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Original poster

To ask for a contribution to a parking fine?

274 replies

Zenana · 20/05/2023 10:11

I met a friend for drinks a fortnight ago who suggested a pub I was unfamiliar with. There was a car park behind. I received a £100 demand for parking where apparently shouldn't. Admittedly I didn't look at signs but as my friend lived nearby I took their word for it.

I picked up the friend from home and drove them back too. What do you think?

OP posts:
TellingBone · 20/05/2023 12:12

You're avoiding the question about what your friend actually said

viques · 20/05/2023 12:12

Are you going to ask her for a contribution to the petrol, your insurance and your Road tax as well ? Careless parking fines come as the car owning package . Your car, your responsibility, unless she forced you to park there and told you it was free.

arethereanyleftatall · 20/05/2023 12:12

Right. So as the passenger of the driver who had just kindly given me a lift, I would have read this and informed her. Otherwise non drivers just get free taxis everywhere and where that ends is the drivers saying fuck this.

rookiemere · 20/05/2023 12:14

Friend was getting free taxi service to and from the venue. If she told OP it was ok to park there, then in my view she is partially responsible.

Maybe leave it but next time your friend wants a lift say no because it cost you £100 last time.

Blomonje · 20/05/2023 12:14

You’re the licensed driver. Everything to do with your car is your responsibility. Driving safely, at the correct speed, having the correct insurance and MOT, parking correctly - all your responsibility. Your friend isn’t responsible for your parking fine, any more than she’d be responsible for your speeding fine if you decided to put your foot down.

Blossomtoes · 20/05/2023 12:15

ShinyShite · 20/05/2023 11:24

You were doing your friend a huge favour and presumably didn’t drink either?

I’d be checking if the fine was legal but I’d definitely ask for 50% contribution towards it, as a bare minimum.

As a bare minimum? This place gets more bonkers every day. Of course you shouldn’t ask your friend, it’s your responsibility.

Newbutoldfather · 20/05/2023 12:16

Are there an excess of lawyers on this site?! Would you all check on what your friend told you? I must admit, if my friend told me parking was free, there is no reason I would check, especially if it was somewhere she was familiar with.

Legally, you don’t have a leg to stand on. Ethically, on the other hand, she doesn’t have a leg to stand on. I would ask to split it, fully expecting her to volunteer to pay all of it.

ScottBakula · 20/05/2023 12:17

I am with pp , unless your friend specifically said the parking is free then it is on you as the driver to check and pay for the ticket . If you font then the fine is also on you.
To those saying the friend should pay , if the friend also had said hurry up / drive quicker and @Zenana got a speeding ticket would you also expect them to pay the fine ?

Perhaps the friend doesn't drive so is less aware of where to park & fees.

Last year I gave someone directions to a venue, one of the roads was bus access only , fortunately they realised so didn't get a fine , had they not realised I would of definitely paid as I told them to go that way .

TimesRwo · 20/05/2023 12:17

You’re trying to blame someone else for your mistake. You were the driver, you need to check where you’re parking, stopping, etc.

LakieLady · 20/05/2023 12:18

AnnWithoutAnnie · 20/05/2023 10:22

Around here, you just have to log your number plate at the bar. It's free, but only for pub patrons, not just anyone. Obviously it's not a perfect system
as you could log in then go shopping, but it does seem to have stopped CF's filling up the carpark so patrons can actually park there.

Show quote history

It's definitely not perfect.

MIL took the whole family out for a meal at a pub that had this arrangement. Out of 5 cars, 2 of us got parking tickets, despite entering our reg numbers as required.

Because the car park is managed by a car park co, the parking ticket was from them and we had a nightmare getting it cancelled. The parking co would not answer calls from us or respond to emails from us or the pub. We wrote in with a copy of MIL's receipt for the meal, with time and date on it, as proof we were there, but that was futile, too. In the end, my SIL got in touch with the pub co's head office and eventually both tickets were cancelled, but that was 3 months later by which time the penalty was up to £500.

