motorway services parking fine

aerialfish

I have read some of the threads here and am wondering if the ignore them tactic is valid for motorway services. I stopped for a rest during a trip from the isle of coll, scotland to birmangham, a very long trip!

I stopped at Lancaster on the M6, got some coffee and food, went back to my van and had a sleep. I got a fine through the post a couple of weeks later, £80 or £50 if I paid within 7 days, I did not get home until the 7 days was long past.

There are lots of signs on the M6 saying "tiredness kills, take a rest" and as I was very tired I thought it would be better to stop. It was around 11.30 at night, the car park was empty and I spent a fortune on coffee and food.

The letter threatens court action, credit black points etc, they also say that they have photographic evidence.

Do they have any legal power, it is worrying that the DVLA have given them my address, has anyone experienced this? I stop at services alot and am shocked that they do this to their customers!

trisontana

They have no legal power at all, and they can safely be ignored. And, by the way, it;s not a "fine", it's an invoice.

Coupon-mad

aerialfish wrote: »

I have read some of the threads here and am wondering if the ignore them tactic is valid for motorway services. I stopped for a rest during a trip from the isle of coll, scotland to birmangham, a very long trip!

I stopped at Lancaster on the M6, got some coffee and food, went back to my van and had a sleep. I got a fine through the post a couple of weeks later, £80 or £50 if I paid within 7 days, I did not get home until the 7 days was long past.

There are lots of signs on the M6 saying "tiredness kills, take a rest" and as I was very tired I thought it would be better to stop. It was around 11.30 at night, the car park was empty and I spent a fortune on coffee and food.

The letter threatens court action, credit black points etc, they also say that they have photographic evidence.

Do they have any legal power, it is worrying that the DVLA have given them my address, has anyone experienced this? I stop at services alot and am shocked that they do this to their customers!

You didn't get a fine. It's not a fine nor a penalty, just them asking you for money.

They have no legal power. It's like me asking you for money then threatening you.

Almost everyone here has experienced a private parking ticket, safely ignored.

Search for more threads, it's good old CP Plus isn't it? They don't do Court, not ever:

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/search.php?searchid=88553887

Relax & plan where to collect your next private ticket. Four hours parked at Tesco anyone?

:rotfl:

bromsgrovebarry

It is a scam, Private Parking Contractors have no powers to fine. Just stand your ground when the threatening letters appear and ignore them.

AlexisV

CP Plus I'm guessing?

Ignore them and any subsequent junkmail.

They will go away. Nothing will happen.

Gordon861

I thought that part of the licence to operate a Motorway Service Station required you to allow people to just 'stop for a rest' or 'quick nap'. If so aren't they possibly breaking the terms of their operators licence?

Unless you were there for 12 hours or so I would also be writing to the company that runs the services to complain and copying in whichever government dept grants the licence.

peter_the_piper

trisontana wrote: »

They have no legal power at all, and they can safely be ignored. And, by the way, it;s not a "fine", it's an invoice.

Is there any way we can get the obscenity filter on this site to xxx out the ""F"" word?

trisontana

Gordon861 wrote: »

I thought that part of the licence to operate a Motorway Service Station required you to allow people to just 'stop for a rest' or 'quick nap'. If so aren't they possibly breaking the terms of their operators licence?

Unless you were there for 12 hours or so I would also be writing to the company that runs the services to complain and copying in whichever government dept grants the licence.

I think they only have to give you two hours "free parking". Even so, to then demand £80 for staying longer than two hours would be considered to be an unfair penalty.

Oopsadaisy

Why, a quick use of the 'Search this forum" and the words "motorway services" brings up several dozen threads........all of which explain the procedure is "Ignore, ignore, ignore some more."

landmark

Motorway Services and PPC mix even worse; this is a health and safety issue

trisontana

landmark wrote: »

Motorway Services and PPC mix even worse; this is a health and safety issue

I know this is daft, but the argument put forward by the PPCs is that if you need to rest for more than two hours then you should check into a hotel. Of course that argument doesn't cover those motorists who inadvertently fall asleep in the car for more than two hours, and many service areas don't have hotels anyway.

If you drive on the motorway network in Europe you won't come across all these stupid restrictions. They take a more sensible approach.