Ticket in council car park- large car, small space

mummybee18

First of all thanks to anyone who can help me out with this.


I parked in a council run car park today. They are diagonal 'pull in' spaces, with no other spaces behind or in front of the actual bay. At the front of the bay there is a large metal bollard. I parked in a space and when I got back a warden was issuing me with a ticket because my back wheels were outside of the marked lines. The wheel was approx. 8cm from the line marking the back of the bay. I drive a 7 seated Chrysler grand voyager, it is a long car. There was approx. 10cm at the front of my car before the bollard. I was not obstructing anything by being outside of the lines as it was the car park exit road behind me and cars were moving along this the entire time including whilst she issued the ticket.
I have been back and measured the space it is 407cm long, my car is 420cm from the front to my back tire. I couldn't have been in the white lines if I had tried! Government guidelines state the minimum recommended length is 450cm. Should I contest my ticket on the grounds that the space doesn't meet minimum length guidelines or that my car is too long for the space?

fussypensioner

Don't suppose you took a photo of your car in its space or allegedly outside of the white lines?

Umkomaas

As we tend to major on private parking tickets here, PePiPoo will be your best bet for council tickets. Here's your link:

http://forums.pepipoo.com/index.php?act=SF&s=&f=30

Have a read through some of the other threads there before you post your own to get the hang of what information they need from you in your opening post - but as a minimum you will need photos/scans of all correspondence you've received from the council (both sides, if appropriate).

PePiPoo has an excellent success record in dealing with council tickets.

HTH

mummybee18

Fab thank you. Yes I took pictures of my car in the space from every angle possible!

fussypensioner

I had a similar problem and I refused to pay. The council then has to go through a procedure which includes you filling out a form, there are plenty of websites to help you with this. They will usually send you a photo of your car "committing" the offence. If you are not put off by their threats that you will have to pay double if you don't pay up in 14 days, continue with the appeal.

I took my case to the parking tribunal. The day before I was due to attend the appeal in front of the adjudicator they council phoned me to tell me they were not going to take it further.

It depends on how confident you are that you have been wronged. Look at the notice boards around the car park and take photo's of the council's rules and wording with regard to parking in the spaces. It also depends on if you can afford double the fine and maybe costs if you lose.

Good Luck!

Marktheshark

There is a set lowest size for parking bays subject to an off road parking placements order.
The bay should be 4.5m x 1.8 m for off road car parks and 2.4 metres by 4.8 metres for on street parallel parking .

Tape measure time.

Fruitcake

Marktheshark wrote: »

There is a set lowest size for parking bays subject to an off road parking placements order.
The bay should be 4.5m x 1.8 m for off road car parks and 2.4 metres by 4.8 metres for on street parallel parking .

Tape measure time.

Do you have a link for this info by any chance. I too have a Grand Voyager as well as a classic car that is nearly as big, so I am very interested in this case.


I am assuming there is no such size limit prescribed for bays on private land.

System

And, more to the point, if the space size specified was smaller say 25 years ago then are any changes retrospective or only apply to new constructions.

It's not just a case of stating a size but you need to look into the background and how any changes to the spec are to be implemented