£70 Parking Fine in non P&D Car Park

peter_the_piper

Unfortunately in this context PPC's tend to use the word as it does infer some sort of official meaning to the invoice so uninformed people will just pay up without query.
If you were get a piece of paper with Penalty Charge Notice, Fine etc on it you would be less likely to question it than one marked Invoice.

superscaper

peter_the_piper wrote: »

Unfortunately in this context PPC's tend to use the word as it does infer some sort of official meaning to the invoice so uninformed people will just pay up without query.
If you were get a piece of paper with Penalty Charge Notice, Fine etc on it you would be less likely to question it than one marked Invoice.

I completely agree. I was kind of thinking out loud that I seem to remember lots of places that use "fines". But just reading from the CAB site I think even council parking tickets don't usually use the word "fine" (although even the CAB acknowledge "fine" is used by private car parks etc but they also emphasise it's a civil not a criminal matter). I suppose it is a tactic to make it seem more official than it is. But I don't think we should get too stuck on the word but I agree that people need to be made aware that they are simply invoices.

frank_potter

peter_the_piper wrote: »

Unfortunately in this context PPC's tend to use the word as it does infer some sort of official meaning to the invoice so uninformed people will just pay up without query.
If you were get a piece of paper with Penalty Charge Notice, Fine etc on it you would be less likely to question it than one marked Invoice.

I agree. Issuing a ticket that had the appearance of a “normal” invoice might not look very convincing. Especially if it contained words to the effect:

“Fee for 10 minutes parking - £85.00”

peter_the_piper

Far better to scare the pants off an 80 year old who's overstayed by 10 minutes and bamboozle them into paying, well its the law isn't it?

frank_potter

peter_the_piper wrote: »

Far better to scare the pants off an 80 year old who's overstayed by 10 minutes and bamboozle them into paying, well its the law isn't it?

Unfortunately it’s a great pity that the motoring public isn’t better informed.

It might be helpful if informative private parking “Stickys” were placed on the MSE forum similar to those currently available on Consumer Action Group website:

http://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum/parking-traffic-offences/65341-private-parking-companies-charges.html

http://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum/parking-traffic-offences/119917-private-parking-tickets-template.html

And on the Pepipoo website:

http://forums.pepipoo.com/index.php?autocom=ibwiki&cmd=article&id=56

The information that I refer to is invaluable to motorists. It has already saved me money on a number of occasions. Predictably the Private Parking Companies do not like the motoring public acquiring such information however.

marleyboy

peter_the_piper wrote: »

"Its not that it "not a good idea"" its just that as I said, they do NOT pursue any case where the defendant has the slightest idea of how to defend themselves. PPC's have not lost cases because they will not risk losing and so frighten off potential clients.

Isnt that not a long version of "there is no proof"?

peter_the_piper

No, its exactly what I said.

sarahg1969

frank_potter wrote: »

I agree. Issuing a ticket that had the appearance of a “normal” invoice might not look very convincing. Especially if it contained words to the effect:

“Fee for 10 minutes parking - £85.00”

You are right. They need to look "convincing". Which explains why they imitate FPNs and PCNs with their chequered black and white border on a yellow bakground. It even states that "unauthorised removal or interference is an offence". Unauthorised by whom? An offence under what legislation?

I wonder if the name CPS itself might be intended to convince the victim that they are dealing with a more authoritative body, I wonder? Not unlike Parkforce, who call themselves The UK Parking Enforcement Agency.

And then there's County Parking Enforcement Agency who used to use an imitation police badge as their logo:

http://web.petabox.bibalex.org/web/20031013102521/http://www.countyparking.co.uk/

And finally, don't forget Inland Recovery.

Makes you think, doesn't it?

marleyboy

Would the term "fine","invoice","parking fee","overstay penalty". make it any more or less enforceable? Surely whatever the issuing ticket brands itself as, the original sign that BY LAW would have to be displayed to people parking on that site, would be pretty clear about the consequences of ignoring the sign in the first place. Lets say for arguments sake its a Parking Debt, as no matter what the ticket says, its basically a sheet of paper informing the driver that they owe X amount of money for breaching the terms and conditions as stated on the Notice posted clearly on the Site.

marleyboy