Parking ticket fell off dashboard..

boliston

One of the problems the parking firms have is that the DVLA will only release the name of the registered keeper, but any civil contract is with the driver. Without this vital information they would have difficulty in taking the driver to court, which is why responding to their letters is not a good idea as you could inadvertently furnish them with this missing information!

PaulJM

Thanks everyone for this, I'll start looking through these links tonight.

I think I've given them too much info now -

I've emailed back with my address as they ask, and admitted that I was driver, by way of saying that I bought a ticket and left it on the dashboard. Reading this now, that was stupid, but it's too late - do you think that might have jepardised anything?

boliston

PaulJM wrote: »

Thanks everyone for this, I'll start looking through these links tonight.

I think I've given them too much info now -

I've emailed back with my address as they ask, and admitted that I was driver, by way of saying that I bought a ticket and left it on the dashboard. Reading this now, that was stupid, but it's too late - do you think that might have jepardised anything?

I often buy the ticket when I'm not actually the driver on the basis that if someone has driven me somewhere then the least I can do is cover the parking

taxiphil

In the short term it will probably make them think you're a sucker who's taking them seriously, and will encourage them to send more silly letters.

But don't worry, the chances of them actually suing you and winning are still about the same as you winning the lottery two weeks in a row, because penalty charges are legally unenforceable; they can only claim for actual loss. That's been the law for 95 years. And as trisontana has pointed out, they haven't suffered any loss, so they can sue you for £00.00.

From now on, ignore them completely, sit back and relax.

Coupon-mad

PaulJM wrote: »

Thanks everyone for this, I'll start looking through these links tonight.

I think I've given them too much info now -

I've emailed back with my address as they ask, and admitted that I was driver, by way of saying that I bought a ticket and left it on the dashboard. Reading this now, that was stupid, but it's too late - do you think that might have jeopardised anything?

No, people worry about this but they WON'T take you to Court even if they know who the driver is. Even if they did (in 0.001% of cases) you can present a robust defence as advised by pepipoo.com if ever you need it.

But it's not part of their business model to take people to Court.

Best advice would have been not to have replied, simply because they may think you believe it's a real fine and 'pursue' you (with letters, maybe phone calls if they can get your number from the DVLA) a bit longer than some. Think about it - if you never reply then they don't know if anyone is even getting their letters, let alone know if that person is a copper, a judge, a solicitor, a journalist etc. who would perhaps not fall for their scam!

By writing, you've effectively told them that you think it's a real ticket and are taking it seriously, which is JUST what they want! They are probably well-pleased as they're thinking 'just a bit more pressure and he'll cough up'. They have you down as a 'hooked fish' at the moment and think they just have to reel you in!

Their letters are standard letters making it LOOK as if they are going to take you to Court. A huge difference, once you read the letters properly and notice they say 'we may do this' and 'litigation may follow which might result in a CCJ'.

Which it WON'T!

Honestly, relax!

Read the links, have a look at what letters to expect, read some other threads, read those on pepipoo especially, and you'll understand the position. I only know because I got one PPC ticket a year ago, ignored it and started reading here and pepipoo forums every day because they were so useful. Now I have read enough and seen enough useful links to advise people on the subject here - and hopefully stop plenty of people from paying these parasites.

Sir_Roger_deLodger

PaulJM wrote: »

Thanks everyone for this, I'll start looking through these links tonight.

I think I've given them too much info now -

I've emailed back with my address as they ask, and admitted that I was driver, by way of saying that I bought a ticket and left it on the dashboard. Reading this now, that was stupid, but it's too late - do you think that might have jepardised anything?

All you have done is saved them paying a £2.50 bribe to those nice people in Swansea for a name and address. Don't contact them again and IGNORE everything they send you. Once they realise they are not getting anywhere they will give up.

taxiphil

Coupon-mad wrote: »

Some posters have received HUNDREDS of these fake tickets, they collect them deliberately to cost private parking companies some money.

Like me for example. It's becoming a regular hobby most Saturdays! I've now got a pile of silly letters from G24, Parking Eye, Central Ticketing, Euro Car Parks and Town & Country Parking. I love seeing these vermin waste their money on the DVLA fee, paper and postage.

But strangely I've yet to receive one single document from a court.

boliston

taxiphil wrote: »

Like me for example. It's becoming a regular hobby most Saturdays! I've now got a pile of silly letters from G24, Parking Eye, Central Ticketing, Euro Car Parks and Town & Country Parking. I love seeing these vermin waste their money on the DVLA fee, paper and postage.

But strangely I've yet to receive one single document from a court.

Presumably you are just talking about "baiting" them where a penalty is applied for minor violations like spending slightly too much time in a supermarket car park and suchlike, rather than using a "pay and display" type carpark and refusing to buy a ticket?

Although the penalties are obviously unfair, the operator of the carpark is still entitled to make normal income from regular pay and display tickets.

onejontwo

Would this reasoning apply if the motorist forgot to purchase a ticket, or is it only in similar circumstances to the posts above. (Not that I'm planning to "forget to buy a ticket" I hasten to add!) But as in the case of parking then realising a few minutes later that you haven't bought a ticket, by which time it may already have received a "penalty notice"?

boliston

onejontwo wrote: »

Would this reasoning apply if the motorist forgot to purchase a ticket, or is it only in similar circumstances to the posts above. (Not that I'm planning to "forget to buy a ticket" I hasten to add!) But as in the case of parking then realising a few minutes later that you haven't bought a ticket, by which time it may already have received a "penalty notice"?

A typical £70 "fine" is certainly unfair for genuinely forgetting to buy say a £2 pay & display ticket, but deliberately not paying for parking just because you can easily "get away with it" seems a bit dishonest, as you are making use of a service after all and it still costs money to maintain a parking facility.