Challenging parking ticket

[Monket]

DH overstayed a ten min buffer period on a local road whilst dropping DC at their sports club (which is always running late - child too young to be left unattended to enter / leave). We’ve received a PCN from a private company on the grounds that the vehicle was parked illegally, however the vehicle was only stopped to unload a passenger.

Has anyone successfully appealed in such a circumstance? Ended up in court? AIBU to think this is worth arguing?

Obviously happy to provide more details but didn’t want a very long OP. Curious about whether it’s worth the hassle. Charge is £100, down to £60 if paid within 14 days.

I ignore the private ones BUT if they get super aggressive I wait for it to be handed to debt collection, give them a ring, say I’ll pay off £5 or £10 per month then cancel the DD after 1 month and it has always gone away. They’re absolutely criminal. Before I knew better I once got one in Cornwall from driving into a carpark and out again 10 seconds later for £70 and stupidly paid it. An uber driver told me to ignore it and I should’ve done

If he overstayed by ten minutes, that’s not just setting someone down. He parked, left the car, then came back. The club running late is not the parking company’s problem. I can’t see it going anywhere on appeal.

Do you mean he got out of the car and took him into the club and it took longer than 10 minutes? That’s more than just dropping someone off. Sounds like there’s nothing you can argue.

He overstayed by 90seconds, ie took 11.5mins instead of 10.

He stopped the car next to the door of the club - but the previous class was running late. So being out of the car is about 50 seconds probably.

i think it hangs on the definition of “parked”. He drove to the end of the lane, turned around (delayed by another vehicle in the same narrow lane) and then stopped to unload a passenger.

This is interesting! Apparently they pass it to debt collectors and they have absolutely no power until it’s been to court, but act like they do…

I ended up owing £400 for a phone to pay transaction that didn’t go through. I was so stressed as DH had no interest in helping and I got letter after letter and was told to ignore and then I got a ccj and thought enough was enough.

In my experience it’s never gone to court, it’ll cost them £400 (I believe or thereabouts) to take you to small claims court, so they rely on people’s fear to adhere to their aggressive & ridiculous letters.
@chinacrisisofcupkind was that for a private ticket ? Sorry to hear of the CCJ

I’ve just appealed two (it was a bad week!) for pretty rubbish reasons and had them both reduced to £20, one of them came back within about 10 mins which makes me think they don’t even read the appeals. I decided £20 was fair enough as I was technically in the wrong! It’s worth a try, nothing to lose!

so the car was either parked or not if there was no one in the car it was parked if someone was being let out and in then it was standing I presume?

He didn’t just stop to let someone out, though. He parked and got out himself. That’s parking by any definition.

So he didn’t pay for a ticket at all? Isn’t the 10 minute buffer if you have a ticket and overstay by 10 minutes, not being in the car park for 10 minutes without paying? Either way, he was longer than the 10 minutes, and the buffer is 10 minutes not 11. There isn’t a buffer on the buffer.

Have a look on Money Saving Forum, they are very good on these situations.

You are also allowed to enter, read the terms and conditions of parking, reject them and leave. In some places I've been there more than ten minutes and the app still hasn't downloaded, never mind inserting all your details. In some places it has taken me several minutes to find the correct signage which applies to the parking space.

The parking company don't know that do they? They will have two photos of the car going into and leaving the parking area, not a fucking Crimewatch reconstruction.

If the 11.5 minutes includes the time he took to turn around and wasn’t in the spot then I would definitely appeal

You have to look at the wording. It they are saying dh was parked in that spot for 11.5 minutes continuously then it could definitely be argued that the car was not static in the same place for 11.5 minutes Do they have video and photographic evidence

If he turned around then wouldn’t the car be facing a different way from the first photo at the start of the 11.5 minutes stay to the last seconds of the 11.5 minute stay.

I look very carefully into what words actually mean and what is written down
I think a lot of people look at these sort of things and take the meaning as what they assume the writer of these rules was trying to say overall rather than what is written down

Don’t forget to compare these company rules against what is the governments rules. I have come across a few companies who have rules that are in direct breach of uk laws

I’ve come back as we need to reach a conclusion and either pay it or commit to fight it properly…

The images they have are of him entering and leaving the lane. It is a long narrow lane, so the 11.5mins includes entering, turning at the end, stopping to unload the child passenger, and exiting (which was delayed by another vehicle).

We appealed on the basis of the above and the appeal was rejected on the basis that the parking terms apply, but he is stating that he didn’t park.

Picture of the terms and the appeal rejection….

https://www.ftla.uk/index.php
You can get advice from people on this website

Have a look at POPLA appeals - the website helps you write it submit with evidence