Clamping in Leeds

philcal

Just a word of warning and if anybody has any advice I would welcome it.

I parked in Leeds near the Park Lane College/Hospital and left my car for 40 minutes. I was clamped at 10.30 and the guy was still there when I came out of my meeting at 10.35. He informed me that the fee to release the clamp was - wait for it £280!!!!!!!!!!!! He had already called the tow truck and couldn't cancel it - So £90 to release the clamp and £190 for the tow truck

I was to put it mildly a little upset.

I had to get to another meeting so I had to pay. I couldn't believe it £280 for 20 minutes parking - and I had to pay in cash there and then !

Beware!

Browntoa

is this on a yellow line or private land

I know new rules came in about needing a licience to do this now on private land a couple od days ago

YorkshireBoy

Browntoa wrote:

I know new rules came in about needing a licience to do this now on private land a couple od days ago

I heard this on the radio this week. However, I'm sure I also heard that, despite the licence, there was no legislation introduced which would cap/regulate the fees charged.

Makes you wonder, why go to all that trouble and then not dot the i's and cross the t's?

Altarf

philcal wrote:

£90 to release the clamp and £190 for the tow truck

What did the signs say in relation to the charges for being clamped / towed?

IvanOpinion

I generally think that if you park illegally then you should not complain but these charges are just sheer extortion. I once had to phone for a tow-truck to pick up my car and take it 40 odd miles back to my house and it only cost £85 - where on earth do these people get these charges from ... maybe there is truth in the rumour that some of these companies are run by gangsters and thugs.

It is time that the government put a maximum value on these firms e.g.
- max £100 to tow and securely store a car
- max £20 for a simple parking offence
- max £60 if car is parked dangerously

Ivan

tommyx_2

um i dont want to seem to favour the other side on this discussion but surely we are looking at a bit of a nanny state here. my view is does it say that you can park here if not then um er .....DONT. if i owned a property of any sort and people parked there which prevented me from parking there or maybe inconvenienced people doing business with me i would be peeved. in 25 years of dribing touch wood no parking tickets yet alone towing away or clamping. What gives you the right to think that you can park where you like?
sorry!

Turning_into_scrooge

tommyx wrote:

um i dont want to seem to favour the other side on this discussion but surely we are looking at a bit of a nanny state here. my view is does it say that you can park here if not then um er .....DONT. if i owned a property of any sort and people parked there which prevented me from parking there or maybe inconvenienced people doing business with me i would be peeved. in 25 years of dribing touch wood no parking tickets yet alone towing away or clamping. What gives you the right to think that you can park where you like?
sorry!

I agree you shouldn't park ilegaly but come on £280 is really over the top

loanranger_4

With these extortionate charges you are looking at a money making scheme and not a deterrent.

Altarf

loanranger wrote:

With these extortionate charges you are looking at a money making scheme and not a deterrent.

It did not seem to deter the OP from parking where they should not have done.

loanranger_4

Indeed the OP (not through choice) has now become a 'customer' of the clamping company and will be receiving mailshots of their latest offers!

Gives BOGOF a new meaning!

wobbley

I got clamped in February, down on Whitehall Road just behind the Novotel. I made the mistake of thinking it was a public highway and not private land and thought that displaying disabled badges would exempt us from clamping. My wife is disabled and had just given birth 24 hours before. We were looking at a flat as temporary accomodation as our house was uninhabitable due to storm and water damage. I was parked sensibly, not blocking anyone and only left the car for6 or 7 minutes.
We rang the clamping company ( Based in Sheffield ) and told them that my wife needed to get back to the hospital ASAP and the circumstances ( all true ) but their attitude was "Tough - you may have to wait up to two hours, and pay £90 for the release" To say I was rather annoyed is putting it mildly!. The lady showing us the flat gave me a lift home and I picked up some "equipment" from my workshop. I returned to the car and made sure I parked in front of the clamp to foil the CCTV cameras. The clamp was removed quickly and then I had a choice - Leave it where it was which was close to the river and I'm sure that's where it would have ended up. Or, take it with me. I decided to take it but took enormous delight in calling the clamping company back to ask them how much they would pay me to return the clamp ! This was probably illegal, I know, but it was too tempting to resist ! I had left it a few hours so that they may have the cost of sending out a recovery truck for their trouble. So by the time I rang them they knew the clamp and car had gone. They imformed me that it had been reported to the Police. I then decided to ring the Police too, to say that the clamp had not been stolen, merely taken for safe keeping. After having a giggle when I explained the story, the Police said the the incident had been reported , but was flagged as "No action needed" - But -,,, me calling would change that so I would hear from an officer and maybe have to give a statement. Within 2 hours a PC from Holbeck PS rang and I arranged to go see him an hour later. I went to the station , taking the clamp with me and explained the whole thing. It took a few minutes for the Police officer to stop laughing - he thought it was hilarious ! I left the clamp with him for the company to pick it up. Safer, I thought given the reputation of these companies.
I did some research and found that in Birmingham there is a chap that if called will turn up in a "superhero" suit with a stihl saw (petrol driven grinder) and cut you free ! - We must get one of those for Leeds.