Use of the words "penalty" and "fine" on signs

richard501

Hi

I've been a long time reader of this forum and have pickedup that private companies are not meant to use the words fine or penalty ontheir signage. Well in the past week I have seen two examples of this atdifferent car parks.

Firstly, there was this sign at Dunelm Mill inShoreham-by-Sea threatening to FINE those staying over 1.5 hours:

https / www. dropbox.com/s/ehw9npvijlklv4t/2012-11-17%2017.52.09.jpg

(I'm a new poster so it won’t let me post the link properly)

The signs around the car park didn't use the F word butthere were discrepancies as to whether it was 1.5 or 2 hours free parking.Here's one of the 1.5 hours ones, I only noticed the two hour one as I wasdriving out the carpark so didn't get a chance to photograph it:

https / www. dropbox.com/s/aqmn16umexc2mgg/2012-11-17%2017.53.03.jpg?m

Secondly, there were these signs at the Chichester Gate carpark, talking about penalty charges:

https / www. dropbox.com/s/9nbfoh21uimz07w/2012-11-21%2021.59.48.jpg

I know some of the more experienced members on here have hadPPCs DVLA access revoked for this type of thing and thought this information may help the cause. If Ican do anymore to help just let me know.

Half_way

from the onle link that i can get working, the signs are meaningless, and 100% un enforcable.

i can only get this link to work
https://www.dropbox.com/s/9nbfoh21uimz07w/2012-11-21%2021.59.48.jpg

Trading standards may be interested in the sign, but dont expect much from them, as there appears to be no trade asociation attached (BPA) then they shouldnt be able to get keeper data from the DVLA.

In short they can put whatever they like on their signs with respect to parking penalties, its nothing but an empty threat that can be used to scare people, they can even go round putting yellow envelopes on cars, knowing that most people will pay up without question.
If they try and follow it up, via letters to the registered keeper then thats a different thing all together.

Empty threat sign.

mo786uk

given that PENALTY and FINE are not defined in law as protected terms that can only be used by public authorities then its difficult to argue, to a criminal laven anyway, that they should not be using those words.

the administration of justice act does have something in there to say you cannot make yourself look like an authroity - i.e using scales to imply you represent a court but use of the word fine alone is ulkely to reach that level.

SodG24

I've never paid much attention to the signs at DM in Shoreham - who is the PPC ? I just ignore the time limit anyway. They don't need a PPC ( not that anyone does ) due to all the free parking in Eastern Avenue !

Coupon Mad might know.

Half_way

Heres an example of an empty threat private car park sign


here is another example of an empty threat sign

Coupon-mad

richard501 wrote: »

Hi

I've been a long time reader of this forum and have pickedup that private companies are not meant to use the words fine or penalty ontheir signage. Well in the past week I have seen two examples of this atdifferent car parks.

Firstly, there was this sign at Dunelm Mill inShoreham-by-Sea threatening to FINE those staying over 1.5 hours:

https / www. dropbox.com/s/ehw9npvijlklv4t/2012-11-17%2017.52.09.jpg

(I'm a new poster so it won’t let me post the link properly)

The signs around the car park didn't use the F word butthere were discrepancies as to whether it was 1.5 or 2 hours free parking.Here's one of the 1.5 hours ones, I only noticed the two hour one as I wasdriving out the carpark so didn't get a chance to photograph it:

https / www. dropbox.com/s/aqmn16umexc2mgg/2012-11-17%2017.53.03.jpg?m

Secondly, there were these signs at the Chichester Gate carpark, talking about penalty charges:

https / www. dropbox.com/s/9nbfoh21uimz07w/2012-11-21%2021.59.48.jpg

I know some of the more experienced members on here have hadPPCs DVLA access revoked for this type of thing and thought this information may help the cause. If Ican do anymore to help just let me know.

As SodG24 says, Shoreham and Chichester are in the vicinity of where I live.

If you want to help to report these companies, please send your linked pictures to the DVLA by email, explaining the issue with the words which are a specific breach of the BPA Code of Practice:

[EMAIL="FOI@dvla.gsi.gov.uk"]FOI@dvla.gsi.gov.uk[/EMAIL]

You'll need to name the company and the car park and point out what you've spotted - but you can use an anonymous name and email addy for yourself of course!

Thanks so much for being a very proactive newbie! :T

HTH

oldagetraveller

I once saw a large sign in S.W.Africa many years ago similar to the second example. It, amongst others, was placed, at intervals, inside a De Beers (diamonds) perimeter fence with the words "Trespassers Will Be Shot". I somehow doubt that was an empty threat!:(
It's validity was not tested at the time.:p