Private Parking Tickets discussion

spezi

A parking ticket arrived from MET parking for when I met a friend at McDonalds a couple of weeks ago.
Neither of us were aware of the parking restrictions in the car park. We both drove there and entered by the same entrance .. leaving by different exits. We stayed just under three hours (I know it's a long time but we were chatting !).
We have since returned to see what the signage for the restrictions is like. Whereas there are very clear signs at about eye level about "noise" and telling you which "bay" to park in .. the parking signs are on lamp-posts at a height of about 9ft and although they have some red and yellow colouring the majority of the sign is brown and have print small (not difficult to read from the car - and that's if you've even noticed them!) .. There are a lot of them though so I guess we should have seen them but we just didnt realised there was any restriction (the restaurant is on a busy dual carriageway at a roundabout !) ..

We did buy a meal at McDs and later a coffee and later we claimed our free apple pies (which we won courtesy of the "meal" packaging) so we were customers all the time we were there !

The odd thing is I got a ticket but my friend didn't ! I know I overstayed the allowed time so feel I should pay (although it is very annoying).

What I am wondering about is looking at advice on this site about ignoring these private company parking fines .. is that really an option ? .. Do or don't they have the right to do this ?

My income is not very high and I can't afford to pay exhorbitant court fees and fines or have my credit rating affected ..
What do you suggest .. the £50 fine should be paid by 19th May or it goes up to £100.

I just can't decide the best action (or non-action!)
thanks a lot

trisontana

Just ignore. You don't owe the parking company a penny and they have no right to demand any money from you. They can request it, but you have the perfect right to decline that request.

By the way they are not "fines" (they are invoices), and it will never get to court. Just relax.

Driver8

spezi wrote: »

A parking ticket arrived from MET parking for when I met a friend at McDonalds a couple of weeks ago.
Neither of us were aware of the parking restrictions in the car park. We both drove there and entered by the same entrance .. leaving by different exits. We stayed just under three hours (I know it's a long time but we were chatting !).
We have since returned to see what the signage for the restrictions is like. Whereas there are very clear signs at about eye level about "noise" and telling you which "bay" to park in .. the parking signs are on lamp-posts at a height of about 9ft and although they have some red and yellow colouring the majority of the sign is brown and have print small (not difficult to read from the car - and that's if you've even noticed them!) .. There are a lot of them though so I guess we should have seen them but we just didnt realised there was any restriction (the restaurant is on a busy dual carriageway at a roundabout !) ..

We did buy a meal at McDs and later a coffee and later we claimed our free apple pies (which we won courtesy of the "meal" packaging) so we were customers all the time we were there !

The odd thing is I got a ticket but my friend didn't ! I know I overstayed the allowed time so feel I should pay (although it is very annoying).

What I am wondering about is looking at advice on this site about ignoring these private company parking fines .. is that really an option ? .. Do or don't they have the right to do this ?

My income is not very high and I can't afford to pay exhorbitant court fees and fines or have my credit rating affected ..
What do you suggest .. the £50 fine should be paid by 19th May or it goes up to £100.

I just can't decide the best action (or non-action!)
thanks a lot

You probably missed this what coupon-mad posted on another thread but just watch and send to your friends by e mail.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XAIcdi9niHA

clg86

I received not 1, but 2 private parking tickets in Manchester round the apartments where I currently live. I read through these threads over and over and over, yet I still wasn't sure and was scared that I would get a bad credit rating which is the last thing I wanted, as we are in the process of buying a house :dance: However.....

I didn't try to appeal against it, I ignored my first "debt collectors" letter, I ignored my second "debt collectors letter", and ignored my "FINAL WARNING" letter. All the time worrying that I would get a big beefy guy knocking on my door to remove all my belongings _pale_. This was last year. I haven't heard anything else, and no beefy guy has come round.

I know it's scary and trusting people who you have never met before when your family and friends are telling you that you're being stupid and to just pay up, seems a silly thing to do, but trust them! They saved me so much money and I am so greatful.

Thanks guys :beer:

trisontana

Of course that "big beefy guy" would not be coming round to your house to seize goods because he would be just a private debt-collector who has no right to enter your property or to seize goods.

The only people who can do that are court bailiffs and for that to happen the case has to go to court, you lose and you refuse to pay whatever the judge orders.

This failure by people to differentiate between debt-collectors and bailiffs is something that many PPCs play on.

Coblcris

I emphasise trisontana's post.

Debt Collectors are powerless.

clg86

Until I move in to my new house with a parking space that is all mine, I wonder if it would be wrong to just park where I want anyway :rotfl:Or would that be going too far......:p

peter_the_piper

There's no point in winding people up and just parking anywhere, there comes a time when its economical for them to attempt court.

clg86

peter_the_piper wrote: »

There's no point in winding people up and just parking anywhere, there comes a time when its economical for them to attempt court.

I know that really, I was just being a rebel!:p

I always say that if I genuinely thought I was in the wrong, I would pay up!:)

spezi

thanks for the link Driver8 .. I did watch the programme but found it confusing because I didn't park-leave and then return as the drivers they were talking about appeared to have done. Anyway .. what about being in "breach of some contractual term" .. am I not entering into a contract by parking on this private land ? .. and in breach because I stayed longer than they said I was allowed to?

I was also interested to read ClaphamMan's post .. and another which said he had phoned the company and they said they had never actually taken anyone to court .. do you think they may start after all this publicity ?? I may be the unlucky one ?? .. what do you reckon !?