G24 Parking Fines

Jlar

im looking for some advice about some parking fines i received. Im studying at uni, and with no places for us to actually park, a lot of us end up parking in staples for the 2 free hours . Anyway. Without prior warning, they changed the amount of free parking from 2 hours down to 1 meaning almost everyone i know at uni now has one of more parking fines from them amounting to £100 each. I myself have 4. They leave it 2 weeks before they send them out so people weren't realising straight away meaning they were continuing to park there. The advice from almost everyone is to ignore them, but the people giving this advice don't have a £400 debt over there heads. i have now received my final notices for all four and im obviously getting more and more anxious over them. i simply can not afford to pay them . help

Redx

read the IPC advice in the NEWBIES sticky thread and follow it

for any PPC , you appeal in the first instance

for IPC members you IGNORE them after that (if they fail to cancel)

for BPA members , its POPLA if they dont cancel

Unicorn51

Were there any warning signs at the entrance of the car park regarding change of t&c's.

IPC code of practice says:

Where there is a change of t&c's they should put a sign at the entrance to that effect.

Coupon-mad

The advice from almost everyone is to ignore them, but the people giving this advice don't have a £400 debt over their heads.

Nor do you, it's only G24, look:

http://www.bmpa.eu/companydata/G24.html


But your own behaviour, and that of other students, is why Staples changed the times:

with no places for us to actually park, a lot of us end up parking in staples for the 2 free hours

You shouldn't use retail car parks like that and you are lucky this isn't ParkingEye, who sue people. Read the NEWBIES thread, send a template challenge as advised in the thread - no to IAS stage - then ignore them unless they change the habit of a lifetime and sue (you don't get a CCJ as long as you defend and wouldn't risk a hugely higher amount either). And on past figures, court with G24 will probably never happen.

Ignore debt letters about it. Tell the (G24, in writing, and keep proof of posting & a copy of the letter sent snail mail) if you move house within 6 years (yes, seriously, keep it all that long). Because if they later tried court 3 or 4 years down the line, you might not find out in time. In that situation, people DO get a CCJ by stealth, and only find out when they try to get credit, a loan, a new phone contract, etc.

So that's what you need to know. Happy ignoring!