motorway services parking ticket ~ company car

The-only-way-is-up

Hi, I've just found out that because I took a break in a motorway service station for 2and a half hours I have now been fined £50 which I have 7 days to pay it in or it'll go up to £80...I've read on the net that you don't need to pay these fines/invoices but my problem is I was in the company car (driving is my job) so it's my boss that has been fined and they are all set to pay the fine and take it out of my wages. I've tried to explain that theres no need but it's fallen on deaf ears, I'm trying to find some kind of offical website to direct my boss to but so far no luck...anyone know where to look...I could really do without loosing £50 to what appears to me a major con

trisontana

Try this :- Fleet News

The-only-way-is-up

Many thanks

trisontana

You could also ask him to view this Watchdog clip.

AlexisV

It's a not a fine. I'm guessing this is CP Plus?

Google images will show you their letters and the rubbish from Trethowans they send before giving up.

HO87

@OP Tell your boss that some years ago I was in the same position as he is now. Our transport department passed me paperwork from a private company claiming that one of company cars had overstayed a time limit in a supermarket car park. As a "fine" was being levied our company secretary had also been notified and I was summonsed to his office for advice. In short, I was told to pay the charge and recover the cost from the staff member concerned from my department to prevent any further trouble.

Partly because I thought it unfair to attempt to pass the charge onto our staff I ignored what I was told and wrote to the private parking company. To cut a long story short I ended up defending a case in the small claims court and won on the basis of privity of contract i.e. It was the driver who should have been pursued not the vehicle owner. The judge did however ask me in some detail why I was unable to identify the driver. I explained that the incident had occurred at a weekend and that our HR guidance was that as this was a civil matter we could not oblige an employee to disclose details of his and/or his family's private activities during a weekend. Moreover, as the staff member in question's wife and daughters (x 3) were all insured to drive the car coupled with the fact that the PPC's photograph showed only one otherwise unidentifiable female aboard may well have entailed an intrusion into the privacy of a person who was not an employee. The judge agreed. Dismissed the PPC's claim and told them he would not entertain any further claims where they were unable to identify the driver.

All this followed an endless stream of threatening letters, boosting of costs and debt-collector letters - all of which I stupidly replied to - which dragged on for over a year before they finally issued proceedings. I realise now that in replying to the PPC all I did was to keep the pot boiling.

A number of valuable lessons learned:

1. Don't waste your time and effort in writing to them
2. Don't be intimidated - this is EXACTLY what they rely on
3. Don't actually be afraid to take them on - if the person the PPC put up to represent them is anything to go by there really isn't anything to be perturbed about. He was unfamiliar with the facts of the case; clearly didn't know the law; had no idea how to order his case and thought that a few hours watching Law & Order on telly was the only grounding he needed. If he said "Objection, your Honour" once he must have said it a dozen times.

I'd do it all again tomorrow if I really, really had to but know that you don't have to if you follow the advice here i.e. Ignore them.

Mark_Hewitt

I'd also question the legality of your employer deducting money from your wages without your permission.

The-only-way-is-up

Thanks to all for your replies,

Mark_Hewitt wrote: »

I'd also question the legality of your employer deducting money from your wages without your permission.

This is indeed a worry, my feeling so far is rather then put up with the threatening letters she will pay the fine, as to her, at the end of the day it's no skin off her nose, end lets face it, we all need to hold onto our jobs right now! It's common practice for van drivers ect to get lumped with any parking fines, a tough one when often deliveries are involved in city centres...whilst most on min wage:(

pelirocco

Mark_Hewitt wrote: »

I'd also question the legality of your employer deducting money from your wages without your permission.

Its probably written into contract . employees handbook

The-only-way-is-up

also it's self employed

Mark_Hewitt

pelirocco wrote: »

Its probably written into contract . employees handbook

I could well imagine such things as speeding fines, council parking penalties etc would be written into your contract that you had to pay. 'Invoices' on the other hand I'd seriously doubt it.

Perhaps the OP could tell the HR dept to write to the parking company giving them your details, then it becomes your responsibility - not the companies. And *then* ignore the letters!