Private roads and parking fine threats

scamander

Hi there,

Can someone who is in a car with the engine running be issued with a parking ticket on private land?

I get picked up from work occasionally and the road behind where I work (outside one of the entrances) is private. It leads to a large car park which is controlled by a private firm and vigorously enforced.

Yesterday the person picking me up was threatened with a parking ticket. She was in the car parked with the engine running on the private road (not in the car park).

I understand cars being ticketed when left parked. But if someone is in the car and the engine is running???

neilmcl

Was it a PPC, in which case they should tell them to stick it.

Sgt_Pepper_2

You said she was parked.

Unless it is the council or police they can try and issue an invoice.

scamander

to answer the above:

not sure if it's a PPC - the woman who spoke to my mate simply told her "If I see you here again I'll ticket you".

I'm unsure how you define 'parked'. She was in a stationary car - with the engine running. Does this make a difference? Id on't drive so apols for the ambiguity.

maninthestreet

If this is a PPC, then threat can be ignored - they cannot 'fine' anyone, only send them an invoice 'inviting' them to pay.

neilmcl

Sounds like a PPC, just ignore. If it was a bona-fide council warden then yes they can issue a ticket, even if the driver was just "waiting".

vax2002

They can only "fine" idiots.
Anyone with more than half a brain knows that private parking tickets (parking charge notices) are an impersonation of authority scam that can be chucked in the nearest bin.
Write the silly woman a ticket yourself and see if she pays it ?
Why not write some out for friends for say, leaving the door open, or using a mobile phone after 6pm.
Would they pay them ?
No but for some reason 60% of people will pay a fake parking ticket with no more authority than the ones above.
Stupid, Stupid people !

pogofish

A PPC can issue a ticket to anyone in more or less any situation they see fit.

However, the onus is on the person ticketed to not be so gullible to believe that these tickets (invoices to be more accurate) mean anything whatsoever and to treat them as the rubbish they are.

fivetide

If they start again you could always ask them on who's authority they are able to issue a 'fine'.

Friend got threatened with that in a local retail park as a black mini pulled out of a space and he pulled in in a black Hyundai Getz. The PPC chap tried to claim it was the same car and he'd been watching it for hours!

When challenged he knew he didn't have a leg to stand on and wandered off muttering to himself.

5t.

Aretnap

In a general sense "parked" simply means "stopped". So if you're stopped on double yellow lines on a public road you can get a ticket whether or not you're in the car or the engine is running, unless one of the exemptions applies (eg you're loading, setting down a passenger, or you just can't move forward because you're waiting in a traffic queue).

Private parking tickets are not governed by any legislation but attempt to rely on a dubious interpretation of contract law; the parking company could attempt to define "parking" any way it liked, but it doesn't really matter how they try to define it because in 99% of cases they cannot enforce their tickets for other reasons - either they lack the necessary rights over the land to offer a contract in the first place, or the charge is an unfair penalty which is not enforceable under contract law.

Mr_Thrifty

Would it have made a difference if the person who approached the driver said: "You are currently on private land. You may stay here if you wish, but only if you agree to pay us £65 for the privilege of using our land. Otherwise, go away and stop trespassing"?