Turned around in a "Private Car Park" and fined!

newtonuk

Whilst on holiday in Perranporth very recently, I pulled off the road into what I immediately realised was a "Private" car park. Upon realising this, and deeming it not safe to reverse back out on to the road, due to pedestrians and traffic, I sued the car park to turn around and pull back out onto the main road.

The private car parking company Premier Park have sent me "PCN" for alleged contravention of "Unauthorised Entry / Parking".

What's the best way to deal with this?

bazster

Choose your favourite colour:

slyracoon

Ignore it.

SodG24

Did the car appear in court when you sued it ?

Just ignore anything you get other than genuine court papers.

The_Slithy_Tove

No doubt you were picked up on ANPR entering, then leaving one minute later. If Premier were dumb enough to take this beyond the normal chain of threatening letters, which you'll receive and can ignore with impunity, I would be very surprised.

You are quite safe to do precisely nothing.

AlexisV

So you drove into the car park, read the contract, declined its terms and left?

I don't know if this company uses V888 paper requests to get details from the DVLA or whether they have access to the electronic link. Perform a Freedom of Information request to the DVLA and find out exactly how they got your details and what information was submitted by them.

The DVLA have started to wake up slightly in recent weeks and the more people complain the better: http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/news/legal--motoring-advice/2012-05/premier-parking-suspended-from-accessing-dvla-data/ (not the same company I believe, but proof of what complaining can do).

If they are sending out invoices for people arriving and leaving immediately, I don't see what grounds they have for obtaining keeper details.

peter_the_piper

Love to see this one go to court but can't see them doing so.

Judge:- what is the offence?
PPC:- entering our car park
Judge:- how long did they park?
PPC:- they didn't stop.
Judge:- in that case !!!! off. Pay the other party £50.00 damages for wasting their time.

Stephen_Leak

In fact, PPC should have the first T&C sign before the ANPR camera and allow any motorist, who does not wish to accept the T&Cs, to turn around without being filmed.

taffy056

AlexisV wrote: »

The DVLA have started to wake up slightly in recent weeks and the more people complain the better: http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/news/legal--motoring-advice/2012-05/premier-parking-suspended-from-accessing-dvla-data/ (not the same company I believe, but proof of what complaining can do).

And when or if they get their access back, all they do is put through all the requests they have been saving since they were suspended all in one hit, and continue scamming. Like one of the other company's
(can't think of who?) when their director and they were convicted for criminal offences

taffy056

Stephen_Leak wrote: »

In fact, PPC should have the first T&C sign before the ANPR camera and allow any motorist, who does not wish to accept the T&Cs, to turn around without being filmed.

They can't do that in a majority of cases, I have been to a number of car parks on my travels and very often the camera is before the sign, classic one is Tesco in Swansea City Centre

Stephen_Leak

I know of only one place that could do this, as they have a roundabout for the entrance road, filling station and supermarket. All they need is a very big sign, which I can't see getting planning permission.