Parked 3 weeks running - 1st NTK arrived today

LaTristesse

Hi folks,
I'm new and would like some thoughts on what to do about this:
My son has bike lessons at a country park. We've been 3 times now and each time I haven't realised I've supposed to have paid for parking (hadn't noticed the 1 machine not sited in the car park or the scant signage). I've been up there today to check, and it is there though...
I received a NTK this morning, and I assume I will receive 2 more. I am at fault so am prepared to pay, but don't really want to pay 3 fines (would total nearly £100). Is it worth negotiating with them to reduce the fines or do you think they will insist I pay the full amounts?
(this is private land, parking co is Park With Ease. (misnomer!)
Thanks for reading, I'd appreciate your comments..., x

Fruitcake

It is not a fine.

Please read the Sticky thread for NEWBIES then send IPC template in black to the parking company. One for each ticket.

You are not at fault if the signage was so inadequate that it was not obvious that you should have paid for parking.

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

This assumes the event happened in England or Wales, not Scotland or NI.

Half_way

The Term inadequate signage springs to mind.

You need to get this idea right out of your head

I am at fault so am prepared to pay

as it conflicts with this

(hadn't noticed the 1 machine not sited in the car park or the scant signage)

If the signage was adequate then you would have realised that it was pay car park, and either parked elsewhere, or paid the standard rate.
However if the signage was adequate then fewer people would get parking charge notices form the company, and fewer people would be scared into paying up, meaning less income, less highly proffitable parking charge notices.

Take a read of the sticky thread and erase this thought

I am at fault so am prepared to pay

You should never pay a private parking companies overblown parking charge notices, always challenge them, always complain to the landowner, always make this an issue for the landowner to deal with so that the landowner is left in no uncertain doubt that a PPC is anything but a hassle free way to run a car park.
If you pay then you are furthering the proffits, increasing the greed, and motivating the PPC to go after more victims.

As for this

Is it worth negotiating with them to reduce the fines or do you think they will insist I pay the full amounts?

the only negotiation you need to do is to tell the PPc is to FRO, and then complain to the landowner, they will want all of your money. And even if you are intimidated into paying them, they could very well say that you've missed an early payment offer or some such nonsense you now owe us even more ( they could mark you down as a mug)

fisherjim

"Is it worth negotiating with them to reduce the fines or do you think they will insist I pay the full amounts?"

You are in the greedy, scamming, lying, anti compassionate world of private parking, any attempt to offer money to them will ker ching the tills and start up their revenue maximisation program.

Quentin

If you do get a PCN from each visit then treat each one as a separate item, and fight each one separately - though as you will see from the newbies faq, the "fight" will consist of sending the template appeal (for each PCN) then ignore everything except court action in tandem with complaining to the landowner in the hope they will get them cancelled for you

Coupon-mad

LaTristesse wrote: »

Hi folks,
I'm new and would like some thoughts on what to do about this:
My son has bike lessons at a country park. We've been 3 times now and each time I haven't realised I've supposed to have paid for parking (hadn't noticed the 1 machine not sited in the car park or the scant signage). I've been up there today to check, and it is there though...
I received a NTK this morning, and I assume I will receive 2 more. I am at fault so am prepared to pay, but don't really want to pay 3 fines (would total nearly £100). Is it worth negotiating with them to reduce the fines or do you think they will insist I pay the full amounts?
(this is private land, parking co is Park With Ease. (misnomer!)
Thanks for reading, I'd appreciate your comments..., x

I hope you don't fold and pay just because they will reject any appeal. Of course they will 'demand' the full amounts and you DO NOT have to pay. It is a series of invoices.

These firms cannot be negotiated with. Our advice is to ignore the parking firm's demands but keep pressing the site to cancel. Keep pushing to ensure they do because on rare occasions, PWE try a small claim (defendable, not a fine or CCJ at stake as long as you do not ignore that. There is no sitting on the naughty step if you end up defending a small claim attempt, with our help). Scant signage is a defence so get proof and get complaining to the site owner.