Retail Park Fine

CS-C

Hello, I need your help!

My partner drove us to our closest ToysRus which is set in a retail park. Before we left home we checked the Internet to see if it was a pay and display (in case we needed some change). It wasn't, all web pages said free parking. So we drove to Hove and parked then went shopping and grabbed a bite to eat, never leaving the retail park. Once done, we went home.
Two weeks later, we get a letter from Civil Enforcement (Liverpool) to say we stayed past the 3hours max and we owe them £100!
We've tried using Google Maps to see if they have signs which it looks like they might do but we can't make out the small print. From what we can see, their sign at the enterance says 'FREE PARKING. See terms'.
The letter we received was addressed and written out to me. However, I wasn't driving so what now?

Any help will be appreciated. Thanks x

Redx

its not a "fine" , its an invoice, a parking charge notice

now read and follow the NEWBIES sticky thread at the top of this forum

appeal for starters, using the template

complain to the landowner or retail park and demand a cancellation too

Fruitcake

As above, read the Sticky thread for NEWBIES then appeal using the template letter exactly as it is.


Come back here if you need more help.


Do not pay, do not ignore, do not reveal who was driving, do not miss the appeal deadline.

Guys_Dad

Free parking - probably.

Time limit - almost certainly.

You probably overstayed.

Half_way

Guys_Dad wrote: »

Free parking - probably.

Time limit - almost certainly.

You probably overstayed.

Drove to Hove, that rhymes

and that brings us up to the issue, when is free parking not free parking?
As you clearly didnt see or notice any signage saying otherwise it would be perfectly reasonable you wouldnt expect to be extorted by a parasitic parking company such as Civil Enforcement.
They are currently due in court charged with Fraud, see here http://parking-prankster.blogspot.co.uk/2015/02/civil-enforcement-ltd-in-criminal-case.html
It may be worth asking the landowner why they have such a company operating on their land , and acting as their agents.

Read the sticky thread, do some research and then challenge it to the PPC, and put in a stiff complaint to the landowner, stating something like you are shocked and horrified that a well respected company/pension fund such as them think its appropriate for a company of such ill repute to operate on their land, especially with the on going fraud case.
Tell the landowner that you expect them to cancel this charge immediately and take action to make sure that their agents ( for whose actions they are responsible for ) do not harass or intimidate visitors to the retail park again,.

As for the owners a little digging on google will help.

First start with the location, form Toys r us im getting Goldstone Retail Newton Road hove, from that this planning document http://present.brighton-hove.gov.uk/Published/C00000118/M00004617/AI00038631/DBH201303841GoldstoneRetailParkNewtownRoadHove.pdf
From that and another google search this http://www.northstandchat.com/showthread.php?267024-Goldstone-Park-Valuation

and this http://www.scottishwidows.co.uk/swip/

and finally this http://www.aberdeen-asset.com/aam.nsf/Contacts/UK

Coupon-mad

CS-C wrote: »

Hello, I need your help!

My partner drove us to our closest ToysRus which is set in a retail park. Before we left home we checked the Internet to see if it was a pay and display (in case we needed some change). It wasn't, all web pages said free parking. So we drove to Hove and parked then went shopping and grabbed a bite to eat, never leaving the retail park. Once done, we went home.
Two weeks later, we get a letter from Civil Enforcement (Liverpool) to say we stayed past the 3hours max and we owe them £100!

We've tried using Google Maps to see if they have signs which it looks like they might do but we can't make out the small print.
From what we can see, their sign at the enterance says 'FREE PARKING. See terms'.

It does - I am a fairly local Brighton fan and I know the Hove car park in question and it has a few signs but is a typical private retail park trap infested by a greedy parking firm. But this is so dead easy to win on the basis that the Notice to Keeper is not a POFA version (read the Newbies thread and use the template appeal first - the registered keeper - not DRIVER - emails it to Civil Enforcement).

If the driver appeals you'd be mad - throwing away a slam dunk winning point for the keeper - so don't write as driver.

Always read sticky threads on a forum first, that's why they are stuck at the top.

Consider yourself lucky you didn't go to PC World or Currys along the road (ruined by Excel) or Furniture Village (ruined by flippin' UKCPS) both not so easy to stuff because there is no POPLA option with them. But Civil Enforcement - easy peasy for a KEEPER appeal to beat.

CS-C

Thank you everyone for your help. I do really appreciate it.

I've now read the Newbie sticky, or tried to anyway, I'm still a bit oblivious to it all. So to 'dumb' it down for me, do I literally cut/copy the template in the blue text into a word document? Then send it to Civil Enforcement Ltd by post? (I don't really want to email it to them because they then have my email address as well).

If I had know that a trip down to ToysRUs to buy our daughter her first birthday present was going to slap us with this silly parking charge then I would've paid ToysRus their £4.95 p&p

I will keep you all posted.
Thanks again x

Redx

yes, is the simple answer

use the template in blue, add pcn number, the name and address of the person they sent the invoice to, and the VRN of the car as detailed on the NTK

nothing else, no inferring who was driving , no ranting , no asking questions , no being clever , nothing

take the envelope to the PO, go to the counter and ask for a free certificate of posting (not recorded) - keep this safe in case they dispute you sending them anything

CS-C

Hi everyone.
I just wanted to give you an update. I got a letter in the post today to say that they've decided to cancel the charge.
Thank you everyone for all your help with this. High fives all around. Next time I'll be extra careful.
( I can take my daughter to Drucillas Park now )
Thanks again

Coupon-mad

Drusillas - nice zoo park at Alfriston, been there loads of times with our kids when they were a bit younger.

Been to that ToysRUs too, despite the fact it sits in the Goldstone Ground graveyard...

Misskeza

Can anyone put the link to this 'cut & paste' letter as talked about above please??
Bit confused!
I have a £200 fine for overstaying by 34mins!! After shopping in toys R us we went for dinner in Nandos- 30 min wait for table etc!
Many thanks in advance,
K