First Parking Ticket, but I paid!

Raymond Lin · 7 Oct 2011 at 22:44

I parked at a railway station NCP car park this morning, paid the extortionate £5.40 for 24 hours ticket and put it on the dash, I remember i initially had it upside down so I flipped it right way up and locked up and left.

Got back, drove home, packed for tomorrow's wedding and left for the hour and a half drive. Half way down the motorway to Birmingham I then noticed the parking ticket on my windscreen lol obviously by then I can't pull over. But I didn't see it on the dash at that point, it could have fallen off some time between home and leaving again.

So after I got to my destination (with a parking ticket on the windscreen for 80miles lol), I did find the parking stub on the floor.

Now, I am sure I displayed it correctly, as I flipped it over before locking up.

So shall I contest it?

It is £50 fine or £25 in 14 days.

jellybeard999 · 7 Oct 2011 at 22:46

There will be photos etc of the car to prove it wasn't displayed, so by rights, you should still be fined, but if you have the ticket contest it, you WILL get it overturned. Loads fall into footwells etc and there'd be too much negative press if they still enforced the penalty.

Raymond Lin · 7 Oct 2011 at 23:07

Should I send in a photocopy of the stub or original? Obviously photocopy it if I send in the original.

Rotty · 7 Oct 2011 at 23:13

This a NCP ticket ? mif so just bin it

My brother had one about a year ago, he gets the odd letter but just ignores them

Rotty · 7 Oct 2011 at 23:13

Raymond Lin said:
Should I send in a photocopy of the stub or original? Obviously photocopy it if I send in the original.

dont acknowledge or reply, just ignore

Raymond Lin · 7 Oct 2011 at 23:15

NCP ticket indeed.

I have the stub though, why not just contest and get rid? Or would that make matter worse.

What bugs me is that I paid and I remember making sure it was on the dash before I left.

jellybeard999 · 7 Oct 2011 at 23:17

Apologies if not relevant, my advice goes for local authority/police notices.

Rotty · 7 Oct 2011 at 23:21

Raymond Lin said:
NCP ticket indeed.

I have the stub though, why not just contest and get rid? Or would that make matter worse.

.

if you do then you have admitted certain things such as being the driver, why bother when you can just bin it ?

Raymond Lin · 7 Oct 2011 at 23:22

Rotty said:
if you do then you have admitted certain things such as being the driver, why bother when you can just bin it ?

Won't they take things further?

Rotty · 7 Oct 2011 at 23:24

Raymond Lin said:
Won't they take things further?

on what grounds ? they cannot issue a fine as they have no outhority to

at a push they can issue civil proceedings for trespass, against who? they cannot prove who was driving

even if they could they could only sue for losses, what losses have they incurred ?

others will be along soon to tell you the same I would imagine

Johnnytoxic · 7 Oct 2011 at 23:28

If it's not council then bin it.

Raymond Lin · 7 Oct 2011 at 23:29

Well, technically I entered into a contract by parking there, the loss would be 1 parking bay profit for 24 hours. But I can prove they suffered no loss as I have evidence so I suppose you are right, if they do issue any kind of civil proceedings I have the proof that I need.

Rotty · 7 Oct 2011 at 23:32

Raymond Lin said:
Well, technically I entered into a contract by parking there, the loss would be 1 parking bay profit for 24 hours. But I can prove they suffered no loss as I have evidence so I suppose you are right, if they do issue any kind of civil proceedings I have the proof that I need.

you worry too much

Dave85 · 8 Oct 2011 at 00:12

if you pay any parking ticket except council or police your a mug

Dunks · 8 Oct 2011 at 01:45

Raymond Lin said:
...the loss would be 1 parking bay profit for 24 hours.

Which is £5.40, they cannot justify the £50 fine.

Tute · 8 Oct 2011 at 07:06

Thing is, if you contact them then it'll just make them think that someone has fallen for their ticket and they'll reject your appeal and harass you. It's only really the council that drop tickets based on it falling on the floor anyway, private companies will just take it asa signal to begin letter-bombing you.

chriscpritchard · 8 Oct 2011 at 07:37

Depends on the ticket - you said you parked on a railway station, if the ticket is issued under the railway byelaws you should pay/challenge, if it's a bog standard "parking charge notice" or whatever (not a penalty charge notice) then ignore it!

sunny007 · 8 Oct 2011 at 07:49

Contest !! Happened with me as well, Paid for the parking, came back and had a parking fine, I wrote to them saying my ticket had fallen down and I had paid the ticket. Send proof of ticket.

Couple of weeks later got a letter saying the fine was dropped !

zipp0r · 8 Oct 2011 at 08:17

dont even bother contesting it, just bin it and ignore it. they cannot make you pay. i had one of these in 2009, all the 20min bays were full so i parked in a pay one and didnt buy a ticket, came back to find the guy putting a parking notice on my car and he goes all trafficy warden on my arse, phoning his "buddy" to look at cctv blah blah. i laughed at him and drove off

got about 5 letters from different bailif companies, untill i got fed up and phoned them, told them they cant prove who was driving, i am not required by law to tell them and they cannot make me pay and that they must stop sending me letters because im binning them. they never contacted me again.

@brainiac, im sure mine was issued under the railway bylaws...

only pay council or police fines!

panthro · 8 Oct 2011 at 08:34

£5.40 for 24hrs in a railway station NCP car park is pretty cheap. Its £11 or something similar round my area.