The pub co were really grovelly and offered us a free meal by way of compensation, but the food and service were both shite, so we never took it up.

FlissyPaps · 20/05/2023 12:22

If you were driving down a 30mph road with signs and your friend told you it was a 40mph would you expect them to pay for your speeding fine?

Original poster
Zenana · 20/05/2023 12:22

TellingBone · 20/05/2023 12:12

You're avoiding the question about what your friend actually said

I'm avoiding nothing, I'm just not glued to my phone to immediately reply to every question.

My friend said it's fine to park here, it's the pub car park. I'll certainly check in future.

For those asking, I always drive when I meet this particular friend because I don't drink in the daytime - they do.

OP posts:
Original poster
Zenana · 20/05/2023 12:23

FlissyPaps · 20/05/2023 12:22

If you were driving down a 30mph road with signs and your friend told you it was a 40mph would you expect them to pay for your speeding fine?

That's a silly analogy.

OP posts:
FlissyPaps · 20/05/2023 12:24

Zenana · 20/05/2023 12:23

That's a silly analogy.

Show quote history

No it’s not.

arethereanyleftatall · 20/05/2023 12:24

The speeding comments aren't the same thing. It isn't like for like whatsoever. Every driver knows what speed they can drive where. Every driver does not know what the rules are for every single car park.

RunningFromInsanity · 20/05/2023 12:26

I had this, me and my friend took it in turns to drive somewhere, always parked in the same place.
One time I got a parking ticket and she quite rightly paid half.

FlissyPaps · 20/05/2023 12:27

arethereanyleftatall · 20/05/2023 12:24

The speeding comments aren't the same thing. It isn't like for like whatsoever. Every driver knows what speed they can drive where. Every driver does not know what the rules are for every single car park.

The carpark will have had signage.

The OP admitted she didn’t look at the signs. Totally her fault.

If the car park didn’t have signs then the OP should appeal her fine.

Why is it so hard for people to take responsibility for themselves?

TimesRwo · 20/05/2023 12:27

Zenana · 20/05/2023 12:23

That's a silly analogy.

Show quote history

What about if your friend asked for you to park on a single yellow line, saying it’s not in force at that time? Would you not check for yourself?

arethereanyleftatall · 20/05/2023 12:28

Then you are a very kind friend op. I hope she acknowledges this and reciprocates in some way.
Don't get trodden on, there are lots of treaders out there (see this thread!) and resentment builds.

Growlybear83 · 20/05/2023 12:28

Of course you can't expect a contribution to the fine - it was your responsibility to check for any parking restrictions or charges .

arethereanyleftatall · 20/05/2023 12:30

@FlissyPaps
Did you miss the bit where the op detailed that it was the friend/passenger only who knew the location and told the op it was fine to park there? It would be quite odd for the op to say 'hold on, I don't believe you when you say it's fine to park here, let me just check the signs.'

Zanatdy · 20/05/2023 12:31

I definitely wouldn’t ask for a contribution no

MsMarple · 20/05/2023 12:32

It’s worth asking your friend if she can pop over there and double check that the signs are clear -or you could - and if it’s one of those ‘put your number plate’ things you could call the pub and ask if they can cancel it. Do you have a receipt or bank statement showing your purchases?
I appealed a fine where the signs were not adequate- the company initially refused the appeal, but an ombudsman eventually dismissed the fine.

whynotwhatknot · 20/05/2023 12:32

my ds said this to me oh u can park in the car park behind the pub we wer gong somewhere else-till i saw the sign saying patrons only

you as the driver needs to take responsibility

TakeMeDancingNakedInTheRain · 20/05/2023 12:32

Unless she said you can park here for free and told you to park there I can't see how it's her fault, even if she did say that I'd have still checked the sign myself, parking rules change, I'd always take 30 seconds to check, lots of places fine like this now.