Help please i'm scared!

prettyscaredlol

Basically, i've received a letter from ParkingEye, stating that i need to pay them some money.

I overstayed in a welcome break for 3 hours and 2 minutes, 2 hours longer than i'm "allowed" without paying, apparently. They say it's clearly stated on signs all over the place, which to be honest i didn't look for, and never would at a motorway services.

I've not been a driver for very long, and i'm really worried to tell my parents - £90 is not something i have to just pay for myself, without it actually affecting some things and meaning i'd have to go without, or not even be able to run my car possibly. I've never been in trouble with anyone before, or for anything like this.

The reason i was there for so long was i had a migraine, and i had a blind spot wherever i focused, so i couldn't see properly (obviously not the best when you're driving). I stopped, got a Burger King, and had a little sleep until i felt better.

To be honest i didn't see the signs, probably wouldn't have been able to read them at the time anyway, but i'd always thought that motorway services are there for your safety, and ran by the government (Evidently i'm an idiot).

I've read some forums online, and the main reason people have not paid is that they can't prove who was driving - yet on my letters there is a picture of me in my car, presumably asleep at the time.

I'm !!!!!!!! myself, obviously if i knew i had to pay at a services, i would have just paid the ticket instead of having all the hassle.

Advice?

I mean seriously, do people just ignore them? I'm not sure if everyone's trolling or not lol

prettyscaredlol

(I'm still at school if anybody is wondering why £90 is a lot to me, it's basically 1 weeks wages)

Trebor16

There is no need for you to be scared as the payment they are demanding is not enforceable in law. They cannot fine you or demand that you pay them a penalty.

Normal advice in these situations is to ignore them but I am wondering if given the circumstances of why you stayed at the service station that it might be an idea to write to them and explain your circumstances. If you do this and they still insist on payment, and in the unlikely event of it going to court, it will make them look very silly that they pursued a person who had stopped because of the onset of a migraine.

prettyscaredlol

Trebor16 wrote: »

There is no need for you to be scared as the payment they are demanding is not enforceable in law. They cannot fine you or demand that you pay them a penalty.

Normal advice in these situations is to ignore them but I am wondering if given the circumstances of why you stayed at the service station that it might be an idea to write to them and explain your circumstances. If you do this and they still insist on payment, and in the unlikely event of it going to court, it will make them look very silly that they pursued a person who had stopped because of the onset of a migraine.

Yeah, i've not been home to read the letters until today, and today is the final day i can pay the reduced payment, or i would have already appealed it

Honestly had no idea i'd have to pay at a services lol, surely they're there for when you don't feel like you can continue to drive, and surely they'd prefer i wasn't on the road driving when i was finding it difficult even to see.

Like i said, it's not like £90 is nothing to me, and if it goes up to £150 tomorrow and in the future i'm forced to pay, it's really going to affect me. Life of being a poor student

Trebor16

No need to worry about whatever it goes up to, it is not a legal fine or penalty.

I'm sure others will be along soon enough to back me up and see if my variation on the normal advice might be worthwhile for you to follow.

prettyscaredlol

I hope so, but it's completely new ground for me, and being used to forums filled with trolls, i would hope someone could give proof as to how long they ignored them or something :P

Would be nice if i could actually SPEAK to someone, and not have to appeal by post.

I just don't understand why ignoring them would work

Thanks for replying though

EDIT: Having only been driving 3/4 weeks, it's really knocked my confidence with driving, and i've already worried about where i've been parking and if it's safe or not

sarahg1969

If you want some reassurance, just have a look around this specific board, and you'll see loads and loads of cases where people have received invoices from Parking Eye. After a few letters, they go away. Nothing happens. You just have to put up with few letters (that are intended to scare you into paying, by the way). Hopefully you'll feel better after reading some of the posts on here.

I personally have had two invoices from Parking Eye and I got two letters in each case, and then nothing more.

Stephen_Leak

Don't be scared. And yes, people do ignore them. Honest. Have I lied to you before?

OK, a car park owner does have the right to set out reasonable conditions for using their car park. I suppose they don't want the place used a drive-in dormitory.

OK, you overstayed your welcome, but it was a free car park, so Unwelcome Break (do you see what I tried to do there? ) haven't lost a penny as a result.

Even if they had, as they aren't a council or the police, they can no more impose a fine or penalty than you or I.

So, ignore the first letter. There is no point appealing. In fact, doing so can easily give them information that they would have to pay for.

You will receive a series of ever nastier threatening letters from debt collectors and even solicitors. These will still be from the PPC, but on different headed paper. We have copies on this website, so you can read them and they won't come as nasty surprise when yours arrive.

Now, you have two options ...

You can just ignore them and wait for them to realise that they're throwing good money after bad.

Or, you can counter attack. Send both the PPC and Welcome Break just one letter, known as a Letter Before Action. There should be a template on here somewhere. I'm a bit new, too. This simply says stop it, or I'll sue you for harassment.

And yes, you can do this. It's remarkably easy to do. For a start, the PPC will send you all the evidence you need. Talk about handing someone a loaded gun! And the local County Courts will go out of their way to help. It's what they're there for. Some even do guided tours beforehand. The courtroom is just like a meeting room, with a big table and chairs. The judge will probably wear a suit, not a red robe and wig.

Sueing the car park owner is the important bit. It ought to make them think about using a PPC, and hopefully terminate their contract.

PS. Being aware of where you can and can't park is good lesson to learn. And always remember that, as a driver, not only is everyone out to get you but also you are guilty, you just don't know what of yet. It's worked for me since I passed my test on 1 November 1976.

prettyscaredlol

sarahg1969 wrote: »

If you want some reassurance, just have a look around this specific board, and you'll see loads and loads of cases where people have received invoices from Parking Eye. After a few letters, they go away. Nothing happens. You just have to put up with few letters (that are intended to scare you into paying, by the way). Hopefully you'll feel better after reading some of the posts on here.

I personally have had two invoices from Parking Eye and I got two letters in each case, and then nothing more.

Yeah i've read a few threads on various forums, on here it seems like it's dominated by a guy called GIVE THEM F A or something haha, so i was hoping for more opinions

And thanks by the way

Glad i googled before i paid and had to ask my parents for money for food

societys_child

OK here's another opinion . . .

Don't appeal, especially on the grounds of suffering a migraine, they'd just say you could have bought an £8 ticket.

Don't worry about the photo. Although I'm sure it's lovely it means nothing in these circumstances.

The simple advise is IGNORE but you'll get a series of begging letters.
Now these letters you should . . . erm . . . IGNORE some more.

£90 is a lot to you? I left school a lifetime ago and £90 is a lot of money to me too, always has been.

Remember, it's not a fine, it's an unenforceable invoice. Read all the info on this board to put your mind at rest and post again if you need moral support.

prettyscaredlol

Thanks for the comments

I'll ignore them then, i've already received 2 letters, just today is my first day home so i've only just read them.

I hope i don't get any debt collecting letter then!