Parking ticket on work property via parking agency

kingmidas1962

I wonder if anyone can help me? I received a Civil parking fine at work (a major University). I am a permit holder and we purchase coupons which allow us to use designated University car parks for either a half or full day. I displayed a half day coupon, which the University website was advertised as acceptable to use for 5 hours or less, and on the day I was fined I was parking for 5 hours. I had a ticket on my car when I got back even though I was 9 minutes under the 5 hours limit. There is no mechanism to record what time you park (ie, what time you start your 5 hours)

When I queried the fine, and informed them I would appeal, the information on the website on which I had based the purchase of my permit was removed the following day - dodgy or what?:mad:

There is still no new (or even old) advice on the website about what constitutes a full or half day parking and in one of the letters I received it was clearly stated that I wasnt the only employee confused by the website - but obviously its still ok to fine me - hello?:(

Now many e-mails and letters down the line they have refused my appeal given that I did not mention in the first place that I had flexible working hours. The relevance of this is that my weekly hours average out to more than 5 hours per day (in which case they say I should have bought a full day permit) but given that I have flexibility in my working hours on the day I was fined I was only working 5 hours. They also say that due to previous warnings I have received I should have already had a civil fine by now! Surely if you get a parking ticket it doesnt matter how many tickets you had before?! Traffic wardens dont look into how many tickets you already had, do they?

The person who awards the ticket is a University employee, and they then hand the matter to a civil parking agency who enforce the fine, but your appeal though has to be sent to the University. It seems that although you pay yourt fine to an external body the decision whether over it should stand or not is down to the University.

Very complicated, and I'm not sure anyone can help - but if you think you can, please do!

Spartacus_Mills

If it is a civil ticket, and therefore issued by a PPC, it is not a fine. They cannot fine you and you can safely ignore. You will get some threatening letters and then they move off to other victims.

Who is the issuer of the ticket ?

kingmidas1962

its 'car parking partnership' whoever they are! WHat happens if you pay? A colleague of mine already had one too, and she paid hers immediately ... I'm not so keen to part with my cash ...:rotfl:

Sir_Roger_deLodger

kingmidas1962 wrote: »

its 'car parking partnership' whoever they are! WHat happens if you pay? A colleague of mine already had one too, and she paid hers immediately ... I'm not so keen to part with my cash ...:rotfl:

Don't part with any cash. It is a scam, they will send you a few letters full of rubbish about CCJs, bailiffs, credit rating etc etc. Just ignore them, none of it will happen and they will eventually give up.

Show that colleague of yours this forum, she will know better next time...

Coupon-mad

kingmidas1962 wrote: »

its 'car parking partnership' whoever they are! WHat happens if you pay? A colleague of mine already had one too, and she paid hers immediately ... I'm not so keen to part with my cash ...:rotfl:

What happens if you pay? :eek:

Well a bunch of scammers make some money that's what! It would be like paying some money in response to a Nigerian email telling you that you've won 6 billion dollars and you just have to pay to receive your winnings!

Oh please show your poor ripped off colleague this thread. She has been 'had'.

You have some low-life con-merchants on your site and the University is allowing it (well-known Supermarkets use PPCs as well, they are all sadly deluded - often duped by the PPC - and they may well believe that these are real fines but they are not).

You have invested a lot of time arguing about a legally unenforceable fake parking ticket from a private company of chancers. Now start ignoring it! Don't pay, don't challenge, stop 'appealing' as it's all pointless - you know this already by now.

Only ever take seriously a parking ticket issued by the Council or the Police. A private company have no power to levy a 'fine' and this parking charge is unenforceable.

Ignore the ticket and the debt collector letters that will follow. They will not take you to Court and nothing will happen to your credit rating. Want more confirmation? Read other threads on here, in particular read & follow the links on the 'PPC letters/threats what to expect' sticky thread because you'll get some harassing debt collector letters similar to those pictured by other posters we have helped:

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/...play.php?f=163

and if you are still concerned, ask on pepipoo.com where they will tell you the same advice 'ignore':

http://forums.pepipoo.com/index.php?showforum=30

And definitely have a close look at this Watchdog TV excerpt from last month, where they took the mickey out of a PPC ticket and a legal expert showed what he thought of such scams. This should make you smile and please show your colleagues as well:

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

HTH, now forget it and file each letter when you get them - don't fall for their threats. The scam fizzles out after a set number of standard letters mentioning scary stuff like CCJs and legal action (which never happens). I have had a PPC fake ticket myself, last year. Hahahahahahahaha...!!

It's a mickey-mouse ticket. File it and spread the word. :T

gzed

Similar experience here, got a ticket from car parking partnership for parking on univeristy parking on sunday pm (university which I am a member of). There is a sign that say "permit only" but the university only issues permit that are valid monday to friday and there is no P&D machine.

I have read a few threads and the articles on this website and as advised will not pay the ticket and will wait and see.

kingmidas1962

oh sweet victory ... not only did I not pay but the entire policy of staff parking has been revised and e-mailed to everyone today - haha!

The reason for this according to them is apparently that 'there have been too many complaints and disputes and the present system has become unworkable' oh REALLY ... ... no kidding!

So a big raspberry to them, from me.

trisontana

I hope that "revision" includes telling the PPC to get lost, and to never to darken the Uni doorstep again.

kingmidas1962

trisontana wrote: »

I hope that "revision" includes telling the PPC to get lost, and to never to darken the Uni doorstep again.

hmmm ... sadly no word on that but the new system will make it much harder for them to fine people, bizarrely. By the tone of the message they sent out it sounds as if they have had their fingers burnt by issuing fines (unlawfully?) to employees - I'm guessing legal action of some kind by a staff member ...wish I knew for sure but it serves them right.:j maybe one day I'll actually find out the truth! Will keep an eye on the local papers

taffy056

If your uni has a law department they should know its a scam, its unbelievable that a uni is allowing a scam to operate on their land , don't they know that its unlawful for private companies to try and fine people? what they are allowing is something that is barely legal at best, and most of these ppc's break the law daily.

kingmidas1962

taffy056 wrote: »

If your uni has a law department they should know its a scam, its unbelievable that a uni is allowing a scam to operate on their land , don't they know that its unlawful for private companies to try and fine people? what they are allowing is something that is barely legal at best, and most of these ppc's break the law daily.

Funnily enough when I was looking into it the legal department did get involved and it was them who instigated the policy change - it may well come to light later on that they have stopped using a PPC...I'd love to find out that this could be true!