Private Car Park 'Fine' In Norway

cod45

Hi there,

Hoping someone out there can help. I've just moved to Norway from the Uk and have been 'fined' by a finance/debt collection company (Gothia Finans) acting on behalf of a parking company (Q Park - Norwegian branch) who manage a supermarket car park. I entered the car park in driving sleet, and didn't notice any signs/ticket machines saying I should display a parking ticket but I did see a sign which said free parking was limited to 2 hrs.

When I returned to the car from the shop I noticed the yellow ticket on the windscreen. On it, Gothia Finans states that they are under contract to Q-Parkering. It states the invoice is irrevocable and that I need to pay 700 kronor (approx £70) within 14 days. It says the car was photographed and surveyed for 5 minutes before ticket was issued. Only then, did I notice 2 ticket machines in the car park when I made a point of looking.

I was in the supermarket for 20 minutes, have a receipt to prove I was there, and I can prove I was somewhere else just 45 minutes before the 'fine' was issued, so the car was obviously parked for significantly less time than 2 hrs. The car park had less than 12 cars in it and lots of vacant spaces.

My local supermarket is the same chain and there are no ticket machines in their car park, so I assumed it would be the same in all of their car parks.

I have read lots on here about the situation from a legal standpoint in the Uk, but know nothing of the system here in Norway, other than most people accept these 'fines' and that they often pay up without question (although I've noticed that Norwegians, in general, tend to not challenge authority and rules).

Does anyone have any knowledge/advice that might help me? I'm reluctant to pay for legal advice unless I have to - everything costs so much more here!

Thanks in advance and sorry the post is so long - wanted to give you all the details.

peter_the_piper

Haven't the foggiest, please also post on pepipoo.com to see if they know.

cod45

Thanks Peter - will do.

dacouch

If they asked me to pay a fine I would tell them Norway.

I don't think you get points on your licence as it's "Norway Nil Pois"

Mark_Hewitt

Entirely dependent on Norwegian law! They aren't even in the EU so we can't fall back on EU laws either!

BigCraigJohn

I have a good mate in Norway, will ask him on msn later, see if he can have a google, much easier when you understand the lingo.

cod45

Thanks BigCraigJohn - hard to search online for the answers when my language skills are so limited, so it'd be great if your friend can shed any light for me.

Norway's not in the EU but is in the EEA and they seem to follow similar rules & regsto other EU countries in many areas but I have no idea where private car park companies fit legally.

It'd be fine if the system is the same as the Uk as I'd probably do nothing and ignore all correspondence, but if I do nothing and there's something worse to come from them, I'd be better off paying now. HATE the thought of giving in to them tho!

HO87

dacouch wrote: »

If they asked me to pay a fine I would tell them Norway.

I don't think you get points on your licence as it's "Norway Nil Pois"

Norway No Peas??? !!!!!!

I'm sure you meant "Norvege, nil points"

Mark_Hewitt

Strange that the most well known catchphrase of Eurovision is one that they never actually say! But I digress...

HO87

Mark_Hewitt wrote: »

Strange that the most well known catchphrase of Eurovision is one that they never actually say! But I digress...

...as what they really say is.......