Elite Management (Midlands) Parking fine

repoman123

Hello all,

So over the weekend I was unfortunate enough to receive a parking ticket for being 15 mins late back to my car in a private car park (stand alone car park, not part of a store or anything). I don't really have an excuse apart from I fell off a kerb and twisted my ankle. I'm an idiot I know, luckily I was with my wife who drove us back after I limped back to the car like a wuss!

Ticket says pay £75 within 14 days or pay something like £125 so I googled the company as I thought the £75 was abit much.

Turns out there are loads of threads on the web (many on this forum) advising that they have no power and after receiving letters from the debt collection company and solicitors they eventually go away so I've decided not to pay the fine.

I now have 2 questions:

1 - can someone re-assure me there has been no major law change since the previous thread on Elite Management and now I should actually pay the fine?

2 - I read so many threads where people have admitted being late back to their car and still been advised not to pay the fine, well what is to stop us all just parking in the car park whenever we need to nip into town and just pay for an hour but take as long as we want? Or don't pay at all? Eventually we'll get a parking ticket which apparently we can keep ignoring? I know this is wrong and would never happen but I'm interested in finding out what people would say? Especially those that are really confident in advising others to not pay for these tickets.

Many thanks in advance.

trisontana

The new law hasn't changed anything. And please stop calling it a FINE. It's not. It's just an invoice.

edward123

PHP1703 wrote: »

2 - I read so many threads where people have admitted being late back to their car and still been advised not to pay the fine, well what is to stop us all just parking in the car park whenever we need to nip into town and just pay for an hour but take as long as we want? Or don't pay at all? Eventually we'll get a parking ticket which apparently we can keep ignoring? I know this is wrong and would never happen but I'm interested in finding out what people would say? Especially those that are really confident in advising others to not pay for these tickets.

Many thanks in advance.

No one here will advise you to try that, or at least I don't think any would. We all want to park considerately and responsibly towards the land owners and customers of the businesses which have these car parks. What is advised on here though, and simply because the private parking companies are not interested in parking management, is to ignore any of their fake tickets(and they can not fine any one of course). The ppc industry are not a 'method' businesses/retailers should be using. They ought to REALLY manage their car parks and by first ousting the PPC. Hence, why one can and should ignore any tickets from these scam artists.

Coupon-mad

PHP1703 wrote: »

So over the weekend I was unfortunate enough to receive a parking ticket for being 15 mins late back to my car in a private car park (stand alone car park, not part of a store or anything). I don't really have an excuse apart from I fell off a kerb and twisted my ankle. I'm an idiot I know, luckily I was with my wife who drove us back after I limped back to the car like a wuss!

Ticket says pay £75 within 14 days or pay something like £125 so I googled the company as I thought the £75 was abit much.

Turns out there are loads of threads on the web (many on this forum) advising that they have no power and after receiving letters from the debt collection company and solicitors they eventually go away so I've decided not to pay the fine.

I now have 2 questions:

1 - can someone re-assure me there has been no major law change since the previous thread on Elite Management and now I should actually pay the fine?

This is NOT a fine!!

You only think it is because it impersonates a parking ticket. For Goodness sake, please wise up about this scam. Like all the other posters on this board, you have a fake PCN, a misleading invoice.

The whole scam of fake PCNs relies firstly on people's ignorance of the fact that a random private company can't fine anyone, and secondly on their natural fear of parking tickets and the escalating costs/bailiff scenario. So PPCs copy the look of a real parking ticket and - hey presto! - the cash rolls in from victims who know no better.

This is not a penalty at all. It's rubbish, there are no bailiffs letters, just debt collector standard template threatograms (all hot air, we can tell you this for certain).

Tick off the threatening letters as you get them, here.

Watchdog clip with expert Solicitor's opinion here.

Barrister's opinion on a legal Q&A website here.

Thread about the Protection of Freedoms Act - and parking tickets still being as unenforceable as ever - here.

The letters are actually quite funny when they arrive at the address of someone who knows it's all hogwash and not a real parking ticket at all.

My 18 year old niece has EIGHT fake PCNs so far and laughs & texts me every time she gets one. She is just a new driver, a teenager, and she knows this is all a con like a series of phishing emails. Boy does she get a lot of junk mail from debt collectors, LOL!

I would happily collect more fake PCNs than the 2 that I already have for overstays (more than an hour overstays, both times when shopping at Supermarkets at busy times). Plus I have a nice collection of amusing/alarmist debt collector letters which I carry in my handbag to show friends & colleagues if the subject crops up!

PHP1703 wrote: »

2 - I read so many threads where people have admitted being late back to their car and still been advised not to pay the fine, well what is to stop us all just parking in the car park whenever we need to nip into town and just pay for an hour but take as long as we want? Or don't pay at all? Eventually we'll get a parking ticket which apparently we can keep ignoring? I know this is wrong and would never happen but I'm interested in finding out what people would say? Especially those that are really confident in advising others to not pay for these tickets.

Many thanks in advance.

What edward123 said.

We would never advise taking the mickey because, like most people, we have a decent moral line and no desire to deliberately park inconsiderately (my fake PCNs were for overstays when the stores were very busy, and my niece has a medical condition so she can legally park for longer - but the PPCs don't care about that).

And there's no reason why you should not pay a reasonable fee to actually park. No-one begrudges the landowner a parking fee.

Finally, but not least, to park inconsiderately would actually be perpetuating the myth spread by PPCs that there is a 'problem' they are needed for.

repoman123

Guys thanks for the reassurance and it was interesting to read your responses. Especially those links.

How will the car park company find my address to send me those letters if they don't actually have any power over me in regards to the tickets?

Thanks again.

Stroma

Because of the good nature of the dvla, they sell your details for £2.50 a pop, the dvla will sell your soul as well given half the chance. They ultimately are responsible for this abhorrent industry.

Coupon-mad

PHP1703 wrote: »

Guys thanks for the reassurance and it was interesting to read your responses. Especially those links.

How will the car park company find my address to send me those letters if they don't actually have any power over me in regards to the tickets?

Thanks again.

Like this, because the DVLA sells your data and you can't opt out:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/news/8432227/DVLA-selling-drivers-details-to-unscrupulous-car-parking-firms.html

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/crime/9179438/DVLA-sells-details-to-convicted-criminal.html

Good recent story from a reliable source re how the DVLA misleads people about the checks they do:

http://www.clearest.co.uk/news/2013/..._the_dvla_lies

There have been articles on Watchdog about it too but the DVLA has been selling the details for over a decade and we think it's a revenue stream for them (however, they would say it makes no profit). No Government will stop this because the big players in this industry, like NCP and Excel, are rich fat cats with apparent connections in the Commons, the Lords and among Royalty. Follow the money and you have your answer.

It is SHOCKING. :eek:

repoman123

I am seriously shocked to read about how all of this works, I can't believe I was so deluded prior to getting a parking ticket thingy from Elite last weekend. Very sad to hear about DVLA and their involvement in all of this.

Thank you guys again for all of your assistance.

Stroma

Remember to come back if you waiver, and of course spread the news around a bit

repoman123

I will be bloody telling everyone that I know about this and I am gonna point them to this forum if they tell me I'm wrong!!

It really gets to me how companies make a living and generate revenue through means such as these.

henauvin

[
Good recent story from a reliable source re how the DVLA misleads people about the checks they do:

http://www.clearest.co.uk/news/2013/..._the_dvla_lies

LInk doesnt seem to work, is there arnother reference to this story?