015 17:40

thanks for the responses

i believe its POPLA but i'm not 100% sure...
really confused and stressed about my best course of action, don't want to end up paying more money than this

how can i dispute this?

amun · 24/03/2015 17:47

xiaozhu have you used the company you sent the link of and can they deal with charges that have progressed to the solicitor's stage or not?

Fooshufflewickbannanapants · 24/03/2015 18:27

Are you allowed to park there?

amun · 24/03/2015 18:37

No I have no permit
I was not granted a permit even though i applied...

although i shouldnt have parked i had no choice as i had to collect my daughter from nursery and parking further meant i would be late to collect her every time i had a lecture beforehand...

im contemplating writing back to the solicitors proposing to pay the original charge of £30 each as the rest is excessive and arbitrary and no loss was actually incurred

LovelyBranches · 24/03/2015 18:40

I ignored but got scared when I was threatened with court. I had no choice but to go over the allotted time (I was breastfeeding my ds who was 6 weeks old at the time). I had parked outside b and q so I rang that branch and a very kind employee rang the company and had it cancelled within seconds.

ComposHatComesBack · 24/03/2015 18:59

These shysters work on a business model where they frighten enough people into paying with official letters and bogus threats. Taking every case of not paying their invoices to small claims court would cost them an arm and a leg.

I'd still just chance my arm and ignore. Parking Eye (who are the biggest firm of this type) have issued hundreds of thousands of invoices each year, but in 2014 less than 300 made it to the hearing stage. I'd just sit tight until the unlikely event that you get official county court papers.

xiaozhu · 25/03/2015 12:35

Amun - I didn't use them because I didn't know about them! Wish I had. Yes I think they will deal with it at pretty much any stage.

And don't be scared by these so-called 'solicitors'. I got a letter from one of them full of absolute, total nonsense (I knew that because I am a solicitor myself - a good one!).

xiaozhu · 25/03/2015 12:39

Also, don't expect these people to be reasonable - writing and asking to pay a reduced fine will do no good. I got a ticket for parking on my OWN land! I told them this so many times, pointed out that they had no right to impose terms and conditions on my right to park there, I had no contractual relationship with etc. They just ploughed on regardless until they finally gave up.

My grandmother got a ticket once at the hospice where my grandfather was, on the day he died. She wrote to them to ask them to retract the penalty as she was in the hospice with her dying husband. Did they care? Did they hell.

These people are sick and greedy.

amun · 25/03/2015 17:26

wow these companies are ridiculous.....
thanks for these responses

Andrewofgg · 25/03/2015 17:33

They won't bother.

Send their rubbish back in an unstamped envelope. Add some blank paper to make it heavy.

worridmum · 25/03/2015 18:11

the problem with the changes to the law there is no come back against true arsehole parkers whom park on private properity (aka house owned parking bays / staff parking at universities etc)

as I have experenced at my housing estate which all have allicated parking to houses with clear signage but since its close to a popualar train station people now park on MINE and neighbours propierty and there is nothing we can do to stop them (we cannot get concil permits in our area due to the local area loop hole for private property not falling under the permit schme)

We cannot take every single car owner to court inderpentaly and we cannot physically restrict access to our parking spaces as it connects to a public road

Oh and police do not get involed as its a civil case as all it amounts to is trespass

alison6692 · 04/06/2017 20:34

Hi. I know this is an old thread but interested to know what happened to you. I have the same company chasing me for a fine which I feel is unfair
Thanks

Raraskirtgirl · 26/06/2017 17:01

Hi guys I've just received my 2nd letter from premier parking solutions. The fine has increased from £100 to £130 now. I am getting very anxious as they've told me they may use enforcement action which could include county court proceedings. I am ignoring as per this thread and all other reviews Ive read on line but a lot of those are dated 2014 with nothing more recent. Has anybody had more recent dealings with the company?