Got a parking ticket from a private company....?

peanutismint · 7 Dec 2013 at 12:27

So last Saturday I parked up in one of those big out-of-town retail outlets and went shopping for an hour or so. I then had a coffee in a cafe on the same site, and then picked up some groceries before I left.

All in all, I spent just over three hours in this outlet place. Today I got a letter through my door with timestamped photos of my car entering and leaving saying I owed them £100 for exceeding the maximum stay in the car park (reduced to £60 if paid within 14 days, but still).

This car park is right next door to a big football stadium, and it was a match day so I assume people park there without shopping and they're trying to crack down. I didn't see any signs saying 'maximum stay' but it probably did say it somewhere, albeit in the small print....

Anybody else ever been stung with one of these? Is there anything I can do about it or should I just pay up? I can prove I was shopping rather than attending the football match if that changes anything....?

Derek W · 7 Dec 2013 at 12:29

http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/showthread.php?t=18423534&highlight=parking

Theophany · 7 Dec 2013 at 12:29

I did and ended up paying up. The T&Cs were signed in the car park, so whilst irritated by it, I was bang to rights. YMMV though.

peanutismint · 7 Dec 2013 at 12:35

@Theophany Hmm see that's what I'm thinking (thanks for the link tho Derek). Part of me wants to believe that if I just ignore it it'll go away (because it's not worth them fighting it or whatever) but then part of me worries that it might just escalate..... I'd like to hear from anyone on this forum who has ignored it and had it go away....

Em3bbs · 7 Dec 2013 at 12:36

About 10 months ago I moved my car in B&Q to load it up with a load of flooring, there were about 10 disabled bays free so I put it in one to save me walking a very heavy industrial trolley all the way down the car park. While I went from the car to get the trolley from the store a Euro Car Parks drone must have seen me and decided to give me a ticket which I gave back to him. I then got about 6 letters but in the end they gave up.

In normal circumstances (disabled bays all full etc.) I can understand giving out tickets, but when it's a legitimate customer bending the rules slightly as in the case of the OP a little common sense wouldn't go amiss.

Clarkey · 7 Dec 2013 at 12:56

Em3bbs said:
About 10 months ago I moved my car in B&Q to load it up with a load of flooring, there were about 10 disabled bays free so I put it in one to save me walking a very heavy industrial trolley all the way down the car park. While I went from the car to get the trolley from the store a Euro Car Parks drone must have seen me and decided to give me a ticket which I gave back to him. I then got about 6 letters but in the end they gave up.

In normal circumstances (disabled bays all full etc.) I can understand giving out tickets, but when it's a legitimate customer bending the rules slightly as in the case of the OP a little common sense wouldn't go amiss.

Really? I thought everybody knew that parking in a disabled bay without disability is just not socially acceptable in the slightest.

233 · 7 Dec 2013 at 13:01

Any proof of purchases receipts bank statement etc

Send a polite letter to the site owners explaining you were actually shopping at the site

Failing that complain to the customer relations team from each outlet and let them bend the site owners ear for you

Stormster · 7 Dec 2013 at 13:35

It won't go away these days, especially if it was parking eye lol.

We're close to having a court date with them as we are not keen on paying up.

spoffle · 7 Dec 2013 at 13:41

Stormster said:
It won't go away these days, especially if it was parking eye lol.

We're close to having a court date with them as we are not keen on paying up.

They will be more persistent, sure, but it's not profitable for these companies to go to court.

They can only demand an amount that they can demonstrate they have lost, which is usually no more than a single digit amount.

Beerbaron · 7 Dec 2013 at 13:43

Clarkey said:
Really? I thought everybody knew that parking in a disabled bay without disability is just not socially acceptable in the slightest.

Everyone and their dog can get a disabled badge these days. Plus they park where ever they like with little disregard for other road users.

[TW]Fox · 7 Dec 2013 at 13:43

Theophany said:
I did and ended up paying up. The T&Cs were signed in the car park, so whilst irritated by it, I was bang to rights.

You were not bang to rights at all. Shame you paid it.

deadite66 · 7 Dec 2013 at 13:46

When ever this question of private parking tickets comes up on the LBC legal hour he always says to send them £1 as fulfilment of the fine and if it comes to court the judges hate these parking tickets as they can't prove they've lost the amount they want and will rule in your favour.

stoofa · 7 Dec 2013 at 14:55

deadite66 said:
When ever this question of private parking tickets comes up on the LBC legal hour he always says to send them £1 as fulfilment of the fine and if it comes to court the judges hate these parking tickets as they can't prove they've lost the amount they want and will rule in your favour.

There is plenty of evidence to support that this is no longer the case and that more and more parking firms are willing to go to court and more and more actually come away winning.
Just browse through the various threads at Pepipoo.

johnny6 · 7 Dec 2013 at 15:39

Since the introduction of the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012 surely you can no longer just ignore the demand

rossk26 · 7 Dec 2013 at 16:05

I ignored mine, heard nothing.

Whilst I debated what do do about my fine, I read up on it. And a piece of law states that the essentially the parking company can't demand you pay a fine, you can take them to court and only pay them on loss of earnings. So if it's £1.20 an hour, and you were an hour late, you pay £1.20.

It's been done many times, and this has always been the result. They will send you very threatening letters with strong words on them to scare you, just simply ignore these.

Anyone who has paid a private companies parking fine is unlucky in my opinion. If only they had did a little research first...

AtreuS · 7 Dec 2013 at 16:38

Keep your proof of spending at the shops and tell them you owe nothing. If threaten court say "fine go ahead... i shall pay the equivalent of the hour @ £0 per hour if found guilty.

I doubt you will hear from them again.

coolsurfer · 7 Dec 2013 at 16:55

What about if a car is clamped on private property?

englishpremier · 7 Dec 2013 at 17:23

coolsurfer said:
What about if a car is clamped on private property?

Then you'd probably call the Police as that's illegal

Johnnytoxic · 7 Dec 2013 at 18:16

I've had about 20 of these. Ignored every one.

I don't have any further post from these.

Simple.

Haggisman · 7 Dec 2013 at 18:39

Clarkey said:
Really? I thought everybody knew that parking in a disabled bay without disability is just not socially acceptable in the slightest.

Not sure if serious? I would say in those circumstances it's perfectly acceptable to leave your car in a disabled bay for the 2 minutes it would take to collect a trolley from a checkout...

I had some numpty parking attendant threaten to fine me for stopping in a disabled bay for 30 seconds while my mate ran to the cash point 5m away. At 9.55pm when the shop closed at 10. So I re positioned my car diagonally across 2 of them instead... he wasn't impressed XD

AtreuS said:
Keep your proof of spending at the shops and tell them you owe nothing. If threaten court say "fine go ahead... i shall pay the equivalent of the hour @ £0 per hour if found guilty.

I doubt you will hear from them again.

Indeed, send them a cheque for the lost revenue, I.e. £0

Edit: actually, if all the evidence they have is a photo of your car entering and leaving, that doesn't actually prove you were PARKED for the whole time between, or even that your car was in the car park for that whole time... you could ask them for evidence that the alleged contravention actually took place (unless they have cctv covering where you parked, which shows the number plate or some other way of proving it's your car, they won't be able to do this)