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Ukcps

I received a ticket for parking in a disabled bay without displaying a badge. It was an exceptionally busy, full car park and as one car pulled out I drove into the space....I could not see the disabled icon painted on the floor, and didn't even see it when I left. I did not receive a ticket on the windscreen, but received a letter throught the post charging £60. At first I ignored it as I thought it was a mistake, but having returned to the car park after my 3rd letter(and with the threat of court papers being returned), I was in a disabled bay. Now the charge has gone to £150 should I pay them? Even though the markings are easy to miss? Please help I am quite worried with the threat of court.

Comments

  • trisontana
    trisontana Posts: 9,472 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    Just ignore. Blue badges are not valid in private car-parks. Although you should not have parked there, you have not broken any laws and you do not owe them a penny. They will not take you to court because the only thing they can claim for is actual material loss. They have not made any loss, so cannot claim anything off you.
    What part of "A whop bop-a-lu a whop bam boo" don't you understand?
  • taffy056
    taffy056 Posts: 4,895 Forumite
    Its a scam, please watch the video on this link, its from watchdog, and applies to your case, even if its not the same private parking company

    http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showpost.html?p=34704271&postcount=18
    Excel Parking, MET Parking, Combined Parking Solutions, VP Parking Solutions, ANPR PC Ltd, & Roxburghe Debt Collectors. What do they all have in common?
    They are all or have been suspended from accessing the DVLA database for gross misconduct!
    Do you really need to ask what kind of people run parking companies?
  • The letter states the court papers are to recover the amount due and pay expenses incurred, £50 fee for preparing the court papers (I presume there would also be court costs). It also writes that by parking there I have entered into a contractual agreement to pay £60. According to this letter the amount I now owe is £150 (capped) but as a gesture of goodwill they will accept £120. Is this material loss?
  • taffy056
    taffy056 Posts: 4,895 Forumite
    The letter states the court papers are to recover the amount due and pay expenses incurred, £50 fee for preparing the court papers (I presume there would also be court costs). It also writes that by parking there I have entered into a contractual agreement to pay £60. According to this letter the amount I now owe is £150 (capped) but as a gesture of goodwill they will accept £120. Is this material loss?


    Please watch the video above, don't fall into their trap, its a scam trust me, look at the first sticky thread in this forum, they will not take you to court, they would lose if they did!
    Excel Parking, MET Parking, Combined Parking Solutions, VP Parking Solutions, ANPR PC Ltd, & Roxburghe Debt Collectors. What do they all have in common?
    They are all or have been suspended from accessing the DVLA database for gross misconduct!
    Do you really need to ask what kind of people run parking companies?
  • trisontana
    trisontana Posts: 9,472 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    The letter states the court papers are to recover the amount due and pay expenses incurred, £50 fee for preparing the court papers (I presume there would also be court costs). It also writes that by parking there I have entered into a contractual agreement to pay £60. According to this letter the amount I now owe is £150 (capped) but as a gesture of goodwill they will accept £120. Is this material loss?
    Complete nonsense. The only material loss that can be claimed is that suffered by the landowner, not the parking company. This is their standard threat letter by which the try and frighten people into paying. Just ignore and watch the Watchdog video.
    What part of "A whop bop-a-lu a whop bam boo" don't you understand?
  • Ok...just watched the post, thanks. Think I'm worrying as I know there are signs up at that car park saying tickets will be issued, and I now know I was actually parked in the wrong bay. I'll ignore it and try to forget it.
    Thanks to you both for replying.
  • Coupon-mad
    Coupon-mad Posts: 140,226 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    edited 15 July 2010 at 1:20PM
    The letter states the court papers are to recover the amount due and pay expenses incurred, £50 fee for preparing the court papers (I presume there would also be court costs). It also writes that by parking there I have entered into a contractual agreement to pay £60. According to this letter the amount I now owe is £150 (capped) but as a gesture of goodwill they will accept £120. Is this material loss?


    All PPC threatograms say that sort of thing.

    What Court papers? There are no 'Court papers' enclosed I presume, that would be almost unheard of?! If there were genuine sealed Court papers then of course you wouldn't ignore those, you'd just put in a defence and see them off. But the 'Notice of Intended Litigation' rubbish letters are absolutely not the same thing as 'Court papers' and can be ignored.

    99.999% of the time they don't take you to Court, it's just part of a well-known computerised standard letter-series. You may get more letters then that will be it. Scam over. On the odd occasion a PPC has tried Court recently they have lost, of course, because private parking tickets are unenforceable.

    Is your letter shown in our preview pictures here in our thread linked below? If so you can see in advance what sort of tosh will be sent next (is it the Roxburghe/Graham White scam series or another one?). Have a look ahead to see which will be the last-gasp, definitely final, 'final' letter:

    https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/2214803

    As others have said, Disabled Bays and Blue Badges mean nothing on private land (although I don't condone parking in what purports to be a disabled bay unless you or your passenger are disabled). But private parking companies like to pretend they have powers they do not have - they cannot actually issue fines or penalties anyway.

    Only ever take seriously a ticket from the Council or from the Police. :)
    PRIVATE 'PCN'? DON'T PAY BUT DON'T IGNORE IT (except N.Ireland).
    CLICK at the top or bottom of this/any page where it says:
    Home»Motoring»Parking Tickets Fines & Parking - read the NEWBIES THREAD
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