Panick about private parking fine

DickTurpin_2

Panic! I have received a parking fine for outstaying my welcome at a service station. I have read the forums in detail and accept the advice not to pay. However, as I worry about these things more than most, I just wanted to check that my ticket can still be considered as unfair. Also, many of these threads are now dated and things might have changed somewhat.

I am not disputing the fact that I did go over the allotted time,(however, I was unaware of this at the time as it was dark and did not see the signs), and would be willing to pay for my mistake if it was reasonable, but I am concerned that 1) CP Plus did not provide any evidence to state what the maximum time is before a charge is incurred (although they did clock the time of my car entering and existing the services). I live 200 miles away and therefore have to take their word for it. 2) The fee is not in proportion to the car park ticket.

I appreciate your comments that cases don’t get taken to court, but for my peace of mind, and to enable me to make my final decision, if it were to happen, would the costs incurred be the fee or would there be court costs on top.

Thanks to those that have posted up similar threads; they have at least prevented me from paying in a panic without my making an informed decision.

bromsgrovebarry

You should be worrying about the greater threat of being mugged by aliens lead by Lord Lucan Riding Shergar on the way to work. The trumped up charges have no legal legitimacy and your only liability is the financial loss to the owner of the car park caused by your overstay. Private car parking companies have tried their luck in courts and have received some good kickings. Any legal action would take place in a small claims court which are designed to be low cost affairs so threats of high legal costs is total claptrap.

Coupon-mad

A lot of threads are dated? Really? The board is updated daily, here are the current threads:

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/forumdisplay.php?f=163

Private parking fake PCNs are inherently unfair whatever the circumstances, and on the odd occasion that a PPC try Court they lose in 99% of cases:

http://www.tpuc.org/node/231

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/3648411

http://forums.pepipoo.com/index.php?showtopic=64838&mode=linearplus

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/3672741

You would have to be really really unlucky with a rubbish judge, or with a lack of defence, or not turn up, to lose if a PPC took you to Small Claims! One of the links above is to a thread on pepipoo forums. If a poster gets real Court papers (very, very rare) they can help provide a robust defence.

But most people never ever go near a Court as the PPC model is all about templated threatograms, nothing more. They can be seen on the top thread, 'PPC letters, what to expect'. Also read 'welcome, please read before posting' and view the Watchdog video if you have not seen it yet.

And just to add that AFAIK CP Plus have never tried Court. I have never seen a Court claim from them in 3 or 4 years of coming on this forum and pepipoo daily.

You are safe to ignore, promise! Happy Christmas!

pogofish

DickTurpin wrote: »

Panic! I have received a parking fine for outstaying my welcome at a service station. I have read the forums in detail and accept the advice not to pay. However, as I worry about these things more than most, I just wanted to check that my ticket can still be considered as unfair. Also, many of these threads are now dated and things might have changed somewhat.

So please explain what is so confusing about all the bang-up to date threads then?

Fairness does not come in to it. This is a scam - IGNORE!

DickTurpin_2

I am generally very risk averse and just didn't know whether to pay the fine in order to make it all 'go away', but I also hate the idea of being scamed. I am also new to forums and was clearly looking at older information, hence my previous comment- apologies. Thanks to Coupon-mad for all the really useful information and reassurance! I was not sure if my ticket was deemed 'unfair' or if I was in the wrong for just not seeing the boards. Thank you for all the posts so far.

AlexisV

It's not a fine, it's a speculative invoice. They are claiming you agreed to pay £xx by extending your welcome. If the original contract offered you X hours of free parking, by breaching this they could be entitled to actual losses incurred from your breach.

It's a free car park, so their losses are zero. You haven't damaged the tarmac, so how have you caused them loss?

The amount they are demanding amounts to a contractual penalty. It is as such because it bears no relation to any damages. Contractual penalties are unenforceable under contract law.

Being a service station, I think it's been guessed that this is a CP Plus con. As has been mentioned, they have never ever taken anyone to court anyway. Because they know they'd lose.

DickTurpin_2

Yes, CP plus are the operators. I guess it is a battle of principles out weighing peace of mind!

andrew-the-cat

I overstayed my welcome in a service station whose car park is run by CP Plus.

Free parking limit: 2 hours
I was there for: 8 hours 26 minutes

They sent me 3 letter, I ignored them, that was 2 years ago.

funkycoldribena

I really worry when I get these letters.





Im petrified of getting my fingers caught in the shredder.

bromsgrovebarry

@ !!!!!! Turpin-If every time you wanted something but could not afford it because you needlessly paid a bunch of scammers, that will nag you for a long time. The evidence we have provided is sound and is based on personal experience as we have all ignored the scammers. Now man up and ignore this scum.

halibut2209

As has been said, ignore.

Mind you, with a username like yours, you should consider applying for a job with them!