APCOA Fine at work :(

CheekCheek

Hi there,

Looking for some advice about a parking ticket I've received. I'm First time poster here, but a bit of a lurker! Have tried to read up on this on the forums, but getting a little confused regarding my situation.

So bit of background, our work car park is owned by APCOA, in which I pay a yearly premium of £100 to park here with a permit. My permit fell off my windscreen the other day and without thinking I popped it back on.

Came back to my car today to find a ticket on my windscreen and realised I had put my permit on back to front on my windscreen without realising, making it un-visible .

What are my rights with regards to the ticket in this situation? Surely by paying an annual premium they cannot charge me for this?

Any advice would be great. Thanks for your help - it is much appreciated!

tykesi

If you've read up on the forum you'll know exactly how to challenge this, right?

Unless you haven't in which case start with the sticky threads at the top of the parking board which will give you all the information you need to challeng this and win.

AoD

Are you sure the car park is actually owned by APCOA? And please don't call it a fine ... it is not. It's just an invoice.

First thing you need to do is read Coupon-Mad's sticky entitled "NEWBIES!!! HAVE YOU GOT A PRIVATE PARKING TICKET?**READ THIS FIRST**!! Thankyou!!!!"

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/4816822

Come back with any questions and you will get help.

CheekCheek

Thanks for getting back to me so quickly.

Yes I think as I understand I need to wait until they send me a NTK?

I am going to try and speak to the man in charge of the parking for ACOA tomorrow morning regarding it and seeing if this can be waived under the circumstances...

I checked after receiving the ticket and it was confirmed that my workplace and APCOA have nothing to do with one another

AoD

Yes correct. Wait for the NtK then, as the keeper, you appeal in order to get a POPLA code. You then appeal to POPLA and win!

Interesting regarding the ownership of the car park, however we have known landowners to be, shall we say, economical with the truth. Asda have in the past denied ownership of their own land, saying it was "under the Council".

Umkomaas

CheekCheek wrote: »

Thanks for getting back to me so quickly.

Yes I think as I understand I need to wait until they send me a NTK?

I am going to try and speak to the man in charge of the parking for ACOA tomorrow morning regarding it and seeing if this can be waived under the circumstances...

I checked after receiving the ticket and it was confirmed that my workplace and APCOA have nothing to do with one another

Do not speak with APCOA, you will get nowhere and you might find yourself saying something you might later regret. There is next to no chance of them agreeing to cancel this on the telephone.

You MUST wait for the NtK to see what that says. They can make errors on that which will be of great help to you.

Repeat - do not phone APCOA. Direct your energies into finding out who actually owns the car park and reading up on the sticky advised above while waiting for the NtK.

Guys_Dad

Almost certain they don't own it. Check with your local council who owns it and also check with your company who they rent the land from. Probably one and the same.

CheekCheek

Can I ask how would it change circumstances if the land was owned by my employer and not APCOA directly? Trying to find out more currently over who exactly, but came across our parking policy on-line with regards to this:

"APCOA are contracted to enforce the car parking regulations that are stipulated on the information boards positioned around the campus. All challenges to these regulations should be forwarded to APCOA by following the instruction on the reverse of the enforcement notice. Enforcement notices will be issued against any vehicle in breach of the car parking regulations. The penalty for this enforcement notice is £40.00 (£25.00 if paid within 14 days)."

nigelbb

APCOA are the monkey & your employer is most likely the organ-grinder. They can order their agent APCOA to cancel this charge.

Half_way

Sorted, as each and every ticket is clearly an unlawful penalty, as described by the parking policy.

Wait for the NTK to arrive in the post, then challenge it
"to whoever this concerns at APCOA, I recently received a letter demanding that i pay a parking charge notice of £xxx, I shall be doing no such thing as this is a completely unjust sum, as it is in no way a genuine pre-estimate of loss ( which would be zero anyway) caused by my vehicle being parked in that car park and is clearly an unlawful penalty, APCOA parking is not a statutory authority, infact You have no authority at all, therefore I am not asking you to cancel this so called charge, I am ordering you to cancel it.
If you continue to pursue this matter then you must provide me with a POPLA verification code. I am fully aware of recent decisions made by POPLA, and I am also aware that decisions made by Popla are binding upon the parking company (ie You ) and not on myself as the registered keeper.
I may also hold you liable for any costs that I may run up in constructing a challenge to POPLA should you chose not to cancel this ridiculous charge notice.
yours Cheekcheek (do not sign)

CheekCheek

Sorry Half_Way I don't quite understand what you mean by saying this is unlawful from the policy?