Is it illegal to remove number plate in a private car park?

sussex1984

Is it illegal to remove number plate in a private car park whilst you shop? They can't lookup your reg then if you took them off? And as it's private property, they can't clamp or tow you right?

Umkomaas

sussex1984 wrote: »

Is it illegal to remove number plate in a private car park whilst you shop? They can't lookup your reg then if you took them off? And as it's private property, they can't clamp or tow you right?

Clamping and towing on private land is now illegal.

Why would you want to take your number plates off - there's a much easier way of avoiding a parking charge - comply with the signs.

spacey2012

Umkomaas wrote: »

- there's a much easier way of avoiding a parking charge - comply with the signs.

Have they got to you mate ?
we can help.

Redx

biggest problem I can see with this is that if you have already entered the car park you have already been "clocked" using ANPR, so removing them later after exiting the car park doesnt give you any exit time so does not "stop the clock" , and doing so before exiting makes no difference at all because you get clocked both times anyway

the OP is actually trying to stop any ANPR somehow and has a valid point, if its on private land then it doesnt have to comply with the highway laws just the same as a scrapped car doesnt, or a car registered off road as SORN

most people are not deliberately trying to avoid complying with car park rules, its just that when they "break" the rules they dont like the exorbitant charges levied in the PCN sent out by the PPC and then we all try to check if the claim is legal, legitimate or enforcible

I would say that anyone setting out to deliberately defraud is possibly no better than the PPC cowboys , be it removing number plates or covering them up or whatever they do to avoid ANPR and flout the rules by staying all day or whatever

Umkomaas

spacey2012 wrote: »

Have they got to you mate ?
we can help.

Nope, but I don't think any of us are advocating going out there looking to deliberately avoid a parking charge by taking unusual actions (apart from those looking to test out the whole process like Parking Prankster, Lynnzer on PePiPoo and a few others).

I'm all for helping those who inadvertently pick up a charge, but for what reason would anyone want to be taking a screwdriver out and get on their hands and knees and scrabble around unscrewing back and front number plates, then to do the reverse when they come to move their car?

I'm baffled to understand :cool:

Guys_Dad

And leave their Road Tax in place

Umkomaas

Guys_Dad wrote: »

And leave their Road Tax in place

Like it GD - must remember that one.

Perhaps they can also debadge the car and maybe even respray it in situ. They'll never get caught out then.

Alternatively they can get the flock out of there before the time limit expires :rotfl:

Iceweasel

Don't forget that the VIN number is normally visible at the foot of the windscreen.

scheming_gypsy

I doubt cameras would pick up tax disks and VIN numbers from the windscreen

Umkomaas wrote: »

but for what reason would anyone want to be taking a screwdriver out and get on their hands and knees and scrabble around unscrewing back and front number plates, then to do the reverse when they come to move their car?

I'm baffled to understand :cool:

Indeed. Why do all that when you can just velcro them on so you can pull them on and off whenever you want.

Umkomaas

scheming_gypsy wrote: »

I doubt cameras would pick up tax disks and VIN numbers from the windscreen



Indeed. Why do all that when you can just velcro them on so you can pull them on and off whenever you want.

But a parking chimp would.

Great idea - Velcro the plates. Then some chav decides to borrow them for his fluffy diced Saxo - !!!!!! :rotfl:

I'm glad I've got better things to do

patman99

You can legally remove your reg plate when not on the road. It is quite an extreme measure to take though.
Much easier to cover your plates with a piece of cardboard. I often have fun watching CEO's (Council ones, not PPC ones) trying to work out how to read my plates when I am parked on the yellow line outside my mate's house.
They could just read the details off the Tax disc, but in Law this info is deemed unreliable as the Tax disc is not a fixed item & can easily be removed/replaced with different one from another vehicle.