a resident took a photo,will we get fined??

jez33 · 17 August 2012 at 8:01PM

hi.
my wife is a careworker and on one of her jobs she parked near to one of her clients houses who she cares for. before she even had time to get out her car a resident started to take a few photos of the car as it was in an area which says admittidly ' residents parking only'

the question is should my wife expect a letter from the parking agency giving a pcn as nothing was put on her wind screen and the photographer wasnt trying to pass any ticket to my wife either ? do residents have the power to give tickets now?

ps she only stopped to give some shopping to her client and was no longer the 5 mins!

victor2 · 17 August 2012 at 8:08PM

Probably just an annoyed resident who can never get a space trying to intimidate your wife or build up a portfolio of evidence for some other purpose.
If she didn't break any legal parking restriction, she won't hear anything official.

Welsh_Exile · 17 August 2012 at 8:08PM

Short answer: No

Long answer: Browse this sub forum and all will be revealed.

pogofish · 17 August 2012 at 8:08PM

They can take as many photos as they like but it has no import whatsoever as they can't "fine" anyone to begin with. Even in legit enforcement, photos are the very bottom of the evidential food chain and in the cowboy world of private parking, nowhere at all.

So I hope she gave them a big wave and a smile!

Oh and what "Parking Agency" would this be anyway.

And if they try it again, she might well have a good case for harassment against them, so she should bear that in mind when she goes back and keep a diary of any incidents - or even take a few photos herself.

jez33 · 17 August 2012 at 8:24PM

hi, thanks for the answers, that was quick.
we've not had a letter yet through the post as this happened this afternoon and who knows probably wont either anyway but of course my wifes a bit fustrated with it just in case .
so just to be clear a resident cannt take photos of a car parked and give it to the police/highway parking agencys ect ?

victor2 · 17 August 2012 at 8:27PM

jez33 wrote: »

so just to be clear a resident cannt take photos of a car parked and give it to the police/highway parking agencys ect ?

The resident can take a picture and give it to the Pope if he/she knows him, it'll have the same outcome as far as your wife's concerned.

pogofish · 17 August 2012 at 8:48PM

A resident can take more or less any photo they like and give it to anyone they want to but that does not make it any kind of enforceable in any way.

However, if they continued to take photos in pursuit of some sort of self-invented/important grievance and use them to harass your wife, then she would have a clear case against them.

Besides - What "highway parking agencys" is this anyway? There is no overall body to enforce parking - If its a car park run by a PPC, then they are toothless scammers who need to be ignored and if the resident is in a local authority car park then they will have policies/procedures in place to allow carers, medics etc access to do their jobs. She should maybe seek clarification on local policy/practice from her employer?

jez33 · 17 August 2012 at 8:56PM

hi pogofish.
this wasnt in a carpark but in a resident area but im guessing if nothing was put on the car wind screen then theres nothin enforceable any way from the highway agency or any private parking company for that matter!

pogofish · 17 August 2012 at 9:13PM

If its in a private residential car park, then no not at all. The only thing an aggrieved resident can claim for is any actual loss they suffer as a civil matter (fat-chance of proving that!) and if your wife has to attend someone on site then they have no reasonable grounds to claim trespass and ask her to leave.

The Highways Agency don't enforce parking - thats a local authority matter but it is possible for a private parking contractor to be hired by factors/residents on private property but this is just a scam - and some of those might just take the chance if a registration was passed to them - we have seen an increase in "I got a threatening letter but never had a ticket" posts recently, but there is nothing they can do about this other than threaten you, so do come back if you get anything. Odds are you won't though.

I've been here with a badly disabled relative who was in a sheltered residence and her absolute pillocks of neighbours took extreme exception at my pulling-up outside her flat in order to see she had the shortest hobble from my car to her door. Because of her disability, she had a flat with direct outside access! Must have taken about two minutes each time we came and went but they would hurl abuse and threaten the police etc. They even wrote to the factors asking them to inform my relative that I was banned from the property. The reply was short and sweet - F-Off!

jez33 · 17 August 2012 at 9:29PM

good, well given those facts if this happens next time my wife parks outside her clients home and this resident comes out taking photos with a camera ive told my wife to pick up her phone cam n start recording and pretend to call some one else on the other mobile phone but saying all sorts of personal info like which house she came out from, what she looks like, n ill pass you the video in a min for you to see her ect,, hope that will freak the resident out a bit so she will think twice next time may be!!!

doodlesmum · 17 August 2012 at 10:13PM

I"m a community support worker and i had this happen to me over the years too,i have been parked on a normal street no parking regs and had a note put under my window wipers dont park outside my house again,i made a real point of ripping it up and chuckling to myself.People like this have nothing better to do,lets hope they never need care because then their care workers would need a space :rotfl: