query about ticket

piratefairy

On behalf of a friend, I have a query about a "standard charge" whcih has been issued on their car in a local car park.
It doens't have a company name, and states that it is by authority of the council of that area. (I don't have the physical ticket here to scan at the moment, but can try to upload it later if it would help).

I assume it is a scam, as the only payment method given is chq, to the following address PO Box 597 Northampton NN4 7XN

ETA - the car park is nowhere near Northampton, and I googled that addresss, which comes up with lots of parking appeals procedures for different areas.

Any ideas if this is genuine or not? Called the council and they said a genuine ticket wouldl have a company name and contact details on in their opinion. But didn't seem totally certain about anything.
Help please?!

Orford

A genuine ticket will mention the Road Traffic Act or Traffic Management Act at the top, so it sounds like a private parking company. But to be sure you need to post up a scan of the ticket

Called the council and they said a genuine ticket wouldl have a company name and contact details on in their opinion. But didn't seem totally certain about anything.

Phone the Council again and ask them whether the car park you parked in is council controlled

fb1969

That address googles to www.carparkingpartnership.co.uk

piratefairy

The ticket doesn't state which car park as there are several. It just says the town name, "...town centre"! So not sure which to ask them about. I wasn't in the car, and it's not my ticket, so no idea which car park. Will try and get a scan for you though.

There is no mention of the RTA or TMA on the paper at all, just says "contravention of the Parking Regulations" and states:
"issued by authority of the borough of <town name> Off-Street Parking Places Order 2004 & 2005."


on the back of it under the payment details, which say send a chq to northampton address, it says
"failure to pay the excess charge is an offence under section 35a RTA 1984"
but that is the only mention of RTA, not at the top, and not on the front.

piratefairy

fb1969 wrote: »

That address googles to www.carparkingpartnership.co.uk

This company name is not on the ticket, but is this a private company, what do you suggest?

peter_the_piper

Its essential, imho, to get a look at this asap. If its a council ticket then ok it can be sorted. If its a private one and they are actually saying what you have put then they are attempting fraud.

fb1969

Who does it say the cheque should be made payable to?

piratefairy

The council. But to be sent to the freepost addresss i posted above.

Orford

Sorry my mistake, the RTA or TMA apply to on-street parking, whereas the Off-Street Parking Places Order 2004 & 2005 covers off-street car parks, so it looks like it might be genuine. Sometimes these are administered by private companies on behalf of Councils

The scan is imperative.

piratefairy

Have asked them to scan it in and send it to me. What do I need to blank out other than obviously the reg and car details? Sorry I know nothign about this procedure.

Orford

piratefairy wrote: »

. What do I need to blank out other than obviously the reg and car details? .

TBH, that's all you need to do (plus ticket no, bar codes etc). Some people are so paranoid that they blank out every single detail as to render the scan pretty much useless