Parking Charge Notice

shauncr91

shauncr91

shauncr91

Soldato
Joined
28 Dec 2007
Posts
11,552
Location
Sheffield
Hallo,

Tonight I was at Centretainment in Sheffield and received a "Parking Charge Notice" from a private company called "Vehicle Control" (www.vehiclecontrol.co.uk).

They claim I was parked in a restricted part of the car park and and are trying to fine me £80, increasing to £120 if it isn't paid in 7 days. The car was parked with 2 wheels on a pavement (In no way obstructing the pavement as it's VERY wide), in an area with no road markings to indicate that it was restricted, nor are there any signs in the area claiming so. I know this because when I first parked I checked for around 2 minutes making sure and found nothing.

Is this ticket enforceable or not? As I've heard some stories of people saying that tickets aren't always valid if they are from private firms and such but can't seem to find a definite answer and want to get my facts right before I pursue it.

I've taken a picture of the car as it was parked so that I have some evidence.

Thanks :)
 
No it's not enforcable and you'd be a fool if you paid it.

I'm currently on letter 3 of 4 from my local micky mouse parking operation.

Don't reply to them at all.

 
Don't reply to them. All they can actually get you on is breach of contract, but it's the driver that breached the contract, not the registered keeper. Just don't tell them you were driving and they haven't got a leg to stand on because unlike the police they can't force you to reveal that information.

Enjoy your free hamster bedding.
 
Just bin it and do not enter into any correspondence with them.

Think the private firms are realising people ignore them now as the O/H found one on her car at the end of November. No other letters have arrived since then about it at all.
 
Just to add, this was on the back of the "parking invoice" . . .

img0484sl.jpg


:D
 
Sometimes at centertainment it gets that busy parking as you describe is the only option, to have a parking enforcment company doing this thing is kind of retarded as they are just limiting how many customers they can have parked up :confused:

I've parked like that 3 times there and never had an issue though.
 
yeah bin it or just file it. We had one when we went to Dudley merry hill. I was driving my GF's car and as it was quite i just parked lazy over 2 bays. A fine of £30, which once i looked ont he net i encouraged her to not pay it, but she like many others was worried about being arrested! lol.

A few months later me and a friend were in Wales me driving her car agian and we both got a fine for £80 for parking and then going into town so not using the shops near the carpark. I told her this time we are not paying it and also told my mate and just ignored the letters.

They seem to make it look all official, like it was from the police and then carefully word the 'fine' so they dont get taken to court and then use lots of threats which 'might' happen!

All i can say to anyone who gets a parking fine is to check if its from the council or a warden, if not them its a scam.
 
Thanks for the replies guys, after a bit more reading I came across this: http://www.sheffieldforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=619484

Exact same company in the exact same place. I PM'd the person about it asking how it ended up and got this reply "I just ignored it as it says on this site, got a few letters from them, then solicitors then they said they were gonna pass it to debt collector, not heard anything for a while.". Sounds like they are just opportunists trying to scare people into payment.

Think I'll just ignore the whole thing as you've all said :)
 
With private parking enforcement companies their "contract" is with the DRIVER of the vehicle. They get the registered keeper's details from the DVLA (at a small fee) and start sending the rubbish through in hope they pay up. You are not required by UK Law to tell them the driver of the vehicle, who the "contract" is actually with. As mentioned above they're opportunists and work by scaring people.

The above does not apply to Police & Council fines, where you ARE required to reveal the drivers details.
 
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My girlfriend has had one of these through for overstaying her parking time in a shopping centre car park. They say they have video evidence and that if she doesn't pay by the 24th that the charge will go up from £50 to £100 and that if she doesn't pay they may take her to court.

Anyone got any suggestions as the the best way to deal with this? Part of me is saying just file and ignore, and another part is saying just pay the £50 to avoid any hassle.

To clarify, she probably had actually overstayed in the carpark, but I'd rather not pay.
 
godinman said:
My girlfriend has had one of these through for overstaying her parking time in a shopping centre car park. They say they have video evidence and that if she doesn't pay by the 24th that the charge will go up from £50 to £100 and that if she doesn't pay they may take her to court.

Anyone got any suggestions as the the best way to deal with this? Part of me is saying just file and ignore, and another part is saying just pay the £50 to avoid any hassle.

To clarify, she probably had actually overstayed in the carpark, but I'd rather not pay.
Click to expand...

I take it either your computer is broken or you are blind regarding all the responses above your post.

:p
 
Well, maybe. No, I sort of skimmed it and thought his situation was completely different to mine. Actually it's very similar, but my girlfriends better at parking.

Ok then, so we'll just ignore it. I thought I was being all good not making a whole new thread aswell...
 
If they could identify her, signage was legal and they took her to court - the most they could claim is their loss (i.e. the price of the ticket she over stayed by).
 
Contract law states, as Telescopi alludes to, that any penalty clauses must be fair and resonable to cover costs incurred. In the case of overstaying half an hour that would be about 50p, unless she was parking in Central London or something.

Any demands for £100 in court would therefore be thrown out.
 
godinman said:
Well, maybe. No, I sort of skimmed it and thought his situation was completely different to mine. Actually it's very similar, but my girlfriends better at parking.

Ok then, so we'll just ignore it. I thought I was being all good not making a whole new thread aswell...
Click to expand...

No worries, just playing around :D

Just bin and ignore, or feed it to your pet.
 
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