UKPPO £100 Parking Ticket

phil20

I received a parking ticket a little over a month ago for parking at Newcastle Airport. I go to the college around the maintenance end of the airport (which I assume is still part of it's land and bylaws still count here). Anyway I was running late so parked up and forgot to pay, I came back to an initial £60 fine if payed within 14 days, I ignored it now I have received a letter saying it's £100 if payed within the next 28 days. If not then it's the standard threats really, stating that they will contact their debt collectors and add the charge to my fine etc (which from what I've read is a load of rubbish)

The reason I didn't pay the reduced £60 fine was I read several threads saying that the UK Parking Patrol Office will not follow through, they just sending threatening letters etc. However now that I've had a second look, and received the £100 fine I have realized that there were changes in 2013 where companies actually started following through with taking people to court, which meant you should no longer ignore it (facepalm). I also have not found any posts since these changes about the UKPP and what people have done.

Basically I would like to know what my best options are.

At the end of the day I didn't pay to park there so should I just pay the £100 and get it over and done with, lesson learned?

With the UKPP can I get away with ignoring it? Not sure if I am keen on the idea of sitting around and just hoping one day I open my front door to a letter from the courts which I assume means instead of £100 I am paying more over the £1,000 mark taking court costs into account etc, despite the fact that it's probably a VERY low chance of happening.

Or can I appeal? I would like to do this, but what can I say really. I think £100 or even £60 is way to much for parking there for a few hours with-ought paying. Could I say I tried paying in the morning but the meter was broke? Or do I really have no appeal here?

Thanks in advance

Phil

pogofish

The changes were from Oct 2012 actually.

You need to start by reading this:

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

da_rule

Yes you can appeal. On the Newbies sticky thread there is a template for an appeal, submit this to UKPPO.

Only thing I will ask is that you mention bylaws, does the PCN actually mention a bylaw?

phil20

No it doesn't mention any bylaws. I'll also have a read through that thread, I had a brief look earlier.

Do you think there is much point in attempting to appeal given my circumstances however?

da_rule

Yes you should appeal. The appeal to UKPPO will be rejected but it then opens up an appeal route to POPLA, and if you follow the templates on this forum you will win that appeal.

phil20

Ok sounds good. I've just had a read through a few of the threads on how to win the appeals. I read through the template to send to UKPPO which seems to apply in my case and like you said will be rejected.

However I am currently looking at the list of POPLA templates. I can only see one template for the UKPPO but that seems specific for pickup / dropoff at airports whereas my charge on the letter is for "No Ticket", at a pay and display car park. And im not sure which other falls under my circumstances. Is there any chance someone could link me a template or two that I could use if I were to change small details on it.

Thanks

I really appreciate the help

Stroma

Don't try and look for appeals with this company, they are very small company and there is to much on here about them. Winning appeals are stuff with not a genuine pre estimate of loss, no authority or contract to issue invoices at that place, and the signage is not adequate.

They do not do court, and are not on the list that has gone there ever! And even if they did and you lost it will not go above £200, but as I said virtually no chance of going there.

What to do is appeal using the wording in coupon's thread, post one, send it off via email and through the post with a free proof of postage from the post office, they will probably reject that, then and only then you can go to popla when they supply a code to do so.

phil20

Hmm ok, so you just think I should ignore it then?

I don't doubt that fact the information you have given me is correct, however just for the sake of peace of mind I am wondering what your source is for them not going to court ever?

Thanks

Phil

Stroma

I said appeal to them and go to popla if needed.

On your other question, here is a freedom of information request to the ministry of justice, this company has not made a single claim in the year to October 2013, and I have not seen anything to suggest that has changed.

https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/small_claims_from_bpa_aos_member_2#incoming-444525

da_rule

No one has told you to ignore this? All Storma said was the company involved is a small company so don't try and find similar threads as they don't issue that manny PCN's.

You still need to appeal.

phil20

Ah ok sorry I misread. So after I appeal and it's rejected then I go to POPLA. If that appeal is won then that's the end of the ticket yes? If not it then falls back onto the company who issued the fine to either harass with further letters or in the highly unlikely situation that they go to court? But from what I've read this forum has a high POPLA success rate which is good. Am I correct in thinking this?

And I apologies as im sure you get a thousand threads repeating information from the stickies (which I've read a few of) I just want to be sure that I understand this correctly.

Thanks