ParkingEye. Charged for 28 seconds? (or 10 mins 28 seconds)

Penny_Rage

Hi all

Received a parking charge from these swines two weeks ago, however had no idea as it had been delivered to my soon-to-be ex-wife who failed to inform me of any post (I had only just updated my DVLA details to reflect my new living arrangements).

The car park involved belongs to a local pub next to where I collect a friend from their place of work (not the pub) some days. The park works on a ticketing system where the charges start at £2 for up to one hour. There are signs in plenty of places, and I've probably pulled up in front of one in the past as I've used it before as a pickup point with no charge, as I stay for barely five minutes. On this occasion, however, the arrival time was 17:53:49 and the departure time was 18:04:17 (10 minutes, 28 seconds). Is it possible I triggered some timer so they could snap away on my departure? At no point did I leave the vehicle, which is what I would define as parking. At present, I'd call it waiting/loading but I've yet to hit a dictionary on that point.

Due to my ex's shenanigans, I'm already past the 14 day grace period for a "reduced" charge of £60, and whilst my friend has offered to pay the fee, I think it's total BS that anyone should for 10 minutes, never mind if it was only triggered by 28 seconds.

The question is, is it worth the fight and how do I go about it? I've already seen that there are templates on this forum, but obviously there are some nastier details to complicate the matter. If they've seen me in the park on this occasion, they've obviously tracked me before so would they use that against me as justification for this fine? A sort of, you've-stopped-here-50-times-here-are-the-fees-you-missed job?

And I now have less than 10 days to pay up or protest. Never rains, but pours, eh?

wiogs

Read the NEWBIES thread and all will be explained.


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

bazster

They haven't seen you there before. All they have is entry and exit cameras which snap your number plate, and if they had got you before they'd have sent you the invoices, they don't put them in a "maybe later" tray!

You are wrong about your definition of "parking", leaving the vehicle is irrelevant - and certainly on the public highway the terms "waiting" and "parking" are synonymous, waiting is parking, and vice versa.

That's all beside the point anyway. if you appeal as per the Newbies thread then, if/when ParkingEye make you go as far as PoPLA, they will not even defend their claim.

Coupon-mad

Due to my ex's shenanigans, I'm already past the 14 day grace period for a "reduced" charge of £60

Who cares? Hope you have now read the NEWBIES thread and realise you won't be paying a penny. This is easy peasy to beat at POPLA with template appeals.

Penny_Rage

Thanks guys. Had read the Newbie thread and found myself thinking "It can't be that easy", and admittedly I'm still anticipating it can't be, but I have sent off a template letter with the necessary tweaks. No admission of fault or explanation of why it's taken +14 days to respond. So fingers crossed.

hoohoo

Now you are on the way to get this charge dismissed, its probably best to find somewhere safer to park.

Guys_Dad

Actually, in a strange way your soon to be ex has done you a favour as you may have been tempted to grab the "early settlement discount" if you had got the NtK earlier.

The_Deep

Once PE know that you have come here for advice they will probably throw in the towel.

edward123

The_Deep wrote: »

Once PE know that you have come here for advice they will probably throw in the towel.

Perhaps if every one who appealed to them, PE, and stating they will appeal to POPLA with the help of the MSE Parking contributors.....would they, PE, even bother to send a POPLA code and just cancel or even not respond? Just a thought.

Coupon-mad

Penny_Rage wrote: »

Thanks guys. Had read the Newbie thread and found myself thinking "It can't be that easy", and admittedly I'm still anticipating it can't be, but I have sent off a template letter with the necessary tweaks. No admission of fault or explanation of why it's taken +14 days to respond. So fingers crossed.

All these newbies have confirmed it IS that easy v ParkingEye;

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/64869779#Comment_64869779

I feel sad for those who don't check forums. PE sue people who ignore them - they are in court every day, using a law firm which gets selective amnesia when forgetting to inform the Court about the ParkingEye v Beavis case going to the Court of Appeal in the Spring:

http://parking-prankster.blogspot.co.uk/2014/11/parkingeye-roundup-parkingeye-lose-in.html

Deception? You decide!