Fucking Parking fine

[Ikeasucks]

Have to pay by tonight to get the “discounted” rate at £60 instead of £100. I only pulled in to a nearby closed hotel car park to take a call for 15mins.

Has anyone just ignored a fine or successfully appealed

I have ignored them, nothing happened. That was a good few years ago though so Im assuming things have changed since then

Yes, the law has changed. Ignoring doesn't work any more.

Please don't ignore it. People ignore them and presume they've just been forgotten. My niece applied for a mortgage and discovered she had a CCJ as they had taken her to court. They will have written to her, multiple times, but she followed everyone's advice to ignore it. She now cannot get a mortgage until the CCJ is cleared.

My rule is pay any council fines, private firm give them a fake name and add of who else was driving (vile scumbag companies deserve the run around)

Yes have appealed against a private shopping car park fine successfully.

@Ikeasucks you need to come back and let us know what sort of 'ticket' you got and who issued it?

@OnlyFoolsnMothers

My rule is pay any council fines, private firm give them a fake name and add of who else was driving (vile scumbag companies deserve the run around)

That doesn't sound like very sensible advice

@OnlyFoolsnMothers

If the right procedures have been followed the company can charge the registered keeper.

I suggest you look at the Supreme Court ruling in Beavis v ParkingEye

This is pretty much what every parking company trawl out.

They won one notable case, big deal.

To the OP, money saving expert and pepipoo forums.

You need to put in some work but they're piss easy to beat.
Don't ignore, don't admit to being the driver though, ever.

They have to adhere to so many different rules to make a valid prosecution and they almost always fuck it up.
Be as difficult as possible and they'll just move onto the next person.

Just know they're powerless, as are the debt collectors they hand the case onto.

Easy to beat.

@tossblanket

"They won one notable case, big deal."

And thereby set a precedent that all lower courts must follow.

@Ikeasucks

Have to pay by tonight to get the “discounted” rate at £60 instead of £100. I only pulled in to a nearby closed hotel car park to take a call for 15mins.

Has anyone just ignored a fine or successfully appealed

You have used their car park, failed to comply with the terms and will most likely need to pay.

Pay or initiate an appeal - but be prepared to lose the appeal.

Charges for private car parks are not immeadiately enforceable (hence posts stating that they are invoices not fines) but if they have appropriate signs and a valid appeals process they can be escalated to court and then become legally enforceable.
Take it as an expensive lesson to always check for car park signs.

You could claim to have stopped for a short while and found the hotel to be closed so could not pay any nominal charge or register your car on their system for free parking etc. If it was a short enough time then you can appeal on the basis that you just came and left.

An alternative is to pursue the issue as to why you must pay today, there should be a reasonable time. If you have delayed reacting then its your problem, but if they have not adhered to their process then there is some justification for more time (appealing should pause the clock before the price increases)
If they sent it at a reasonable time and the post office delivered late then there is some potential to complain, but you have received it before the price increases.

I have had an occasion where I used a shops camera controlled car park and was sent a bill for overstaying. Parking within the time limit was free.
I had arrived at a full car park, drove through and then returned later. The camera matched my numberplate on first arrival and final departure, I sent my appeal stating that I had been there twice. They will have been able to find the footage confirming that and cancelled the charge.

You won't have much chance for yours to be cancelled unless you contact the hotel, but that will be separate from the company managing the car park enforcement and you weren't using the hotel

@Tossblanket

I suggest you look at the Supreme Court ruling in Beavis v ParkingEye

This is pretty much what every parking company trawl out.

They won one notable case, big deal.

To the OP, money saving expert and pepipoo forums.

You need to put in some work but they're piss easy to beat.
Don't ignore, don't admit to being the driver though, ever.

They have to adhere to so many different rules to make a valid prosecution and they almost always fuck it up.
Be as difficult as possible and they'll just move onto the next person.

Just know they're powerless, as are the debt collectors they hand the case onto.

Easy to beat.

The rules for courts to accept parking charges aren't very complicated.

The enforcement companies need to make sure their signs are compliant, their processes are clear and they have a valid appeals process.

Companies that are unable to follow processes and cannot manage administration or take on too many contracts that they can't handle will fail to enforce, but companies that make an effort to keep up to date and handle the court paperwork properly can get their charges enforced.

[quote VeniVidiWeeWee]@OnlyFoolsnMothers

If the right procedures have been followed the company can charge the registered keeper.[/quote]
These Private companies don’t follow procedures they are bully boys! I’ve seen it countless times, the moment you engage and admit you parked somewhere they don’t stop, they like easy targets.

@onlyfoolsnmothers

Of course they do. That's obviously why ParkingEye took a case to the Supreme Court.

I know 2 people who ignored it. Both got CCJ’s which they discovered when they were applying for their mortgages. One had it removed and the other has to wait years for it to go off her credit report.

I had one overturned. It was a Screwfix carpark IIRC and when I rang them the guy said he would email the company and ask them to cancel it.

I was heaving pregnant and a force to be reckoned with at the time, doubt I could pull it off now!

“@Ikeasucks you need to come back and let us know what sort of 'ticket' you got and who issued it?“

It’s Parking Eye and says Parking Charge Notice Reminder. I’ll appeal and also look at the sites mentioned for more advice - thanks.

There is a very dark picture with my reg but can’t see me, it was dark and i was totally unaware of any signs. had just pulled over on the driveway leading out of the hotel so didn’t linger in the actual car park

If it was dark and the signs weren't visible, that is a legitimate ground to appeal on. You can't form a contract (parking there in return for agreeing to pay the parking charge) without there being clear signs to tell you what you are agreeing to.

Please check out Pepipoo- you will get good advice
I did

Good luck x

Is it one of those anpr cameras and you then have to prove you were a customer of the hotel by registering your number plate on there computer system when you check in? Because, even though you weren’t a customer, surely them being closed would be an impediment to anyone logging their number plate?

@Judashascomeintosomemoney

Is it one of those anpr cameras and you then have to prove you were a customer of the hotel by registering your number plate on there computer system when you check in? Because, even though you weren’t a customer, surely them being closed would be an impediment to anyone logging their number plate?

..... and also not having a good reason to stop there

@skirk64

If it was dark and the signs weren't visible, that is a legitimate ground to appeal on. You can't form a contract (parking there in return for agreeing to pay the parking charge) without there being clear signs to tell you what you are agreeing to.

@Ikeasucks has highlighted that they only stopped at the entrance, so being dark they didn’t notice signs rather than the signs were inadequate

Not going into the car park is the more viable defence - they had stopped, took a call then moved on

Only close enough to trigger the camera on arrival but not using the car park

Just going to say from somebody who works in the private sector.

They do and will litigate in some cases.

It falls under contract law, all signs on site would have been approved by the BPA or IPC which means they are legally entitled to issue court proceedings and CCJs.

As soon as you enter the car park and leave your vehicle, you're agreeing to the T&Cs on the signage.

A change in legislation has meant that these are becoming more and more enforceable.

YABU.

@Ikeasucks Posted too soon!

Sorry!

I think YABU.

I guess you can appeal, but at the end of the day, you were still on their private car park.

Do pay it though, and then appeal it. Don't let it escalate. Pick your battles in life.

Hope you manage to get your money back.