Dodgy Parking Fine

ildino

I parked in a public car park in kingston upon thames at 8.30 last night whilst I went to get a bite to eat. I regularly use this car park in the evenings as it has always been free after 6.30. However, when I got back to the car last night I, and many other people, had been hit with parking tickets. When I went over to the ticket machine there's an A4 computer printed notice stuck on the baord saying that a £1 evening charge is now applicable in this car park. I foolishly didn't check this beforehand as I've always parked there knowing it was free. Is this acceptable or should there have been a more obvious warning of new charges as you drive in say?

furndire

You might find some interesting stuff on here http://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum/parking-traffic-wardens/

hjb123

Do you read the local papers at all? If I remember rightly when they started charging at night round here there was a small notice in the local papers. Round here it always used to be free over night but its now £1 too! I think that you may have to accpet it - how often do you use the car park to notice if there was any warning signs up etc?

peter999

Well, well, they have lured you in, then changed the rules to nab you with tickets.

Depends whether you think it's fair & they have notified the public of the changes correctly.

You could always appeal, they will probably reject, then take your 2nd appeal to Parking & Traffic Appeal Service (PATAS).
If you have time/energy, give it a go.

They may not contest appeal.

I have appealed 60+ tickets over the years.

northern_munky

peter999 wrote:

I have appealed 60+ tickets over the years.

How many have you had to pay?

suffolkb

I used to live in Kingston.Parking used to be free on Sundays,until the shops began to open.The wardens seemed to give a couple of weeks grace to parkers,and then went for it.I wouldn`t be surprised if this is the case again.
When were the new charges in force from?

g33za

are there not rules regarding parking signs and their visibility?

waster_2

When parking charges change in public car parks run by the Local authority they normally have to publish an Official Notice in the local paper.

Additionally, the local press normally report such matters as being of interest to the local residents. If you live in the RBKuT then you are either not interested in what is going on locally or it has not been reported (unusual).

Unfortunately it is your responsibility to ensure that you have parked lawfully. In this case you have missed the revison to the charges by not looking at the P&D machine and notices. Suggest you have no option but to pay up unless you think you can show that the charges were introduced without the proper procedures being followed.

-1-

They will try anything to get you.

I parked in a street which was reserved for "residents only Permit required", which I shouldn't have maybe.

But I thought I was ok due to the fact the whole street had no-one living in it and all houses we're boarded up.

I told them no-one lives in the street which they know, but they didn't back down. £30 it cost.