Private car park

bushtucker_2

Hello

This my first post here as I have been recommended via my girlfriend from someone at her work. I've had a look through the rest of the forum and can't find anything else similar to my problem, but if there please feel free to point me in the right direction.

I've lived in the same house for around 13 years now and as part of a 'mini housing estate' (around 30 houses and 45 flats) we have a private car park (think of it as a shared drive). some years ago there could be problems getting a space as it is easy walking distance to a large(ish) town. However in the last 5 or so years the town has redeveloped and added many new car parks which has eased the pressure on our private car park.

In the last couple of years the estate management company has changed hands. the new company has employed a private parking firm to enforce the parking. This company has installed cameras on the entrance to the car park (I believe these to be automatic number plate recognition) and are issuing parking charges of £75 to cars without a permit, increasing over a time scale and reducing to £15 'cost's (this is because it apparently costs £12 to obtain the details from the DVLA) if issued correctly but to someone 'entitled' to park there ie was visiting me but i forgot to inform the PPC. In order to gain a permit I have to send the reg number to the PPC who then add it to the list of allowed vehicles.

At the turn of the year I sent 3 reg numbers to the PPC asking for them to be added to my perminant list of allowed vehicles and informed them of the date I was expecting them to visit that week. I have recently had a reply to this stating that I would no longer be allowed any more than 4 vehicles registered and if there was ever more than 1 car from my house there a charge may be issued. At this point it's worth repeating this is a private car park provided for my use.

I have checked through my freehold deeds and it states (in plain English) that I 'have access to the car park' Importantly it does not specify any maximum number of spaces that i may use, nor are any of the spaces marked out as 'belonging' to any particular house/flat.

I must say that I feel the PPC are only doing what the estate managment company is telling them to do, although they do insist on useing expensive phone lines for us to comunicate with them.

What can I do?
The main problems I have are that now under these new rules I can't have anyone visit me, this would of course include my girlfriend, without them incuring a charge. In order to bring this to a head and get a judgment on this I have to ask friends and family to go through all the stress and hassel these companys throw at people, it's not just me ignoring thier letters.

Many thanks in advance and sorry for such a long post.

bargepole

bushtucker wrote: »

... In the last couple of years the estate management company has changed hands. the new company has employed a private parking firm to enforce the parking. This company has installed cameras on the entrance to the car park (I believe these to be automatic number plate recognition) and are issuing parking charges of £75 to cars without a permit, increasing over a time scale and reducing to £15 'cost's (this is because it apparently costs £12 to obtain the details from the DVLA) if issued correctly but to someone 'entitled' to park there ie was visiting me but i forgot to inform the PPC. In order to gain a permit I have to send the reg number to the PPC who then add it to the list of allowed vehicles ...

This sort of situation is quite commonplace, and usually what happens is that the Management Company will get a kickback from the PPC for each paid ticket - usually £15. Incidentally, it costs the PPC £2.50, not £12, to get reg keeper's details from the DVLA.

So you have two choices - get together with a group of other residents, and send the Mgmt Co a formal notice stating you do not agree to these terms, and if they continue with the scheme you will report them to the Council for running an unlicensed parking business

- or -

print out Martin's guide to private parking tickets, and as each visitor arrives hand out a copy, whilst getting them to swear on oath that they will follow the advice and never send a penny to the cockroaches.

frannyann

Thanks Bargepole, I recommended this site as I knew the people in the know would help! Anyone have any smaple letter template he could possiby use?

bushtucker_2

Thanks for the replies and advice.

Having read through various post's, articles and my own documents I have decided to compile a list of all the number plates of friends who might just visit and send them to the parking company with a covering letter stating that they may just visit and are entitled to park there. Also stating that it is not an exhaustive list and will be updated as and when cars are changed or new people need adding. Then should anyone on the list receive a 'charge' I will be in a position to tell them to pass all correspondence on to me and I can send one e-mail to the company reminding them the car was registered and to leave alone.

This seems to be the best solution as it will protect the drivers in any court case that they may be brave enough to bring and by taking the correspondence off them, it should remove the stress to my guests.

I must say when I posted here first I was feeling very stressed and angry and also not more that a little helpless. The threads, articles and links here have calmed and de-stressed me greatly and most importantly allowed me to think clearly and formulate a way out of the grief.

Again, many thanks.