Work related parking fine, please someone advise

chalky76

Please can someone help me out?

Ok so I was driving a company vehicle and the team leader I was driving for decided we should have lunch at Mcdonnalds. Anyhow we were there for about 80 minutes (turns out you're only allowed 60 minutes). This was back in November 2011. Yesterday (25/1/12) I was informed by my company about the fine (was the first time i heard about it) and that I may need to pay it. They decided to tell the ticket issuers that they weren't interested in paying for the past 2 months (without my knowledge) but are now starting to buckle. As its been 2 months the fee has gone up to over £100 (if paid within 14 days of issue it would have been £50). So my questions are:

Am correct in thinking that I should only pay the £50 and the company pick up the rest of the bill as they didn't inform me when originally issued.

Can the company give out my details?

Is it possible that bailiffs turn up to my home address and can I incure county court judgements?

Please please please will some one advise me on this?

Thanks in advance

Trebor16

Tell your company it is not a fine but an unenforceable invoice. You and the company don't owe them a penny.

The company are under no legal obligation to give out your details.

Bailiffs won't turn up at your door.

It is very rare that cases end up in the county court but in your case if it did the company would not have a case as their "fine" is a penalty and not a reflection of their losses, which being a free car park, is nothing.

The_Slithy_Tove

chalky76 wrote: »

They decided to tell the ticket issuers that they weren't interested in paying for the past 2 months (without my knowledge) but are now starting to buckle.

Sounds like your employers could be aware of aspects of this scam, if they're already not wanting to pay. You need to make them aware of what's happening, and how this is just a load of scare tactics. Point them at this forum so they can learn. Anyway, it's not for them to pay or not, as any presumed contract is between the tcketers and you, the driver (and you're not going to pay, are you).

Coupon-mad

chalky76 wrote: »

Please can someone help me out?

Ok so I was driving a company vehicle and the team leader I was driving for decided we should have lunch at Mcdonnalds. Anyhow we were there for about 80 minutes (turns out you're only allowed 60 minutes). This was back in November 2011. Yesterday (25/1/12) I was informed by my company about the fine (was the first time i heard about it) and that I may need to pay it. They decided to tell the ticket issuers that they weren't interested in paying for the past 2 months (without my knowledge) but are now starting to buckle. As its been 2 months the fee has gone up to over £100 (if paid within 14 days of issue it would have been £50). So my questions are:

Am correct in thinking that I should only pay the £50 and the company pick up the rest of the bill as they didn't inform me when originally issued.

Can the company give out my details?

Is it possible that bailiffs turn up to my home address and can I incure county court judgements?

Please please please will some one advise me on this?

Thanks in advance

Eeeek! Don't pay ANYTHING, this is a scam, a fake PCN. Please take off those rose-tinted spectacles and see this for what it is!

Any private invoice like this pretending to be a parking 'fine' is not worth the paper it is written on. Tell your company they MUST NOT PAY, they have zero liability for this matter which is in fact not a parking ticket at all, it's a private, worthless allegation of 'breach of contract' against you personally (not the car, not the car's owner nor registered keeper as things stand at present). They also must not give your details out, this is not from an authority like a Council or Police ticket and it would IMHO be a DPA breach to give out your name, they really can continue to ignore it. Clearly someone doesn't understand that it's a scam - and the letters do get quite official-looking - but still a scam!

Tell them it's a well known con trick which has been covered on Watchdog and also known by the Fleet industry (they were CORRECT with their approach at first, saying they weren't interested in paying was the right thing - or they could have ignored it).

Links for their perusal to explain the scam:

http://www.fleetnews.co.uk/news/2009/5/28/question-private-parking-fines-fleets-urged/30698/

and

http://forums.pepipoo.com/index.php?showtopic=46975

Make sure you watch the Watchdog clip on that last link, it's very relevant and amusing and should put the Fleet Manager's mind at rest as it's advice from a solicitor not just from a bunch of strangers on t'internet. And the first link is from a well-known publication aimed at the car Fleet industry, again a respected source which I am sure will allay their fears.

chalky76

Thanks for the replies so far. I'm concerned that the company I work for are going to pay the fine and then expect me to pay them back. Sorry for flapping but I've never had a parking ticket or fine before

bondy_lad

you still have not recieved a parking ticket or fine you have not committed a crime/offence,,its a scam, do not pay and do not contact,,its purely a request for money, speak to your bosses and educate them re this scam.

treeboa

“Details of any parking restrictions at our restaurants are clearly communicated throughout the car park via clear, large signs both as they enter and park around our restaurants,” explained a McDonald’s spokesman.

“Customers who wish to stay at the restaurant longer than the time limit can inform the duty manager who pass details on to the enforcement company.”


perhaps reading this that its time for all mc D`s customers to inform the management that there is a good chance they will be staying past the allotted time, more especially those that are taking children to a party there

Coupon-mad

chalky76 wrote: »

Thanks for the replies so far. I'm concerned that the company I work for are going to pay the fine and then expect me to pay them back. Sorry for flapping but I've never had a parking ticket or fine before

Yep, that's the only thing that would concern me as well. And you STILL have not had a parking ticket or fine.

Use the links I gave you and TELL the company Fleet Manager/your Boss in writing about the scam now, up front, before they do something stupid. Do not call it a fine, do not let anyone call it a fine or take it seriously at all, correct anyone who does. It's important if they manage company cars that they understand this con and don't charge their drivers every time an official looking threatogram mentions one of their car reg numbers. Otherwise literally any old firm could write and ask for money based on a list of their car reg numbers, think about it! And just because a firm is a member of the BPA means nothing at all (is it MET, like in the Watchdog video in the pepipoo link, did you watch it yet?!)

The company have no liability as things stand now (there's a change in the offing as part of the Freedoms Act but it hasn't come in yet and will not be retrospective, so will not affect you). And you have no reason at all to fall for this con, just ignore the letters and if your company feel more comfortable passing them to you to 'deal with' then that's fine, tell them you take full 'responsibility'!

chalky76

Have spoken to the fleet manager and he has said not to worry about it and that as far as they are consirnd that's the end of it.

EHBA

You have got to get over to your company/fleet manager that it is an unenforceable invoice from a private company for an alleged breach of contract to which neither they nor the leasing company were party.

Every time anyone mentions 'fine' correct them. Make sure you know who can issue real fines and Penalty Charge Notices and why PPC's call them Parking Charge Notices.

Check out your company car contract, it will probably refer to fines but not invoices from PPC's.

You need to look through the threads and wise up on PPC's and then on vehicle leasing companies and their relationship with companies.

When you've done this, sooner than later, have a chat with your Fleet Manager and ask him how much he/she knows about PPC's. Make sure you know a lot more, so that you can help him understand the situation.

At some stage you will need to state that you will not authorise a deduction from your salary in the event that either the lease company or your employer pay the "unenforceable invoice from a private company for an alleged breach of contract to which neither they nor the leasing company were party" and then attempt to recoup the amount plus an admin fee. If they have any sense, these words should set some legal alarm bells ringing.

Coupon-mad

chalky76 wrote: »

Have spoken to the fleet manager and he has said not to worry about it and that as far as they are consirnd that's the end of it.

Good stuff, as long as there's not a manager above him, or a lease company at the top of the food chain, who think differently, that is great!

Now you can just ignore them like we all do!