Parking Ticket Appeals article discussion

Anna1982_2

This is my first post, so hi to all.

I was parked on Saturday in Manchester (Didsbury). There was a person in a booth at the entry who was taking payments and issuing reciepts. Assuming it was a normal reciept I stashed it somewhere and did not display it. It was so, that the car park was a Pay and Display, but it was not mentioned anywhere except on the top of the reciept. There were no notices posted in the car park either.

When I came back I was surprised to find a S.I.P. PCN posted on my car. The charge was £35 if paid within 24hours and £70 if paid withing 7 days. I wanted to appeal( because technically I am right by having paid the parking fee in full before entering the car park. I still have the reciept), but next day being Sunday, my Penalty amount has already gone up to £70.

I also found that ignoring such appeals is best the way to avoid unfair penalties, but wanted to confirm because I was driving a rented car and I am registered as its only driver for the duration.

Can someone advise me on what the best way out is?
Thanks

trisontana

Was this a private car-park, and not one run by the council? If the former then it's safe to ignore. What was the name of the company?

Anna1982_2

The car park was private ( I think because it was not an NCP). and the parking monitoring was outsourced to S.I.P. (Stop illegal parking).

trisontana

Yes, just ignore. I like their name (Stop Illegal Parking) they should be told that there is nothing illegal about unauthorised parking on private land because no statute law has been broken.

Their website is full of the usual rubbish with such phrases as "vehicles parked illegally on private land"

I notice they don't seem to be members of the BPA ( for what that's worth)

Anna1982_2

Thanks a lot for your advice. :-)

peter_the_piper

Anna1982 wrote: »

The car park was private ( I think because it was not an NCP). and the parking monitoring was outsourced to S.I.P. (Stop illegal parking).

Please note that most NCP car parks are also private and can be ignored in the same way.

Driver8

Anna1982 wrote: »

This is my first post, so hi to all.

I was parked on Saturday in Manchester (Didsbury). There was a person in a booth at the entry who was taking payments and issuing reciepts. Assuming it was a normal reciept I stashed it somewhere and did not display it. It was so, that the car park was a Pay and Display, but it was not mentioned anywhere except on the top of the reciept. There were no notices posted in the car park either.

When I came back I was surprised to find a S.I.P. PCN posted on my car. The charge was £35 if paid within 24hours and £70 if paid withing 7 days. I wanted to appeal( because technically I am right by having paid the parking fee in full before entering the car park. I still have the reciept), but next day being Sunday, my Penalty amount has already gone up to £70.

I also found that ignoring such appeals is best the way to avoid unfair penalties, but wanted to confirm because I was driving a rented car and I am registered as its only driver for the duration.

Can someone advise me on what the best way out is?
Thanks

You say you were in a rented car. Be careful as they will send the scam invoice to the registered keeper which won't be you. have a word with who you rented the vehicle off and advise them accordingly, if not they could pay it and charge you with an admin fee on top.

Sir_Roger_deLodger

Anna1982 wrote: »

I also found that ignoring such appeals is best the way to avoid unfair penalties, but wanted to confirm because I was driving a rented car and I am registered as its only driver for the duration.

Car hire firms are notorious for paying up then charging it to you, plus a so called admin fee. Tell the hire co that this is not a legitimate fine or penalty and not to pay. If you paid for the car with a credit or debit card, ring your bank and report the card lost just in case they decide to help themselves.

Edit: Beat me to it there driver8!

Coupon-mad

Oh dear, a rented car. That's the huuuuuge problem here.

Do seriously consider reporting your credit card lost (the one that the hire company have).

Or write now - very quickly - to the hire company, quoting their t&cs at them (which no doubt talk about paying 'fines/parking offences'). State that you think there may be a scam parking charge notice going to be sent by a private firm (name them if you can, or give the date) but tell them it's a scam invoice.

Say you are 'sure their Fleet Manager will be clued-up enough to be aware of the issue with such spurious invoices' from private firms. Also you have checked your t&cs you know that it's not something that the hire firm has your authority to pay. You just did not want them to be taken in by it or the debt collector letters some of these scam firms send - and certainly they must not pay it as they will not be reimbursed by you.

Enclose a printed copy of this fleet news link with your letter:

http://www.fleetnews.co.uk/news/2009/5/28/question-private-parking-fines-fleets-urged/30698/

Conclude your letter by saying that you expressly do NOT allow them to pay this scam invoice on your behalf, and remind them that any authority to take payments from your credit card ONLY relates to real PCNs from a Local Authority or the Police. Failure to take into account your express authority in this matter would result in a claim for a refund including Court Costs and interest.

Then phone them the next day to check they got your letter. Be assertive in case they try to say you are wrong. Have your facts ready, a private parking charge notice is not a fine/penalty/offence and is only the business of the driver, the hire firm are not responsible. Tell them (don't ask them) that their t&cs don't cover this sort of scam and that they should read the Fleet News link and watch the Watchdog programme that covered this con and told people to make such rubbish tickets into paper aeroplanes.

Tell them you have their authority to bin all letters regarding this matter - but NO authority to pay it.

I really feel you are going to have to be very clear and act quickly to cover your back here. Deal with it firmly before the PPC do.

The hire firm will almost certainly just pay the scam invoice otherwise and charge you an admin fee on top (there are several threads where this has happened and to get a refund in that situation is very difficult).

Oh, and keep a copy of your letter. If by any chance the hire firm do take the payment then you can then send your cc company a copy of your letter showing that on today's date you had clearly stated your authority to the hire firm only allowed for payment of a real PCN, not for this one.

You should then be able to chargeback the payment the hire company take, including their admin fee. No reason why not, you have 120 days from the payment to do a chargeback if we are talking about a CREDIT card.

Sincerely hope it's not a car hired by your employer? Even more difficult!

Anna1982_2

Thanks to all of you. The car wasn't hired by my employer. I have already call the car company and they seemed very agreeable to the fact that I have clearly asked them to forward all communications to me (they said they do it anyway) and not to make any payments on my behalf. I have already drafted a letter and it is on its way. I'll also cancel my card today. Just wondering how will they refund the deposit if I cancel this one.