To think parking fines don’t affect my credit rating or driving license?

[NameyMcNameChange1]

I don’t pay for parking in the car parks in my local town as (at the moment at least!) the traffic warden only visits our town twice a month. Once a month on the same day and once a month on a possibly random day (there may be a pattern but I haven’t worked it out yet). So I pay for one parking fine a month at £25 if I pay immediately, which I do. If I were to buy a ticket daily it would cost around £120 per month or an annual ticket would be £60 per month. I live in a tourist area though and can’t guarantee a space from about June-September so it still doesn’t really pay for itself.

The fact I don’t pay for parking tickets drives dh mad. He’s convinced it’s affecting my credit rating despite me showing him lots of evidence that it only does if I don’t pay on time. He also thinks the council automatically apply to the DVLA to get my details once a ticket is issued and this will get flagged up by them at some point. I can’t find any indication anywhere that they either do or don’t do this but I’d assume they only do this if I don’t pay so they need to chase it up. But even if they do it’s not actually an offence so it’s not an issue.

Unless I’m missing something and I’m about to lose my license or credit rating. Has anyone got any idea if there’s any truth in what dh is saying? I don’t park in disabled bays or illegally at all, I just don’t buy a ticket in the council car park.

Well, you've worked out how to cheat the system, and I doubt it will affect your credit rating...

BUT...

you're depriving the council of funds which it could use to benefit local people so it's immoral and not anything to boast about

I used to get parking tickets quite regularly (tiny zones and there were never enough spaces in ours, whereas the next one over was half empty - thankfully they've merged them now). It didn't affect my credit rating or my license. The latter is only affected by points and you don't accrue those for parking offences unless you've done something like park on a box junction, where blocking the junction is the offence rather than the act of parking. The former relates to how good you are for the money when it comes to credit - it's based on stuff about you (whether you're on the electoral roll etc) and how good you are at paying off credit (whether you pay your credit card bill on time). Neither of those is affected by a parking ticket!

(Actually, I'm not sure you get points for a box junction, it might just be a fine, but you get the drift. Parking somewhere without a paid ticket when you should have had one isn't going to get you licence points.)

Basically if you're gloating about this, don't complain when your local library/swimming pool/children's centre/youth club shuts down or your bins aren't emptied or the toilets are vandalised and not repaired or the graffiti isn't cleaned up etc

Thanks brightyellowdaffodil, that’s reassuring.

I’m not floating at all , just saying that dh is annoyed I do it but can’t give me a decent reason that would make me stop.

The council are depriving themselves of the money- they’ve always done off peak parking for locals at £1-£2 per day and the cat parks were generally about half full during the winter with that. Since stopping that and charging the highpeak rate all year for locals the car parks are pretty much empty except for the odd tourist or local like me who doesn’t buy tickets. Our library is funded by donations and volunteers, public toilets a 30p a go, swimming pool has always been private and the children’s centre is long gone. If the council stops emptying the town bins then I’ll hold myself entirely responsible.

This is you trying to boast that you are clever enough to get away without paying for parking. Congratulations. We are all very proud of you.

A quick google could have told you that parking tickets don't affect credit ratings or go to the DVLA.
All this post is going to do is piss people off.

If people are pissed off at the Op then that shows how stupid they are. Those people should be pissed off at the government for cutting local council budgets to such extremes, that council rely on parking charges.

Parking charges are killing off many town centres but hey let's all be pissed off at the Op.

YABU for cheating the system and bragging about it.

I also think it's interesting that you don't seem to care about your husband losing respect for your moral compass. I think this could come back to bite you in future

I agree @flirtygirl. My local council is open about the fact that they need the revenue from parking fees, which is why they keep bringing in more and more charges. Areas near shops that previously had between 20 mins and two hours free are now charged for at a minimum of an hour. And guess what? The spaces are left empty so the council don’t make any money out of them anyway. But it hasn’t stopped the council extending the hours the charges apply, presumably in the hope of recouping the costs of installing ticket machines etc...

Yes, it’s about morality. If your morals aren’t in line with doing the right thing, no one can give you a ‘good enough’ reason to start paying for your parking. It’s like shoplifting or dodging train fares, you’ll have people constantly trying to justify their behaviour but realistically, I would personally view them as trashy.

Be careful with council tickets as they can take you to court provided that they have their evidence and signage in order so this could escalate. They can absolutely get your details from the DVLA. I think your biggest issue is that your husband and you clash on this issue and that he’s losing respect for you.

They don’t need to escalate it at all as I always pay it the day I get the fine. Dh think that they automatically contact the dvla as soon as the ticket is issued in case they need to chase it and eventually I’ll be ‘flagged up’ as a persistent problem driver.

