Parking Charge - what to do if car is leased?

Zoso

I recently received an unfair parking charge notice in a supermarket car park. The posts in this forum are very informative and clearly suggest I should ignore all demanding letters from the parking company. However, I noticed on one post the advise to do so only if your car is not "hired, leased or company owned". I can't see the difference between a car I own and one that I lease. In both cases the car can be driven by different people not just me. Could anyone help explain how the lease situation is different? Thanks.

Stephen_Leak

Ignore the PPC, but you need to deal with the leasing company.

The leasing company might pay the charge and then pass it on to you, plus an "administration charge". There are days, when I wonder who are the bigger crooks. These “administration charges” must be a nice little earner.

Their contract T&Cs usually have a clause about the driver being responsible for fines or penalties. Now, that's fair enough, for legally enforceable fines or penalties from councils, police, train operators and Transport for London.

But this is a "speculative invoice" from a private company. If they pay it, that's up to them. However, we'd prefer that the PPC didn't get anything.

Also advise them of this ...

http://www.fleetnews.co.uk/news/2009...s-urged/30698/

... and the guidelines on private parking tickets from the British Vehicle Rental & Leasing Association (BVRLA) ...

http://lmgtfy.com/?q=bvrla+private+parking .

If they've already taken the money from your account, ask for it back, or else you’ll sue them for breach of their own contract.

Paperbird

Because they send their begging letters to the RK and if they send them to the lease company / hire company they will probably charge you when they send them on to you.
If the car is hire / lease and it's been stuck on the windscreen then it's better to let the ppc know you were driving so they send the letters direct to you for you to ignore.
If the ppc has already written direct to you it's ok to just ignore.

ManxRed

Can you get the exact wording relating to parking tickets and admin fees from the lease and let us know what it says?

Zoso

Thanks guys for your advice. I certainly see the logic in speaking to the lease company, which I will do today. I'll also check out the T&C's on the contact but I have to get this through the company I work for.

I'll post anything interesting I find. I guess it will be useful for others in a similar position.

Fundamentally though, I have the same rights as anyone else who owns their car directly. All I have to do is stop the lease company paying the charge on my behalf!

Coupon-mad

Zoso wrote: »

Thanks guys for your advice. I certainly see the logic in speaking to the lease company, which I will do today. I'll also check out the T&C's on the contact but I have to get this through the company I work for.

I'll post anything interesting I find. I guess it will be useful for others in a similar position.

Fundamentally though, I have the same rights as anyone else who owns their car directly. All I have to do is stop the lease company paying the charge on my behalf!

Yep...easier said than done with most lease or hire companies. :mad:

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/3931567

http://www.pepipoo.com/forums/lofiversion/index.php/t65302-0.html

http://forums.pepipoo.com/index.php?showtopic=62531

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/4016957

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/3994019

DON'T just ring the Fleet company, put it in writing that there may be some scam letters sent speculatively to them but it isn't a real PCN, it's a matter for the driver alone and a well-known scam. Make it clear that you will not be paying it, and that they have zero liability.

Include the Fleet News link and the BVRLA link which you will find in the MacBudman thread (one of those linked above). There is LOTS of detail there, lots of useful links to inform a Fleet manager about this scam.

Assume they know nothing about it and can't tell the difference between a real PCN and a fake one. Start out with that assumption and put everything in writing. Unless you have a clued up Fleet Manager you will have a lot of explaining to do.

[Deleted User]

I think what matters here is who is the Registered Keeper?

If you are the RK, the "ticket" and Threat-O-Grams will come to you, for you to deal with.

If the leasing company is the RK, the "ticket" and Threat-O-Grams will go to them, with the potential for them to pay and charge it to you.

Coupon-mad

Yep, and just to add info - which is already in those links I gave, but to clarify - a lease/hire/company car situation is one of the few times we tell people to write to the PPC.

Write and say 'Please explain why this ticket was left on this car as no contravention of any Traffic Order occurred'. Or summat like that. Don't say who was driving nor give ANY info about that day. (And I know Traffic Orders don't apply on private land, it's just some old rubbish to say!). Don't give them your real signature either; never give an unknown firm info they don't need.

All you are trying to do by writing immediately, is to hook the PPC in your direction by giving them an address so that they may just send all threatograms to you without bothering to find out who the car is registered to with the DVLA.

But that is something to do IN ADDITION to telling the Fleet Manager that you picked up a fake PCN and will NOT be paying it and that it's none of their beeswax anyway even if they do get letters about it.

Always asume the Fleet manager might get a letter and might stupidly pay it, then might be daft enough to expect you to cough up.

steve1500

I have a company lease car.

Just received a begging letter from Highview Parking who give the impression they are Tesco's.

This is going to be a difficult one to defend and also shows up the flaws of the lease car company.

At the time in question M'Lud I was off work sick with a pot on my leg which went from my ankle to thigh...

Obviously the xxxxxx in the lease car company took no steps to find out if I was the driver and just disclosed my personal information to these nice people.

Sure the Data Protection Act has something about keeping personal information secure!!!

ManxRed

Does the lease conditions give them permission to do this?

Stephen_Leak

steve1500 wrote: »

<snip> This is going to be a difficult one to defend <snip>

Do I detect some irony here?