Calling drivers & traffic wardens...Is this parking fine a massive piss-take?

[Margerine78]

Short story - got a parking fine for parking 'Not In Marked Space'. See attached photos - surely this is a marked space and they are taking the utter piss out of me? 😠

Background - I live in an old listed navy barracks which has been turned into posh flats and restaurants etc so gets lots of visitors. Parking attendants are total sharks.

I'm a stubborn bastard so fighting this even though if I lose I'll have to pay £60 as opposed to the £15 they charge for paying within 24 hours. Broke but hate injustice!!

AIBU or is this fine ludicrous?

NOTE: Whilst some spaces are re-painted, parts of those are faded and broken too - so how am I to know which are no parking and which are just unkept?

I’d call that a marked space unless there are any signs telling you not to park there!

I'd have parked there 🙍

Thanks, that's what I thought (no signs saying no parking whatsoever). I'm a new driver so just wanted reassurance others would make this 'mistake' too.

Looks like a space to me!

I am pretty careful and I would have parked there too

thats a space. I’d contest it

Looks like the parking attendant didn't realise that was a marked space.

I would park there and I've been driving for 47 years (yes, I know. Driving for 47 years I must be a hell of a long way away 😉)

One to fight, definitely.

It’s the line at the back of the space that would get me wondering. But then I’d look at the other empty spaces and see what they’re like.

Definitely challenge the fine though op.

There is a really helpful advice on MSE on how to fight parking tickets. Your case is different as it’s not about not having a valid ticket.

Personally I think you have a good case. There are several levels of appeal. Thee fact the fine goes up is to deter you. One option is to object up to the allegedly independent, paid for by parking firms, adjudicator then pay the fine to stop the escalation of the amount and claim it back via the small claims court.

It looks like a marked space, they should make it clearer if it's not.

If an appeal failed I would let them take me to court over that. How could any reasonable person not think that was a legitimate space?

It is strange to have a line at the back of the space - they are usually open. But if all in the car park are marked the same way then it would appear to be a valid space.

Are you sure it’s a genuine fine, and not some con artist?! That’s a parking space, and you don’t appear to be doing anything wrong!

Definitely contest that. They'll take you to the small claims court and the judge is pretty likely to find in your favour. Parking sharks are not well liked!

I’d also have parked there. The lines are clear but faced. Not your problem if those spaces are designated as no longer marked. There should be no parking signs.

If the car park is shared with parking spaces for residents and businesses then it should be clear which parking bays are for residents only. I would fight this.

It's way more faded than the ones next to it but you can clearly still see the box so if they dont want people to park there they need to make it clear with signs or cones etc

Agree with pp I would happily be taken to court over that, there's no way they can argue that doesn't look like a space

Fight it. I'd have parked there.

Take photos of all the spaces with similar faded markings with cars with no tickets and submit those with the appeal.

My DH appealed something similar a few years ago and won. I would appeal if I were you.

It’s a marked space and you have a valid claim

But it could be a legacy marked space that has not been repainted as a ‘current marked space’

There should be signs etc that provide the terms of use, and unless there is reference to ‘clear / new marked spaces’ or something about numbered spaces then there’s nothing to tell you not to park within ex Navy markings

I would fight that too. If they have repainted new spaces, and want the older spaces to now be invalid, they either need to mark them as such, remove the old markings, or paint them over to match the tarmac.

I agree. You shouldn't as a user have to spend ages deciding if something is a marked space. Faded lines are still marked. Tell them you'll see them in court.

They’re taking the piss! That’s a parking space. Regardless of it being faded, there’s no sign up to not park.

Massive Piss Take I would fight that as well
Okay then…if it IS NOT a parking space then why not? It is adjacent to 2 marked boxes and is not blocking anything, it’s exactly the same as the spaces surrounding it !so why is in not a parking space ?
that is a question I would ask 🤬