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?

100% contest this. If they wanted to paint new lines, they should have also spent time removing old ones. There’s no way you were meant to know from this pic. YANBU. Good luck

Please see MSE. I believe private parking fines are unenforceable and there is no need to pay. Ignore any further letters as they will try to scare you into paying.
My friend was just talking about this at the weekend. She has received a few private parking fines and never paid a single one.

I'd have parked there too. Presumably, residents want the parking restrictions to be enforced so that they and their visitors can park, but yes that is taking the piss.

I'd definitely appeal that to the point of going to court if the appeal failed.

Oh how ridiculous. I would fight that all the way.

There’s no way in the world I would be paying that fine!

I can see marks (lines), I'd appeal. I've driven down roads with lines more faded than that.

I would appeal within the 24 hrs online and screenshot the appeal. I have just done one for my daughter and as long as the appeal was made in the given time scale the lower amount is applicable if appeal is rejected. Hopefully the same goes for you.

I'd love to hear their argument why it isn't a parking space

Looks like a marked parking bay to me, I would of parked there.

It looks like the bays to your left have been repainted and your bay is now an ex bay but they haven't removed the old markings.
I'd have parked there

If thats Plymouth, we are neighbours 😁

You're clearly parked within the marked space. Send them the photo and tell them so.

If you challenge within the 24 hours you shouldn't have to pay the increased fee.

Sometimes I wish I were a magistrate! I'd love to deal with these people.

Please don't spout incorrect advice. Private parking fees ARE enforcable and many many people have been taken to court successfully by private parking companies for following such advice. Your friend has just been lucky so far, but these may very well end up catching up with her.

Advice to ignore them is outdated and this is the last thing you should do now. There is lots of good genuine advice online.

Another one who would park there too.

A Parking tribunal, which gets decided on common sense as opposed to the letter of the rules, would not uphold that fine.

The issue with ignoring them is that, following the case I think Parking Eye v Bevis (?sp.) a lot of parking companies do take cases to small claims court; people ignore the paperwork and end up with a ccj by default judgement for not engaging believing it to be unenforceable.

Whatever you do, don't disclose who the driver of the car was when appealing. There is a Facebook group which has favours advice. Always respond as the registered keeper, and do not disclose who was driving.
It's called "Private Parking Tickets - help and advice"
Do not appeal until you ask for help from there first.

Sounds like a private enforcement company as opposed to the council issuing a proper "fine"

I've had a few things like this over the last few years, contested them every time and they went away.

Assume they make enough money off people who pay to not bother trying to enforce the contested ones.