Parking Enforcement Notice received for stopping for 10 seconds at Luton Airport

[coconut49]

I have searched for parking fine posts and I understand that if you receive a parking fine from a private company (in this case APCOA at Luton Airport) it is not enforceable. I just want to check though!!
My DH had to pick up my DB from Luton airport. He paid a pound to wait in the 15 min waiting area but as DB had still not arrived after 13 mins he exited the drop off/pick up area and was going to drive around and enter again for another 15 minutes (cheaper to pay £2 than go to short term car park). Anyway as he drove out, my DB appeared (jumped out in front of DH's car to stop him!) and DB threw his luggage in the boot and hopped in. DH stopped for about 10 seconds. Apparently you are not allowed to stop on the roads and there are notices but you can't read all the details if you are not allowed to stop !
DH has received a parking enforcement notice, which he ignored as we had read the advice, and then a debt collectors letter saying he owes £131 now, which for stopping for a few seconds seems a trifle excessive! The debt collectors now keep phoning daily but DH is never in as he is at work (and they don't have his mobile no). As I take the calls, they just say it is a personal call and ask me to leave a message for DH to call them, which he hasn't so far.
Do you think he should give them a ring? What should he say?
Or should he write to them?
Any help is much appreciated. I know the advice is to ignore all the letters but I am worried that DH will be the one they decide to take to court.

[VivaLeBeaver]

Well it's been two and a half months since I started getting letters and I haven't had a phone call so hopefully I won't do.

[VivaLeBeaver]

My idiots are called total parking solutions.

I got my ticket at work. In the staff car park, displaying my permit which I pay £10 a month for. However there aren't enough spaces. I was parked in a non space, but not causing an obstruction at all.

[SuePurblybilt]

Mine are Parking Eye, I shall hope for no phone call.
Bastards.

[Ponders]

\link{http://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?362700-Total-Parking-Solutions-Roxburge-Debt-Collectors-reassurance-please\it may be passed on to Roxburghe, Beaver}

Sue, please show your mum this thread (or tell her about it anyway) & try to persuade her to ignore letters & hang up on them if they do ring; honestly, they are just chancers & there is no legal liability.

[Ponders]

\link{http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.php?t=3558131\Parking Eye/Roxburghe}

Same connection, Sue

They are ubiquitous

[SuePurblybilt]

I showed her MSE but I feel guilty - I may yet crumble and pay them even though I know they are just chancers.
Parkingeye, according to MSE, are stayers and do 8 letters. By then I may crack

[VivaLeBeaver]

I've had a letter muttering something about debt collectors and bailiffs, chucked it in the bin.

Bailiffs can only come after a court judgement. They've not taken me to court yet and I would love it if they did. I'm hoping they do, I'd love to see them in court and argue it out with them.

[Ponders]

\link{http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.php?t=2214803\moneysavingexpert 'letter chains & court papers'} for all parking "fines" (etc)

[Ponders]

Martin Lewis is a very annoying person BUT he does do an incredible job

[OttillieRidiculous]

Civil Enforcement Ltd were the tykes who kept writing to me. They gave up after I just ignored them.

Stay strong, Comrade

[timnicebutdim]

Hi i'll try not to repeat things too much but my girlfriend recieved 2 of these notices from APCOA a few months ago. After checking on the internet i advised her to ignore it.
She then recieved a letter from dept collectors....still ignored
And recently a letter from graham white solicitors which is starting to worry her a bit as she thinks her credit rating my be damaged now collectors are envolved.
For peace of mind, i told her to take these letters to the citizen advice bureau hoping they will tell her not to worry.
Unfortunatly, the old lady there told her she should pay the fine, which is over £200 now, and then appeal after if she wants to.
Please help me convince my gf against this as this seems to be the sort of advice Graham White would give!!

[Collaborate]

All the convincing you/she'll need is contained in this thread. It doesn't gain any more traction by repetition.

[greyvix]

I know this is a zombie thread, but we were in the same boat at Luton Airport on Sunday. Having never been there before, we were clueless where to go, and it was dark so the signs and notices were unclear. I did pay £2 to go in the car park, but after we had loitered in another area.
Have people successfully avoided the charge?

[tracyg2014]

My son has been conned by these people, he let my husband out of the car by the lights at the airport and has been fined £128, with a letter threatening to send debt collectors, so he paid it, he had no other correspondence until today and it was back in Oct 2013, they are crooks !!!

[stuzz82]

DON'T PAY.
They are con artists. Apparently it is one 70 year old + dodgy solicitor. I received a fine for stopping for 10 seconds….disgraceful.
Do not respond to letters as they prey off fear - they know if you respond that you are worried and will then hound you.
They have no legal powers to enforce such ridiculous fines…..after a few letters that completely contradict each other they eventually stop……seriously….if you pay this you just make everybody else's lives difficult as they will continue to chase people.
The only people who can enforce parking tickets are the police and councils. They have NO legal ground and threatening you with bailiffs is a complete joke. They are never going to take action against 1 ticket….they would not win and it would cost them a fortune!
Hope this helps

[prh47bridge]

They have NO legal ground

I'm afraid that is not true. They can now take action against the registered keeper of the car and are entitled to claim as damages any amount displayed on a notice at the site. It is still possible to win by showing the notices were inadequate. It is also the case that ignoring often works. But if they do take action they now have a reasonable chance of success.

[clivenick58]

I have been reading with interest about people getting £100 fines at Airports, I would like to point out I do not work anywhere in the Airport. I am just a regular user of Airports and would like to point out that if you all do not want a £100 fine then park in the correct place I,E the quick drop off. I am sure it's cheaper to pay £1 for up to 10 minutes is much better. If every one done what you all do stop in the road and out side of places thats not allowed, then do not park there, then your all asking for fines because the reason for it is the fact that if every single person done what your all doing then it will make a trail of cars etc backing up in all the streets. Common sense at the end of the day. I don't aggree with the charges but I would rather pay a £1 than take a chance on £100 fine. Think on every one, it's done for the reason I stated to stop people blocking the roads round the airport and also you all would soon moan if you missed your flights because of the idiots blocking the road dropping people off just because they don't want to pay a £1

Come on every one think before you get £100 fine. If anyone wants to complain, complain about the parking/drop off charge.