Parking fine: Homebase / G24 / AMPR / ignore?

unclebobuk

Hi,
my partner recently overstayed by 10 minutes @ Leicester Homebase Store's car park and was therefore issued with a £70 fine for overstaying. I believe the company was called G24 parking Ltd. It obtained the vehicle ID using AMPR cameras and DVLA data as far as I know. My question is should she follow the general advice and ignore the demands for payment? The car is company lease so do the same rules apply. (She got the letter via work today)..

As I understand it these companies have no way to enforce these demands for payment and rely pretty much on legal-speak and threats to obtain their payments.

Any feedback appreciated (especially if a different approach is needed when dealing with a company vs privately owned car)..

thanks
Bob.

bargepole

unclebobuk wrote: »

... Any feedback appreciated (especially if a different approach is needed when dealing with a company vs privately owned car)...

If the car is registered in the name of a leasing company, it's not advisable to ignore. After 28 days, the PPC will write to the leasing co., some of whom will just pay the ticket, and debit your partner with the full amount + an "admin" fee.

Your partner should write to the PPC now, confirming that they were driving, and denying that there is any legal liability for the charge. That will take the leasing company out of the loop.

The_Slithy_Tove

Your partner needs to make sure that the lease company isn't going to impose an arbitrary "administration" charge for the task of forwarding the paperwork - many do, and it's a right royal pain to convince the lease companies that they had no right to do so.

Ignore is, indeed, the best policy. However, that approach will lead to more and more threatening letters from G24. The lease company may get fed up with forwarding these, or worse, pay up.

Therefore, it may be wise to put in an appeal in her own name, thus drawing the fire to her. Don't worry, the invoice (NOT a fine) is still unenforceable, and won't go anywhere. You can either go for a "hard" appeal, which informs G24 that you know the score with these unenforceable charges, you won't be paying, and if they turn down your appeal, you want a POPLA code to take it further (costing them £27+VAT). Suitable words for such an appeal are to be found around these forums. Many PPCs fold and cancel the ticket at this point. Or, if you want some "fun", go for a soft appeal (some pathetic excuse), which they will reject, and give you a POPLA code for you to take on to appeal. At that point you go for a diffferent "hard" appeal, safe in the knowledge that if it's rejected, you still don't need to pay.

Coupon-mad

I also say that your partner should write and appeal this fake PCN in order to hook the future letters directly to her, taking the company and lease firm completely out of the loop. An 'approved operator' member PPC cannot continue to pursue a registered keeper or owner if they get the driver's details within 28 days.

When they reject your appeal, look to see if they have given you a POPLA verification code for the next stage (independent appeal, it's new). See the info website set up by a poster from this forum. Linked here:

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/....php?t=4263959

So read that and you'll know that she can appeal, it costs the PPC money and it isn't even binding on you at all! Just money down the drain for these parasites! Even if the POPLA appeal comes to nothing, the great thing is that you can safely revert to 'ignore mode'.

Your partner never has to pay unless a PPC actually took her to Court (G24 don't do Court ever and would lose if ever they tried a case aimed at an informed MSEer).

If they do not give her a POPLA code in any rejection letter then email and complain, and copy in the CEO of Homebase and the Store Manager.

Complain about the harassment of paying customers, the fact they/Homebase's agents are pretending to issue parking tickets but they are not actually fines, that the PPC has no right to charge you as neither they nor Homebase has made any loss. Enclose a photocopy of your recent receipts and say unless this is quashed immediately, you will be ex-customers as of now. Finish by saying you require a POPLA verification code by return and remind them that the decision is binding only on them and the cost is theirs (G24's) of course - and you won't pay anyway.

In the appeal, give them specifically 35 days from the date of the fake ticket to provide you with the code or to cancel the fake PCN (call a spade a spade, and the '35 days from the date of the fake PCN' shows you have read about POPLA deadines & info and that you mean business).

It's very, very possible the PPC will just cancel rather than pay for POPLA to cancel it, not that it matters if they don't because it's only a junk mail scam!

An alternative thing you could try first is to march into Homebase in front of customers and politely but assertively COMPLAIN, waving the offending FAKE PCN (call it a fake, because that's what it is). This is unacceptable so make sure your voice is heard, this is the way for retailers to lose customers fast, especially when people are browsing more and the queues are longer before Christmas!

HTH