I am genuinely amazed at how many people think it’s morally wrong though . I also really didn’t post here to gloat but to see if there was any truth in what dh says as I can’t find a definitive answer. I thought dh was just being an old stick in the mud and most people wouldn’t consider it to be an issue.

It’s a nightmare though as paying £120 per month for parking would mean I’d really have to adjust my lifestyle as we’re currently trying to save as much as possible to do the house up. Alternatives would be to walk which would mean I couldn’t get dc’s to school on time or pick up. Breakfast and after school club would work out at about £50 per month so more doable but dc2 is only 3 and it’s long days for him. Also one of the main reason I work the hours I do is to be able to be around more for dc’s in the week.

youaremyrain Mon 25-Feb-19 21:58:15
Well, you've worked out how to cheat the system, and I doubt it will affect your credit rating...

BUT...

you're depriving the council of funds which it could use to benefit local people so it's immoral and not anything to boast about

Or if its Thanet, the most corrupt council ever you are only depriving the corrupt councillors of extra from everyone's pockets so good on you.

I'd like to sniper shoot the fucking enforcement officers - or whatever the fuck jumped up little title they have now - from my top windows so you get a big fat YANBU from me.

Parking fines from a council do not affect your credit rating. And it seems more financially sensible to do what you are doing. However, are there really no areas to park legitimately for free? Usually the roads around a town centre are no go, but walk 10 minutes and you can park.

But if you get a parking notice from a private company which is justified (and some are enforceable, contrary to popular belief), they can go to court and get a judgment against you. If you don't pay that, that could affect your rating. They are enforceable if they can demonstrate that there is a contract between you in which you agree to pay the £100 or whatever if you don't comply with their rules.

The spaces are left empty so the council don’t make any money out of them anyway

There is a small car park near my house which always used to be free. The council put a parking meter in it. I never see anyone parked there now so they just made an amenity unusable for no good reason.

There really isn’t anywhere else to park. It’s an old fishing town with loads of little lanes. All the roads that you can park on are full of cars from nearby roads where the houses don’t have drives. If I don’t park in the car park in town I’d struggle to get anywhere closer than where my house is. It’s only a 25 minute or so walk but enough to mean I can’t get kids to school and then to work on time, same in the afternoon.

havingtochange that’s exactly what they’ve done here. It’s made the existing parking wars due to so many roads you can’t park on and so few houses with drives so much worse.

Even though the whole area is complaining that it’s ridiculous the council are insisting on trialling their scheme for a full year to see if it increases revenue.

I really can't believe you don't think it's wrong not to pay for parking. Most people want to save money and do nice things to their house and pay for childcare. Why are you so special?

As you said, it's only a 25 minute walk. To get the kids to school and walk to work on time, get up earlier.

We have a car park that was used regularly in the summer but empty in the winter, makes sense as it's by a beach. A parking charge has been introduced so now the council can prove its not used for months of the year and sell it off for another block of flats!!

It definitely doesn't affect your credit rating . Although I understand but come a time when you may get several parking tickets . They may crack down and do one a day , what will you do then ?

However, are there really no areas to park legitimately for free? Usually the roads around a town centre are no go, but walk 10 minutes and you can park.

You've obviously never been to Lewes or Brighton, havingto. The nearest place to Lewes town centre where there's free on-street parking is a good 30-minute walk and Brighton is even worse. It's only the outlying areas where parking is free.

mummydummy I don’t really see anything wrong with not paying for parking tbh. Obviously it’s not great depriving the council of money but if I was to do your plan of walking then they’d be getting even less from me. Getting up early would make no difference - I can’t drop my dc’s to school and then be at work 10 minutes later unless I drive. If I walked I’d have to put them in breakfast club and after school club which would cost money. The job I currently have is part time and I’ve taken a huge pay cut to do. I’m working part time in order to be able to spend more time with my dc’s.

username if/ when that happens then I’ll have to think of something else. There’s a FB page for my local area with the dates that the traffic warden patrols particular areas so it’s obviously not going to last. There’s talk of all the locals not buying tickets and parking in the car parks anyway as a protest about the fact they’ve got rid of the off peak local cheaper rates. Atm the council is insisting on doing their trial for a full year though (so until september) despite complaints from local traders and workers.

toomuch are you in the SW? We may well be in the same area.

Wont effect your credit rating but be warned they might change the warden and he come daily and you get £25 x 30 in the post. It happens if someone complains about a cf parking free. I know this as my neighbour reports all on our road resulting in warden now visiting daily. Local people will notice.