Has anyone successfully challenged a private parking ticket

[GColdtimer]

I parked in a private car park at the station yesterday and got back to my car to find a parking ticket on it. I had not parked in a allocated bay. When I looked, I realised there was a white line on one side but not on the other but there were no yellow lines indicating you shouldn't park there. It was at the end of a row in a corner. The fine is £70 if I pay in 7 days or £100 if leave it. Reading the moneysupermarket website, many of these companies do not pursue you - it's not worth their while - and I do have grounds for challenging it, i.e. - it wasn't obvious that the space was not a bay.

Has anyone ever challenged or refused to pay one of these fines? £30 I could understand, but £100

anyone? thanks

Hi, try www.moneysavingexpert.co.uk or www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk. AFAIK these private parking companies can't enforce these tickets so you should just ignore it, but there is a lot more info on the other forums.

Great, thanks trixy, both those sites make really interesting reading. These companies are just run by cowboys. I spoke to a friend who had a ticket for being ON a white line in a marked bay.

My DH got a ticket at a ferry terminal from a private company, he refused to pay for some reason (which i can't remember) they chased him for a month and that was that. He did explain why he wasn't paying though, it was something to do with timings i think.

I've had two tickets from private companies and ignored them. Don't even acknowledge them, they'll send some threatening letters and then forget you.

Agree with mulanmum. I have had the same experience. Only tickets issued by the local authority are legally enforceable AFAIK.

that's good to hear thank you. I have thrown it away and will ignore until they start getting threatening and then I will explain the reasons for not paying it. They have to make their charges clear and have to clearly indicate areas that are not to be parked it. The space I parked in probably has people parked in it a couple of times a week at least. I will let you know if they try to take it further!

I had one about 4 months ago and just chucked it in a drawer and haven't heard a word since.

so glad I didn't do what DH told me to do and pay it. The power of MN

No, twofalls, don't acknowledge them even when you get the letters from their "debt collection agency". They'll tell you that you now owe them £15,399.23 and court action is "imminent". IGNORE and they will crawl back under their stones.

Ok, thanks mulanmum, I might need to come back on here for some courage if they start getting threatening

Looking into it, they really don't have a leg to stand on. DVLA should be taken to task for passing drivers details on to these people.

OK, I now need some courage. They are sending threatening "court action imminent" letters. I am ignoring them still.

Not sure if you are still around mulanmum1 but thought I would post anyway!