£280 car park fine - what can I do?

quintwins

manairport wrote: »

Car parking attendants have no legal right to detain you. However I don't think it could be classed as false imprisonment unless he physically prevented you from doing so, or used threats of violence (a gun/knife/etc).

Did you physically try to leave?

As the barrier was down we could not have tried to leave, and at no point, until the form was signed, did he authorise the attendant in the office to open the barrier.

If i were you i might look into how legal that is!

For example if you went to buy say a computer in someones house went in and looked at it, paid, then they locked you in demanding you paid more before they opened it, you might agree to it in order to get away but it wouldn't be legal.

manairport

If i were you i might look into how legal that is!

For example if you went to buy say a computer in someones house went in and looked at it, paid, then they locked you in demanding you paid more you might agree to it in order to get away but it wouldn't be legal.

I think your right, that getting legal advice is the way forward.
In the 40 minutes we had to stay there, not one of the attendants seemed in a hurry to resolve the situtation, regardless of there being 2 upset children being in the car.

manairport

Did ask the manger if there was an appeal process, and was told that they did not have one in place, which I do find strange.
As even NCP and traffic wardens have an appeal process you can use.

matttye

So there was nothing to stop you exiting your car and walking away.. therefore it's not false imprisonment.

I'm not saying what he did was right, and I'm not sure if it's legal or not, but it's not false imprisonment.

manairport

So there was nothing to stop you exiting your car and walking away.. therefore it's not false imprisonment.

I'm not saying what he did was right, and I'm not sure if it's legal or not, but it's not false imprisonment.

As a family we could have walked away but that would have meant leaving the car blocking the exit then carting all the luggage with us that we had from our holiday.
Then to get a taxi to travel the 1 hour and 40 minute journey back to our home.
This was not an option for us, for obvious reasons, added to which they would then have added an extra £35 a day and a possible tow service to remove the vehicle from the barrier exit point.

terryw

manairport wrote: »

So there was nothing to stop you exiting your car and walking away.. therefore it's not false imprisonment.

I'm not saying what he did was right, and I'm not sure if it's legal or not, but it's not false imprisonment.

As a family we could have walked away but that would have meant leaving the car blocking the exit then carting all the luggage with us that we had from our holiday.
Then to get a taxi to travel the 1 hour and 40 minute journey back to our home.
This was not an option for us, for obvious reasons, added to which they would then have added an extra £35 a day and a possible tow service to remove the vehicle from the barrier exit point.

I really do empathise with the whole situation. But this is not false
imprisonment.

matttye

manairport wrote: »

So there was nothing to stop you exiting your car and walking away.. therefore it's not false imprisonment.

I'm not saying what he did was right, and I'm not sure if it's legal or not, but it's not false imprisonment.

As a family we could have walked away but that would have meant leaving the car blocking the exit then carting all the luggage with us that we had from our holiday.
Then to get a taxi to travel the 1 hour and 40 minute journey back to our home.
This was not an option for us, for obvious reasons, added to which they would then have added an extra £35 a day and a possible tow service to remove the vehicle from the barrier exit point.

Yeah I agree that you were in an impossible situation and there wasn't a lot you could do, I'm just trying to point out it was not false imprisonment.

If the car parks are owned by the same company you might be able to persuade them to drop the charges on the basis that they haven't lost any money.

I work for a firm of solicitors and behind our local magistrates court there are twin car parks. Both are owned and operated by the council. One of our solicitors buys his car parking ticket and then goes to find a space. If one car park is full, he parks in the other car park and displays his ticket. He has had about five parking tickets because he parked in the wrong one and he's had every single one of them dropped by sending one letter.

No reasonable person can argue that you should have to pay again when you've already paid and both car parks are operated by the same company/authority.

manairport

No reasonable person can argue that you should have to pay again when you've already paid and both car parks are operated by the same company/authority.

I agree even though my booking was made with an agent of Manchester Airport, its is infact Manchester Airport that recieve the fee from the agent for the use of the carpark.
It was also quiet frustrating when the manager said that for an additional £5 on our original booking, we could have stayed in the short stay carpark.
So far I have spoken with 5 employees from Manchester airport who have all agreed this is a genuine mistake, but as its an audited company they would have to explain why they hadnt charged us the £280 when they felt they could.
As the manager said "its a business", which in my opinion says, if someone makes a genuine mistake then we have no qualms in making a profit out of it.

DS4215

Perhaps you could go above the people that you have spoken to. Write directly to the CEO of Manchester Airport (or the parking company). You might get more help from the top.

Another option might be to contact the local papers - they might want to warn people about parking there.

saverbuyer

I would wait for them to take you to court for the £280, as you've paid for a space in another car park they operate; they will have serious trouble proving an actual loss.