Is there a place for private parking enforcement?

peter_the_piper

Lets put it this way, if you tried to park there would be a fair old drop and it would not get out in one piece however you are welcome to try.
People blocking drives down our road have found them in the next lane, hopefully they are not auto's. Country folk are reet dodgy.:rotfl:

s555

TrickyWicky wrote: »

I use these points to make something clear to you:
1) PPCs can not issue fines or penalties. They can only issue an invoice and it's legitimacy is still questionable
2) Punishment is a power reserved for state use. Only the state or its appointed representatives may issue a fine or penalty.

I think it was you who asked me for some examples of private companies issuing actual fines.. Well, it took me a while to think of some but I think that most of the utility companies, BT (openreach presumably) and the railway companies have some statutory powers to issue fines, or have had at least. A bit of a cheat, as they probably inherited from the publicly owned days, but all the same... I'll keep thinking...

halibut2209

What fines can BT give?

taffy056

and what fines can utility companies give? they are private firms and can't give fines

s555

halibut2209 wrote: »

What fines can BT give?

I understand there are statutory powers to fine, or possibly imprison, people found interfering with the network, attaching certain unapproved equipment or generally doing things that spoil it for other people. Being law, I imagine BT hand it over to the police, but it is still a legal protection for the benefit of a private company. And it equally applies to their competitors, not that they have many in that space.

My original point was the idea of a law that protected private car parks. So a similar scenario in many ways.

s555

Nobody questioned the trains yet, and you only asked for one example :-)

taffy056

s555 wrote: »

Nobody questioned the trains yet, and you only asked for one example :-)

they can't issue fines either, they can issue penalties I believe that could land up in the magistrates court if you ignore them, and certain TOCS have bylaws in car parks, but again they are not fines but penalties.

s555

taffy056 wrote: »

and what fines can utility companies give? they are private firms and can't give fines

Maybe not directly, but they have their own laws which enforce compliance through the issuing of fines or imprisonment. The Utilities Act 2000 Chapter 27 Schedule 4 a quick google search reveals.

I am not expecting the parking people to set up their own courts and police force, just have laws that entitle them to instigate a fining process.

taffy056

s555 wrote: »

I understand there are statutory powers to fine, or possibly imprison, people found interfering with the network, attaching certain unapproved equipment or generally doing things that spoil it for other people. Being law, I imagine BT hand it over to the police, but it is still a legal protection for the benefit of a private company. And it equally applies to their competitors, not that they have many in that space.

My original point was the idea of a law that protected private car parks. So a similar scenario in many ways.

No there is statutory powers to fine, and certainly nothing to imprison you for, again this would need to go to court for probably criminal damage which involve the police to begin with.

s555

taffy056 wrote: »

they can't issue fines either, they can issue penalties I believe that could land up in the magistrates court if you ignore them, and certain TOCS have bylaws in car parks, but again they are not fines but penalties.

As you say, unless you don't pay it. At which point it may well escalate to a fine.