Civil Parking Notice.. In a company car.. in a place you do business?!

P-Ride

I recently got a civil parking notice from a university, where I regularly do a significant amount of business, which was attached to my company car.

I smugly shredded it and told our company's fleet administrator 'no worries'.

Unfortunately, each time the Car Parking Partnership send my rental company (Lex) a letter, they charge my company £15, which is then deducted from my next month's wages!

I had two in quick succession, so thought I'd nip it in the bud and paid £75 (!), before the letter fees took it higher. I then called Lex and explained the situation, to which they responded that next time I should challenge it.

(Of course, I reminded the lady on the phone repeatedly that her company were charlatans, with no chance of getting the money legitimately whatsoever - she refused to take the bait at any point though.)

However, I understand the best method is not to challenge; but to ignore?

Another issue, is whether the university's security team, who run the barrier for entry, would stop letting me in? If this was the case, then it would certainly mean paying us was the least-bad option!

Any thoughts or suggestions appreciated; it seems things aren't so simple for anyone in a company car though!

Guys_Dad

There are a myriad of threads on company cars already on here and also every thread - well 99% of those in recent months - say DO NOT IGNORE. So where you got "However, I understand the best method is not to challenge; but to ignore?" from, unless it was a PPC web site, beats me.

If you want help from regulars on here, then please do try a bit of self help first by taking a few minutes to read previous threads.

And no good asking us what the University security would do>

So read a few threads again, search for "company car", "Lease/leasing" and then come back for our help.

Coupon-mad

P-Ride wrote: »

I recently got a civil parking notice from a university, where I regularly do a significant amount of business, which was attached to my company car.

I smugly shredded it and told our company's fleet administrator 'no worries'.

OMG that was a bad move and not one we have EVER suggested for people with lease/hire cars! Obviously the lease company would then bear the brunt of the junk mail and you were clearly going to get charged by them for handling it. Did you not think it through or at least search the parking forum (one word 'lease' would have done the job!)?

All you had to do was hook them in your direction with an early appeal, Lex were correct. As advised on lots and lots of leased car threads like these, the first example from well over a year ago and all of them results from a very quick search of this sub-forum. This issue has been covered lots of times and the best way is to search keywords or ask!

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/3748269

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/4183847

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/4094315

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/4063449

...and in spite of presumably missing the wealth of threads about what to do if your car is leased and you get a fake PCN, you have unfortunately been reading other old threads if you think the answer was to ignore this fake PCN. You should have appealed it, should have taken it to POPLA and won it by now (but too late for that).

I just noticed you said you even paid £75 for one...:eek:

If you just read current threads in future and as questions we can help in time! If you had appealed and won at POPLA the fake PCN would have been cancelled and the security guys on the gate would have no business to even know about it.

If you don't know what POPLA is...search the forum ready for next time as you are too late to be allowed a POPLA appeal now I suspect. If you still have a fake PCN outstanding right now then for goodness sake follow the advice on those linked threads and hook the scam in your direction by replying to the PPC saying you are the keeper of the car but that you deny liability as this is clearly a penalty and unenforceable. Ask for a POPLA code, you never know you may get one (and if you do please don't rush off thinking you know what to put in such an appeal, noooo!).

P-Ride

Well, that's annoying. Lesson learnt for next time.

The_Slithy_Tove

P-Ride wrote: »

Unfortunately, each time the Car Parking Partnership send my rental company (Lex) a letter, they charge my company £15, which is then deducted from my next month's wages!

Check very carefully
(a) your company car agreement
(b) your employment contract.
What does (a) say about such matters? Does it refer to "fines and penalties" (which this isn't) or is it more general about what fees you are responsible for?

Normally, they talk about fines and penalties, meaning council parking tickets. If so, then you don't owe anyone anything. Also, what do (a) and (b) say about making deductions from your pay. Your company could be on a sticky wicket for making unlawful deductions if they are not careful.

There's also the matter of what your company's agreement with Lex is. While not strictly your problem, Lex may also be charging your company for items outside that agreement.

Lex are as bad as the PPCs in many ways. As a large fleet operator, they should (and surely do) know the difference between a real council/police ticket and a private one. However, it suits them to slap on these admin fees, as it makes money for them, so they keep doing it, even when their agreements do not allow it.

Clearly, if you start challenging these deductions as outside your company car agreement (it is not a fine, remember), then you need to tread carefully. Some people on the forums have run into all sorts of difficulty with their employer for being seen as trouble makers. It needs careful education of your manager, the fleet manager, HR et al. Take them with you on the journey of enlightenment (into the scam that is the PPC model, and the complicity of companies like Lex in the scam), don't battle against them.