Parking Ticket Appeals successes and failures

In February 2010, shortly after I got my blue Disabled badge, I got a ticket from Euro Car Parks for non-payment. I had not seen the badly-displayed notice stating that there would be a charge even in the Disabled bays.

Euro demanded £80, or £60 if I paid up pronto. I took your advice and challenged them on the grounds that no contract was made because of the inadequate signage and that the amount demanded was grossly excessive. I also stated, as you recommend, that I would correspond no further until they dealt with these points.

They responded with a letter stating that 'my dispute had not been allowed', not discussing the ematter at all, but sending a photo copy of their standard sign, totally out of context and in tatty grey - absolutely useless to prove anything with. The woman who sent it (signed, would you believe, 'yours sincerely' - where did she go to school?:mad:) wittered on about the country benefitting from firms like theirs!

They then sent the case to a mob called 'Control Account' who followed-through with pompous and ominous demands and innuendoes (and more 'yours sincerelys') - I was well prepared to discount these because of the advice on this site and, to be fair, on Barrie Segal's.

Finally they got to the 'Our legal department consider this case to be viable for litigation but if you pay up now you can pay just £60'.
I've not heard from them for weeks now. But they have put up a new sign!

But - I would suggest that complaining to the landlord is not wise...I did that and they just forwarded my letter to Euro..that's how they got my name and address. I wonder whether that was a breach of confidentiality under the Data Protection Act?

DON'T PAY is the motto - and it works! Don't be bullied.
Thank you, Martin and all those giving encouragement here.

:T:beer::j:A:rotfl:

I was given a PCN for parking in a residents bay in Kensington & Chelsea. My appeal was dismissed but on further appeal it was allowed when I sent photographs showing that the bay was not properly signed. What are my chances of getting compensation for my wasted time?

Hi,

Another example of why you should always take what you think are unfair PCNs to appeal. I live in Barnet and there is a controlled parking zone in place on our residential road. I have a resident's parking permit, and have to park wherever I can find a space, often not near my house, so when I'm not using the car, I don't necessarily walk past it everyday. In January, during the periods of heavy snow, I parked my car in a resident's bay, and then didn't have cause to use it during the week due to my customer meetings being cancelled and advice from the Met office not to drive unless absolutely necessary. I came to use the car again the following weekend, when the snow had melted, and found that within the 5 days of it not being used, the council had suspended the bay and issued me with TWO PCNs! I challenged on the grounds that they hadn't provided enough advance warning, and that the Ts and Cs on the permit didn't state that they could suspend a bay at such short notice, but they ignored my reasoning. Barnet stated in their reply to me that the suspension notice had been put up 2 days in advance - which was the standard. Having looked around, I couldn't find any legal or regulatory statements on the notice period councils have to issue, so I wasn't sure if I had grounds to appeal, but did as a matter of principle. Several months later, having gone through all the stages of challenge, formal representations and appeal to PATAS, the adjudicator found in my favour, and agreed "bad weather or no" insufficient notice was given, and so I remained parked lawfully. So I'm £200 better off.

I guess councils will almost never cancel a PCN as it's a nice source of revenue - bank on having to go to appeal - it's a bit of a pain, but worth it in the end.

I wanted to give some hope to people who get these terrible parking fines from private companies. I got one early 2010. A very official fine for £50!, having parked there for 20 mins. It was from the Car parking partnership. I received 6 terrible letters, steadily getting more threatening. The very same Graham White solicitors. Roxburgh Debt Collectors. Johnathan Stock Debt Recovery Manager. The fine went up from £50 to £207, then down to £135> I really did feel very frighened, they all threatened legal action, Bailiffs, seizure of assets etc. However I held tight, after reading all the help on MSE site, and ignored them all, and so should you , as the letters have finally dried up, after 5 months.