APCOA - Luton Airport PCN for Dropping Off just outside the Mid Stay Car Park

SomeJavaMonkey

Hi,

I was shocked to receive a £80 PCN when I dropped off someone outside the mid stay car park. I was not blocking any traffic and I was stopped for around 30 seconds!

I did not find the template letters on this forum in time before I launched my own appeal. In my appeal email I admitted I was the driver and stopped there briefly to drop someone off.

Assuming they reject my appeal and prove adequate signage (which I clearly did not notice otherwise I would NOT have stopped - the signs may have been there but I was looking out for dangers).... Is this actually "legally enforce-able"? Can I simply ignore all their threats? I knew several years ago you could ignore PCNs but has the law changed in APCOA's favour?

Your help is much appreciated.

Fruitcake

The law changed in 2012 so ignoring is not now recommended. However, you didn't ignore and appealed instead.

Whilst you gave away the driver's details, it is not fatal since byelaws most likely apply here meaning that only the owner can be held liable, not the driver or keeper, who are three different people as far as anyone is concerned. In addition, where byelaws apply, normally only the landowner can start magistrates court proceedings, only for trespass, and only within six months of the alleged event.

If/when CRAPCOA reject your appeal, you should get a PoPLA code. Your PoPLA appeal is where you will beat the scammers. Having your own pics of signs will help, but a byelaw appeal point should win.

Have a look at post 3 of the NEWBIES for the template appeal points you can use, plus search this forum for other Luton byelaw appeals to crib your own winning appeal.

Coupon-mad

Is this actually "legally enforce-able"? Can I simply ignore all their threats? I knew several years ago you could ignore PCNs but has the law changed in APCOA's favour?

LOL, why not just search the forum for APCOA and try to find an appeal we lost? Clue, there are none! It's easy to beat APCOA.

Read the NEWBIES FAQS thread, that's why it says 'NEWBIES PLEASE READ THIS FIRST'.

Guys_Dad

Just in case anyone is interested - Luton Airport drop off is a nightmare and expensive to boot. There is a lot of building going on around the area too. Luton is the most expensive in the UK for drop off parking.

But, if you allow yourself an extra 15 minutes, there is a way you can avoid the queuing, possible ticket and the swingeing charge.

If you want to pick up or drop off there, just use the long or mid stay car park - see here http://www.london-luton.co.uk/to-and-from-lla/want-to-drop-off-for-free

Picking up in particular when the plane may be delayed or passport control slow is best done via the long stay car park & shuttle where you get 2 hours free parking at the long stay!!!

Sorry if a bit off topic and not much use to OP (this time) but might help others reading this.

SomeJavaMonkey

Thank you for your responses. I will keep you updated on my appeal.


Regards

SomeJavaMonkey

I followed the advice on here. My original appeal to APCOA was rejected as expected but then I used the most recent POPLA template on this forum to appeal to POPLA and here is the response.... :-) A victory for the people against these scammers!

Dear SomeJavaMonkey

Thank you for submitting your parking charge Appeal to POPLA.

An Appeal has been opened with the reference 0123456789.

APCOA Parking have told us they do not wish to contest the Appeal. This means that your Appeal is successful and you do not need to pay the parking charge.

Yours sincerely

POPLA Team

beamerguy

SomeJavaMonkey wrote: »

I followed the advice on here. My original appeal to APCOA was rejected as expected but then I used the most recent POPLA template on this forum to appeal to POPLA and here is the response.... :-) A victory for the people against these scammers!

Dear SomeJavaMonkey

Thank you for submitting your parking charge Appeal to POPLA.

An Appeal has been opened with the reference 0123456789.

APCOA Parking have told us they do not wish to contest the Appeal. This means that your Appeal is successful and you do not need to pay the parking charge.

Yours sincerely

POPLA Team

Well done, good news.

APCOA are a shower ... they reject then don't want to contest it

Just shows the scam they run

Umkomaas

Standard route followed by APCOA. Sooner or later they are going to be faced with a DPA breach claim - if they aren't prepared to contest it, having rejected the appeal, they can't have had much cause to request details from the DVLA in the first place.

Their time will come ......

rebma_2

Hi everyone, I have read the newbies thread and to my shame I can't seem make sense of it so I am posting here (and my sincere apologies for being dense!).

Luton say that you can drop off for free at their mid-term car park, and when we turned into that area it seemed to make more sense to stop outside it rather than drive all the way up into the actual car park (I figured walking to the terminal would be quicker than their shuttle bus) so we pulled into a side road just off the main road where there were double yellow lines but no signage and stopped the car for 2 mins to let me and my bag out, then my partner drove off again. We have now been hit with a letter from APCOA wanting £80.

Please can someone direct me to the specific template I need to use. Many thanks!

The_Deep

It is a scam


http://parking-prankster.blogspot.co.uk/2014/03/apcoa-admit-luton-airport-fines-are.html

rebma_2

Thanks so does that mean I just do nothing or do I have to appeal it?