To ask if a private parking company will really take me to court?

[InPeppaPigHell]

...for a fine of £170?
Has anyone here had any experience of this?

Where are you?

If Scotland on private land I think they can, but don't because its not legally enforceable. www.google.com/search?q=parkinf+fine+svotlnd&client=ms-android-samsung-rev2&source=android-browser&ei=0YqrYfb1F6TD8gKokqwo&oq=parkinf+fine+svotlnd&gs_lcp=ChNtb2JpbGUtZ3dzLXdpei1zZXJwEAMyBAgAEA0yCAgAEA0QBRAeMggIABANEAUQHjIICAAQDRAFEB4yCAgAEA0QBRAeMggIABANEAUQHjIICAAQDRAFEB4yCAgAEA0QBRAeOgQIABBHOgQIHhAKOggIABAIEA0QHjoGCAAQDRAeUNUIWOoVYKYaaAFwAXgAgAHAAYgBiAaSAQMxLjWYAQCgAQHIAQjAAQE&sclient=mobile-gws-wiz-serp

In England, or a council carpark in Scotland, They can and do take you to courts you'd better pay up!

I really don't think vigorously is accurate. Its more like occasionally. And even then it's unlikely they will win if you know what you're doing and get the specialist advice from the online forums (I always use the one on Money Saving Expert forums). As I say the one time one took it all the way with me, I was quite happy to also go all the way and was ready to turn up at court (not criminal court, got moved a few times and eventually ended up at the local council offices) but they conceded the day before. They had given me 3 or 4 opportunities to "make an offer" before that (which I declined to do as their attempt at extortion was BS)

I didn't pay in a private open ground pay and display car park by accident. Wet day and the ticket machine had run out, or I over-stayed. I can't remember. But, I was in a car with a foreign registration, so they had no chance of finding me, so I was on safe ground ignoring it.

Yes they will they did it to me for 1/3 parking offences at the same car park. Paying the original fee would have by far been the best option

Oh they definitely will. Some judges have days with nothing but parking tickets to decide. £170 now but £300+ by the end of that day.

that's bollocks. Even if it did go against you the judge almost always puts it back to the original amount.

And I've probably had more like 12 tickets I've ignored and one went.to court. it's not definite at all. They will pursue the ones they think might be easy wins.

@InPeppaPigHell offer to pay the original cost of the ticket, so what you should have paid on the day. A judge is likely to agree their charges are unreasonable if you do this

I am waiting for a fine to arrive in the post. I overstayed my welcome in the (spacious) supermarket carpark by about 15 minutes. So frustrating. Spent 80% of my time in the large supermarket too (browsing gifts, pharmacy visit, relaxed cafe breakfast etc) expensive mistake.

@R0tational

I am waiting for a fine to arrive in the post. I overstayed my welcome in the (spacious) supermarket carpark by about 15 minutes. So frustrating. Spent 80% of my time in the large supermarket too (browsing gifts, pharmacy visit, relaxed cafe breakfast etc) expensive mistake.

Speak to the store manager. Often if you can prove the length of the stay is genuine in supermarkets theyll help you out.

The amount of people who give dodgy advice on these kind posts and on social media is unbelievable. Don't ignore and read Martin Lewis (bloody love him) is the advice I give.

Parking company were taking me to court, the judge threw it out before it got to the court date.
Same parking company took a family member to court (same parking bays) and they won. She had to pay £150 more than the ‘settle early’ amount.
I believe even if you’re issued a CCJ if it’s paid within the month it doesn’t go on your credit file.
BUT, don’t ignore, and I would just pay the ticket as you say you were in the wrong anyway.

We didn’t receive the letter advising us until it went to bailiffs! We’ve asked for them to give us the appeal opportunity and they’ve said no so waiting to go to court so we can officially contest.

A few years ago I overstayed by 2 minutes and was going to pay until a search revealed lots of complaints about this parking company and advice not to pay. I offered them a reasonable amount for overstaying (this was the advice I read at the time) which they refused and sent 3 or 4 threatening letters saying it was going to court if I didn't pay. I ignored them and nothing ever came of it.

Definitely don't pay for an overstay in a supermarket! I've had this a couple of times and sent receipts or copies of statements showing how much I'd spent and they were written off.

@Arabelladrinkstea

Look up common law. No you don’t have to pay.

Would you mind pointing me in the direction of where you found this information? I was a solicitor in my home country. To me the phrase “common law” just means law created by judicial precedent rather than statutes/regulations/rules. Clearly a broad category :).

@Arabelladrinkstea

Look up common law. No you don’t have to pay.

Completely wrong - please don't listen to barrack room lawyers OP. There is good advice on Martin Lewis's website.

And yes they absolutely can take you to court since the ParkingEye case in 2015. However, whether they are successful will always depend.

@TheLovleyChebbyMcGee I'm in Scotland, it's a private car park not council

That's absolutely true. And also, whether or not they will take it further also depends as well as whether they win or not if they do will.depend. The one that I had where they backed out the day before the court case was against Parking Eye. There's loads of information about this and all the other private parking firms on the Martin Lewis Money Saving Expert parking forums that I and others keep recommending. You'd be much better off looking on there and judging for yourself what the likelihood of them taking it to court or winning if they do, or not based on the reported cases.

There is so much misinformation and misunderstanding here on what actually can or might happen. Somewhere between all the false common law "they can't, you should always ignore them" stuff, which hasn't been true for awhile now, and the "they will definitely take it further/take you to court" stuff, which just isn't true, lies that actual truth. They can, they might, how likely they are to depends and whether or not they are likely to win, or not, if they do, also depends. If you look at the specialist forums you can judge likelihood for yourself. My personal position is that, judging by my own stats (2/12) and what is reported on the parking forum (few wins) you can ignore until they issue the notification that they are taking it to court, then you do the FOI request and see what their evidence is, then you decide whether to offer to pay something or proceed to court.

If you cba with all this, pay it. You probably could get away with not, if you cba with the research and paperwork.

@Arabelladrinkstea

Look up common law. No you don’t have to pay.

I think the law changed a fair few years ago. This isn't true anymore!

A hundred percent they will. They changed the law. Ignore anything that says ignore the letters. It’s wrong.

Thanks everyone for the advice. Seems like there's a mixture of opinions. It's Euro Car Parks, I think they're one of the bigger companies rather than the dodgy cowboy ones. They probably will have evidence in the form of photos showing I didn't have the ticket. I'll have a look at Martin Lewis and the MoneySavingExpert type forums.

I'm wondering...if I just ignore them until/if I get a court summons, and only then pay. Will that show up on my credit record?

@InPeppaPigHell

Thanks everyone for the advice. Seems like there's a mixture of opinions. It's Euro Car Parks, I think they're one of the bigger companies rather than the dodgy cowboy ones. They probably will have evidence in the form of photos showing I didn't have the ticket. I'll have a look at Martin Lewis and the MoneySavingExpert type forums.

Unless there's another company of similar name isn't that a massive car park business? Im sure I've seen lots of car parks with that name on

I don't think that's a dodgy one

Yes look up Martin Lewis, but I believe in Scotland you can ignore them. A friend of a work colleague was being taken to court for tickets at an NHS hospital carpark, but it was multiple tickets znd many hundreds of pounds in fines. I've ignored a eurocarpark ticket for a few years and it's not come to anything. I've been super careful not to get any more tickets from them just in case though!

Here is a link to a letter template you could use to send to the parking company.

www.parkingcowboys.co.uk/appeal-letter/#google_vignette