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Parking Ticket - TCP

Hi, i received a parking ticket (almost 2 weeks ago) from Town and City Parking in my local shopping centre (Glenrothes, scotland)

It is for £40 (£20 if i pay it in 14 days)

Im unsure if i should pay it or not as i have heard that these tickets don't need to be paid as the parking lot is not council run? Im a bit of a worrier and i only passed my test in december and don't want to get into any trouble..

I don't fancy getting into some civil/legal matter over a parking ticket. BUT i don't fancy parting with money either if i don't have to.

My mum is the legal owner of the car i was driving and she knows about the ticket but she's unsure as to what i should do also..
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Comments

  • tony6403
    tony6403 Posts: 1,257 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    Did you park in accordance with the terms on the signs in the car park?
    If not, better to part with £20 now rather than get into what could prove to be a very costly encounter with T&CP.
    Forgotten but not gone.
  • Stroma
    Stroma Posts: 7,971 Forumite
    Uniform Washer
    tony6403 wrote: »
    Did you park in accordance with the terms on the signs in the car park?
    If not, better to part with £20 now rather than get into what could prove to be a very costly encounter with T&CP.

    Complete garbage! TCP never ever do court! This is just a speculative invoice that will never go beyond junk mail through the post. If the vehicle is the OPs he should ignore this completely
    When posting a parking issue on MSE do not reveal any information that may enable PPCs to identify you. They DO monitor the forum.
    We don't need the following to help you.
    Name, Address, PCN Number, Exact Date Of Incident, Date On Invoice, Reg Number, Vehicle Picture, The Time You Entered & Left Car Park, Or The Amount of Time You Overstayed.
    :beer: Anti Enforcement Hobbyist Member :beer:
  • neilmcl
    neilmcl Posts: 19,460 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    tony6403 wrote: »
    Did you park in accordance with the terms on the signs in the car park?
    If not, better to part with £20 now rather than get into what could prove to be a very costly encounter with T&CP.
    Utter rubbish and really bad advice. The only advice you should heed OP is to totally ignore any correspondance/threats etc from them and get on with your life. See the Parking forum for full details.
  • tony6403
    tony6403 Posts: 1,257 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    edited 26 January 2013 at 12:53AM
    OK posts 3 & 4 , I will not seek to argue - I was basing my comments on an article published by the BBC. Extract below
    The commercial disputes expert answers a number of myths when it comes to private parking tickets. The first is the effect on your credit rating if you do not pay the fine, which is often quoted in letters from debt collectors chasing payment.
    "Letters from debt collectors and solicitors will not affect your credit rating. Only if the company takes legal proceedings and is successful will your rating be affected."
    As the private parking companies have no power to force you to pay because it's a civil debt, is it an OK tactic just to ignore any correspondence they send you? Wayne ( commercial disputes expert ( lawyer)) thinks this is a risky tactic.
    I imagine that you never pay to park in a private car park?
    Forgotten but not gone.
  • Stroma
    Stroma Posts: 7,971 Forumite
    Uniform Washer
    Okay I will go through this methodically for you

    --
    tony6403 wrote: »
    OK posts 3 & 4 , I will not seek to argue - I was basing my comments on an article published by the BBC. Extract below
    The commercial disputes expert answers a number of myths when it comes to private parking tickets. The first is the effect on your credit rating if you do not pay the fine, which is often quoted in letters from debt collectors chasing payment.

    First it's not a fine or penalty, these are not statuary authorities they cannot issue fines.
    tony6403 wrote: »
    "Letters from debt collectors and solicitors will not affect your credit rating. Only if the company takes legal proceedings and is successful will your rating be affected."

    This is utter garbage, your credit rating is not effected by the issuing of a small claim, what effects your credit rating is not paying a judgement. The parking company to take you to court and win first!
    tony6403 wrote: »
    As the private parking companies have no power to force you to pay because it's a civil debt, is it an OK tactic just to ignore any correspondence they send you? Wayne ( commercial disputes expert ( lawyer)) thinks this is a risky tactic.
    I imagine that you never pay to park in a private car park?

    But obviously he's not a solicitor who is expert in the field of parking, take a look at these YouTube videos on the link below, the first video shows an expert in the field of parking.

    https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/3164256
    When posting a parking issue on MSE do not reveal any information that may enable PPCs to identify you. They DO monitor the forum.
    We don't need the following to help you.
    Name, Address, PCN Number, Exact Date Of Incident, Date On Invoice, Reg Number, Vehicle Picture, The Time You Entered & Left Car Park, Or The Amount of Time You Overstayed.
    :beer: Anti Enforcement Hobbyist Member :beer:
  • Half_way
    Half_way Posts: 7,656 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    Indeed their is plenty of advice out there, i would refer you to the BBC consumer affiaris programme, Watchdog
    [video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XAIcdi9niHA[/video]


    and if that didnt work just click here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XAIcdi9niHA
    From the Plain Language Commission:

    "The BPA has surely become one of the most socially dangerous organisations in the UK"
  • neilmcl
    neilmcl Posts: 19,460 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    tony6403 wrote: »
    I imagine that you never pay to park in a private car park?
    How is that in any way relevant?
  • Stroma
    Stroma Posts: 7,971 Forumite
    Uniform Washer
    neilmcl wrote: »
    How is that in any way relevant?

    I missed that at the end.
    Originally Posted by tony6403
    I imagine that you never pay to park in a private car park?

    Put it this way we never endorse or encourage people not to pay parking charges at car parks, whether they are private or council run
    When posting a parking issue on MSE do not reveal any information that may enable PPCs to identify you. They DO monitor the forum.
    We don't need the following to help you.
    Name, Address, PCN Number, Exact Date Of Incident, Date On Invoice, Reg Number, Vehicle Picture, The Time You Entered & Left Car Park, Or The Amount of Time You Overstayed.
    :beer: Anti Enforcement Hobbyist Member :beer:
  • tony6403
    tony6403 Posts: 1,257 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    edited 26 January 2013 at 1:51AM
    Replies in italics




    First it's not a fine or penalty, these are not statuary authorities they cannot issue fines.

    I would think that the BBC's expert is not using strictly legal terms ; probably language that the average reader will associate with. I have no way of knowing.


    This is utter garbage, your credit rating is not effected by the issuing of a small claim, what effects your credit rating is not paying a judgement. The parking company to take you to court and win first!

    This is precisely what the expert said . (except affects not effects)

    But obviously he's not a solicitor who is expert in the field of parking, take a look at these YouTube videos on the link below, the first video shows an expert in the field of parking.

    I don't know. Not being a solicitor myself it is difficult to pronounce on the ability of those who are qualified in that profession . I assume that the BBC has picked someone who knows what he is talking about.

    [/QUOTE]
    Forgotten but not gone.
  • tony6403
    tony6403 Posts: 1,257 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    Stroma wrote: »
    I missed that at the end.



    Put it this way we never endorse or encourage people not to pay parking charges at car parks, whether they are private or council run

    But having not parked in accordance with the conditions you do, in no uncertain terms ,encourage people not to pay fines/penalties or whatever you choose to call them.

    You may very well be correct that people will not be pursued by these parasites - but I would not be so sure.
    If I know I should have paid and didn't I would pay the "fine".
    Forgotten but not gone.
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