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odd situation, free parking

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i understand it is frowned upon to post here without reading the newbie thread but i have, i skimmed through it and even did a ctrl f search on the word ''free'' but nothing relevant came up.

I have received 3 parking tickets from ''first parking'' on a university campus where parking is ''FREE'' if you have a permit,i was not able to get a permit as you are made to apply early in the year and i had to bring my car later due to issues at home.

Just to be clear the parking company have not incurred any loss, there is always much free space.

I have not responded to anything from the company, i was recommended not to pay as i could not afford to at the time, (i'm a student)

I have now received a letter from a debt collection agency asking for payment., they are trying to scare me with the classic beavis case on the letter.

Remember, I could not afford to pay the initial fee and i sure can't afford to pay the greater fee.

I feel like i'm being scammed, i was parked on private land and the parking was free anyway, i had no choice due to extenuating circumstances yet was not allowed a permit.

As a last resort i may be able to argue that there was not sufficient signs but im not sure this is still an option.

In total they was £160 currently per ticket, 3 tickets in total, will i be taken to court? please advise.

Thank you in advance, i appreciate the time and effort you all put into helping people in need for free. Saints fighting scroungers.

Comments

  • System
    System Posts: 178,346 Community Admin
    10,000 Posts Photogenic Name Dropper
    I feel like i'm being scammed,

    No you are not
    i was parked on private land and the parking was free anyway,

    It was free to those invited onto the land. You were trespassing
    i had no choice due to extenuating circumstances yet was not allowed a permit.

    Then take it up with the Uni who hired FP and explain to them. If it was genuine circumstances, then they might cancel it.

    Suggest you don't get any more tickets.
    This is a system account and does not represent a real person. To contact the Forum Team email forumteam@moneysavingexpert.com
  • fisherjim
    fisherjim Posts: 7,111 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Photogenic Name Dropper
    Why do you think it is an odd situation it's no different to any other!
    Why do you think you have a right to park on someone's private property just because it's free?
    The fact that the PPC hasn't made a loss by your estimation went out as an appeal point with Beavis.
    The charge has not gone up to £160, that fee is with debt collector fees added which you should ignore.

    It's a pity you ignored in the first case you might have sorted this out by appealing instead of ignoring.

    But you would have known all this had you read the newbies thread properly.

    This is you chance of going to court as it stands at the moment:

    http://www.bmpa.eu/companydata/First_Parking_LLP.html
  • LostGuy
    LostGuy Posts: 11 Forumite
    Third Anniversary
    Thank you for taking the time to reply, i should have mentioned the car park is like a large pond in the middle of some small surrounding flats, one of which i lived in and paid for, this was a residential area within the uni campus, considering the university campus is amongst the largest in europe, i would not be able park my car of the campus as my flat was near the middle. I didn't mean to give the impression that i thought myself entitled to the parking. Also i have found this forum very recently, I was advised to ignore the letters by other students on campus but i am here because i am regretting taking their advice.

    I also forgot to mention that two of the parking tickets were given around the same time, i woke up and was about to drive to my lecture when i found two tickets.

    I looked at the site you linked me to .bmpa.eu/companydata/First_Parking_LLP. and i have found that this company has not taken anyone tor court scince 2015, is this a promising sign? will the claim get thrown out the window eventually?
  • Redx
    Redx Posts: 38,084 Forumite
    Eighth Anniversary 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    edited 1 August 2017 at 4:00PM
    nobody can tell you the liklihood of winning a court claim in the future , its pointless asking as each court case is bespoke and its judge bingo too, BEAVIS thought he would win , he lost , 3 times , to 10 out of 11 judges

    the ability to pay or not is irrelevant, it has no bearing on a civil court case and a judge wont take it into account , so doesnt matter if you could not afford it back then , or now

    its not "free" parking , its parking on private land with (or without) the landholders permission

    my driveway here is "free parking" , but not without my permission, so if you come here, you ask first , and preferably get it in writing (ON PAPER, as Judge Rinder would say)

    FP have 6 years to try a court case, you can ignore anything apart from an LBC or an MCOL

    IF YOU WANT TO GET THIS CLOSED OFF, GET THE LANDHOLDER TO CANCEL THEM - that is the only sure fire way of winning
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