Acpoa 'Parking Enforcement Notice'

mrsw777

Hi,
I returned to my car at the local train station today to find I'd been issued an enforcement notice for failure to pay. According to the notice my car was first spotted at 7.57am & enforcement issued at 8.18am - during this time I'd tried several times via their phone system to make the payment, which eventually went through at around 8.20am meaning they accepted my payment as well as issuing me a charge! :mad:

According to their website new users have 30 minutes to make their payment would I be right in assuming this is the same for existing users?

Bit worried (its my first ever ticket in 18 years of driving!) but do I just not bother appealing & ignore any letters I'm sent or appeal, then if unsuccessful ignore any letters?!

Thanks in advance

RENEGADE_2

Step one: IGNORE
Step two: if they trace keeper details, WRITE TO DENY THE CHARGE AS DEMAND IS UNLAWFUL
Step three: await rejection and POPLA reference number, THEN WRITE TO POPLA WITH SAME INFORMATION.
Step four: IGNORE EVERYTHING. Popla decision is not binding for you.

Where there is APCOA, there are no railway byelaws in place.

timbo58

RENEGADE wrote: »

Where there is APCOA, there are no railway byelaws in place.

Are you sure about that?
I thought if APCoA were working with the local ToC then they could assume use of the byelaws?

RENEGADE_2

Yes I am sure, just look at the name of the invoice: "Parking Enforcement Notice" - if that doesn't smell of private discharge.

Would the OP please confirm the station and inform us of whether Byelaw 14 is mentioned on the invoice, along with the address for appeals. This is to be 200% sure.

mrsw777

Thanks for your replies.

Its FCC Leagrave Station, Luton. No mention of Byelaw 14 & the appeals address is Apcoa Parking (UK) Ltd, PO Box 1010, Uxbridge UB8 9NT

correct me if I'm wrong but after a quick google search, should it not be a physical address rather than a PO Box?

Thanks again

RENEGADE_2

Not at all, the PO Box reveals it is a scam as bailiffs would eventually have no wall to break down in the event APCOA were ordered to repay you.

So APCOA handle the appeals? You have a certified fake invoice which is ultra-safe to ignore. Go in peace!

fil_cad

And if your unfortunately run out of loo paper there scam invoice will come in handy :money:

timbo58

Thanks for that Renegade.
I had a couple of tickets many years ago when Apcoa took over the stations on my patch when I worked for a toc.
I had them all cancelled by their head(?) office in Chippenham amicably, but wouldn't have paid them unless forced to do so by my employer in any case as I had a valid pass they hadn't seen.
I know all other 'parking control' companies outside of council control can't enforce diddly squat (having cost 2 of them the £3.50 DVLC search charge to no benefit recently!) but thought that railways byelaws could be enforced by properly licensed companies.

Just didn't realise that apcoa weren't one of them!
Very interesting!

mrsw777

I noticed this morning that the sign at the entrance to the car park mentions byelaws but it was too dark to read properly or take a photo so will check later. Luckily i only have park there one day per week!

As I mentioned I've never had a ticket/notice before & am slightly worried about ignoring (especially as I need to carry on using car park) but I'm not going to roll over & pay :O has anyone successfully appealed a notice? I checked the FCC website today ref apcoa parking & it states you have 30 mins to buy your ticket - does that mean the gap
between my car first being seen & ticket issue should be 30 mins? is that grounds to cancel the ticket?

I'm sure I read somewhere that if you appeal you should ask for a copy of something but I can't remember what?

I checked my bank account this morning & ticket money was debited so it's clear my intention was not to get out paying for a valid parking ticket!

Coupon-mad

mrsw777 wrote: »

I noticed this morning that the sign at the entrance to the car park mentions byelaws but it was too dark to read properly or take a photo so will check later. Luckily i only have park there one day per week!

As I mentioned I've never had a ticket/notice before & am slightly worried about ignoring (especially as I need to carry on using car park) but I'm not going to roll over & pay :O has anyone successfully appealed a notice? I checked the FCC website today ref apcoa parking & it states you have 30 mins to buy your ticket - does that mean the gap
between my car first being seen & ticket issue should be 30 mins? is that grounds to cancel the ticket?

I'm sure I read somewhere that if you appeal you should ask for a copy of something but I can't remember what?

I checked my bank account this morning & ticket money was debited so it's clear my intention was not to get out paying for a valid parking ticket!

From the scenario you describe it would be very reasonable for you to appeal, and make it clear that you are prepared to take the matter to POPLA if the PPC do not cancel based on your clear evidence.

Always be aware that POPLA is new and untested but if they are daft/harsh enough in the long run to reject your appeal it's not binding on you and you can then invoke plan B = 'ignore mode'. You could do that easily, ignoring any threatograms that followed from APCOA, secure in the knowledge that in highly unlikely event of APCOA trying a speculative small claim, that you have acted reasonably and shown evidence that would satisfy any judge that no money is owing.

You may want to draft your appeal wording and run it by us here first for comments?

Sirdan

The_Seeker wrote: »

Byelaws may very well apply at railways but the nature of the ticket indicates this is another fake. I wouldn't appeal. Besides, u could say I know APCOA a little better than most people do. U won't catch them and a byelaw-operating carpark together. It's one or the other.

Or as they say, Never the Twain Shall Meet. APCOA = no byelaws.

Really so how come they are still towing cars at Luton Airport ..without a byelaw this must be illegal surely ?