Parking Ticket Appeals successes and failures

delambo

I have successfully appealed 3 parking fines all without telling a single lie.

The first one was a few years ago. I was parked in a loading bay and went to withdraw some money from the bank. The ticket stated "incorrect vehicle parked in a loading bay". I wrote the council a letter enclosing a copy of the ticket stating that I had checked the signs in the loading bay and pointed out that no-where did it state that a Volkswagen Golf was an incorrect vehicle, nor did it state what was a correct vehicle. I then went on to explain that I parked my car in the LOADING BAY , withdrew some money and LOADED it into my car.

In the second instance I was given a ticket for parking on double yellow lines. At the time I had a serious (but undiagnosed) eye condition, and that morning had had an attack whilst driving. I pulled over at the first convenient spot and walked to the doctors surgery, I phoned my wife and asked to to collect the van since I could not drive it. I was able to back up my claims with medical records but they did not ask to see them and simply dropped the fine.

My most recent one was only a few days ago. I parked my car at 11:59 in a council car park and went for change to buy a ticket. At 12:05 I was issued a fine but at 12:11 I bought a ticket after getting some change. The email I sent is below

Hi,

I am writing to challenge this parking ticket. I parked in the car park at approximately 11:59 but did not have any money to buy a ticket. I walked to the nearest cash machine (only a few steps away) and withdrew some cash to buy a ticket with. I then went from shop to shop trying to get some change for the car park but no-one would give me change. I eventually went to Sainsbury’s and bought a few groceries in order to get some change but the queues were large and it took me a few minutes to get served. I returned to the car park and bought a ticket at 12:11. As I approached my car to put the ticket in the window I found the Civil Enforcement Officer placing the ticket on my window. I attempted to approach him (wearing my Surrey Fire and Rescue uniform) in an unthreatening manor in order to discuss the ticket and the fact that I had paid for my parking but he ran away to get in his car and drive away.

I would simply like to appeal your good nature to understand the circumstances that led to this situation and to let the charge go.

I have attached scans of the tickets and my withdrawal receipt to illustrate the timings involved.

Best Regards,

Delambo.

I supported my claim with the receipts etc and they dropped the fine. It really does pay to challenge tickets if you have a genuine reason to do so (or as I demonstrated in scenario 2 sometimes it pays even if you do not have a genuine reason!!).

pendomer1

If you get a ticket for parking on the off-road area off Upper Medlock Street in Hulme, DON'T PAY IT! This is an area where theer are no signs forbidding parking and up to 20 cars regularly park there.The Council claim it is covered by Controlled Parking regs but there is nothing to tell you this. The Council leaves most of the cars alone but just tickets a few, so it's like a little honeypot, providing them with a regular income.

I exchanged letters for 6 months with the Council asking them to tell me by what authority they had issued the ticket to me. They tried to hide behind vague references to Traffic Management Acts (including the TMA2008, which as far as I know does not exist) and just ignored my request to tell me how a motorist could reasonably know parking was forbidden there. I took it to the Adjudicator, but the Council finally crumbled before it came to the hearing. Fine was withdrawn. I am now going to make a formal complaint about the Council's behaviour.

It seems to me that Councils have lost all sense of a service ethic in relation to parking. Regulations were once enforced to keep the roads clear; now the wardens are driven by revenue targets. The law needs to be changed: for motorists there is always the worry that if you challenge a fine it is liable to be doubled but there is no corresponding penalty for the Council. It might make them think more if they had to pay the motorist £70 if the final decision went against them.

Lara

Someone got a parking ticket last night at 7.45pm. They'd had gone to buy something in the next town but never goes there. They checked the parking meter to see if they had to pay but it was so dark they couldn't read it. They assumed being that time of night anyway parking restrictions would have finished. They were gone 15 ins. When they came out they'd been given a £80/40 ticket . As unemployed for six months and this is a huge sum. Would they have any legal grounds to appeal explaining there isn't any lighting to see the parking conditions etc? The company was Britannia Parking based in Southampton although we live in Essex. Thanks for any help anyone can give us!

peter_the_piper

Not quite enough information to be sure but it looks like a private car park. Was he parked off road? Does the ticket mention appealing to a council or about a council in any way? Assuming its not a council sub contracting the parking then its safe to just ignore the ticket. If it is a council come back and we'll tell you what is needed to enable people to help you.

Lara

peter_the_piper wrote: »

Not quite enough information to be sure but it looks like a private car park. Was he parked off road? Does the ticket mention appealing to a council or about a council in any way? Assuming its not a council sub contracting the parking then its safe to just ignore the ticket. If it is a council come back and we'll tell you what is needed to enable people to help you.

No mention of appeal to council, them or anyone else. In fact it doesn't even look as though you can appeal . It just says £40 if paid within 14 days or £80 after. It was a car park though. Even I didn't realise you needed a ticket after 7pm as it was always free parking after 6.30pm. You would only park there if shopping. Didn't know it had been taken over either but there again I only go in the day and that's not often!

peter_the_piper

So no council then. That makes it easy, IGNORE them don't reply, don't contact and don't admit who was driving. Suggest edit original post to remove who driver was.
You'll get a few bits of bumpf, about 6--if you contact them then it'll be more like 8-10 before they give up.

Lara

Thanks - have followed your suggestion. The Parking Charge Notice does say "your vehicle has been digitally photographed" - can they use this as evidence? Wouldn't want the £80 fine!! I'll also go and look at the signs tomorrow.

EDITED:
Just realised it isn't signed by anyone - just gives an employee number??? Is that legal?? Also you can only pay by cheque or cash - I use credit card for everything if I can so this looks odd to me too.

peter_the_piper

What evidence? They have a pretty picture of your sons car. How nice, pity they don't have a picture of the driver as well, one that is recognisable that is.

Coupon-mad

Lara wrote: »

Thanks - have followed your suggestion. The Parking Charge Notice does say "your vehicle has been digitally photographed" - can they use this as evidence? Wouldn't want the £80 fine!! I'll also go and look at the signs tomorrow.

EDITED:
Just realised it isn't signed by anyone - just gives an employee number??? Is that legal?? Also you can only pay by cheque or cash - I use credit card for everything if I can so this looks odd to me too.

Lara please stop spending your time worrying about it, stop looking at the ticket as if it was a real one and please forget about planning to go back and look at their signs. It's nearly Christmas and you have other things to do!

Just file the fake ticket and any letters they send to the registered keeper.

It is NOT a fine, private companies cannot issue fines. It's a scam.

Do you know how many other threads like this one there are on here (maybe not, seeing as this was posted under the successes and failures sticky by mistake)? You would be surprised, but hopefully enlightened by the truth about this racket.

You just need to read this info in this sticky, written by Crabman:

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=1363571

and then if you want to know how other people on here are getting on who are also in your shoes, then browse the whole sub-board of threads here (look for those where it's not a Council ticket, you'll see a common theme):

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/forumdisplay.html?f=163

Having read all that then relax and file away the ticket. The fact that they may or may not have photographed your car is irrelevant as neither you, nor the registered keeper nor the driver have committed any offence.

If a neighbour took a snap of your car then asked you for £80 as a penalty for living next door to them, you'd tell them where to go, right? It's the same thing, it's not enforceable, you owe nothing!

Add to your 'file of trash' any letters that are sent about it in the coming months, including threatening/scary ones from Solicitors and Debt Collectors. Only post a new thread if you ever get served with Court papers. You won't.

DON'T PAY! DON'T APPEAL! DON'T WRITE TO THEM!

hth

Lara

Coupon-mad wrote: »

Lara please stop spending your time worrying about it, stop looking at the ticket as if it was a real one and please forget about planning to go back and look at their signs. It's nearly Christmas and you have other things to do!

Just file the fake ticket and any letters they send to the registered keeper.

It is NOT a fine, private companies cannot issue fines. It's a scam.

Do you know how many other threads like this one there are on here (maybe not, seeing as this was posted under the successes and failures sticky by mistake)? You would be surprised, but hopefully enlightened by the truth about this racket.

hth

Sorry - I'd quickly "searched" found this one and didn't look any further. A case of panic I suppose! Thanks for taking the time to post the links. I'll go and have a look later. As you say I have other things to do so I'm off to do some Christmas shopping :)!!