POPLA appeal failed - advice on next step

chachatipu

Any updates on this?

My mate had a similar issue. He changed his car reg to a private plate two days prior and parked at Uni. Paid and displayed correctly but accidentally entered the old reg. Appeal rejected at POPLA.

Thoughts?

pappa_golf

chachatipu wrote: »

Any updates on this?

My mate had a similar issue. He changed his car reg to a private plate two days prior and parked at Uni. Paid and displayed correctly but accidentally entered the old reg. Appeal rejected at POPLA.

Thoughts?

does the UNI come under railway bylaws? and is it patrolled by "Happyparks"?

chachatipu

The parking company is APCOA. Shall get my mate to check if it is run by the local railway, which is about 300m away

Coupon-mad

Wow, someone actually LOST at POPLA v APCOA?! Surely not, that's never been seen here. Ouch.

Sorry but that takes some doing. And luckily, APCOA can be safely ignored unless they try a claim (unheard of from them).

Umkomaas

chachatipu wrote: »

The parking company is APCOA. Shall get my mate to check if it is run by the local railway, which is about 300m away

It would be better if your mate was dealing with his problem himself. He would be best advised to read the NEWBIES FAQ sticky, post #1 (at this stage) which guides him through how to deal with this.

With a bit of understanding, APCOA are easy to beat - but no regular is likely to have the time to drip-feed all the essential information via a third party.

barefoot_leo

Coupon-mad wrote: »

Wow, someone actually LOST at POPLA v APCOA?! Surely not, that's never been seen here. Ouch.

Sorry but that takes some doing. And luckily, APCOA can be safely ignored unless they try a claim (unheard of from them).

Well you can add me to that list! Sadly, presumed that as I'd paid (but for the wrong vehicle) and been honest about being the driver of the vehicle that it would be open and shut case of "oops - of course you did. Forget the PCN". Sadly, APCOA and POPLA did not see it that way and I am only now seeing the advice on how I should have played it differently.

Am unclear on next steps having lost POPLA appeal though...

Le_Kirk

barefoot_leo wrote: »

Well you can add me to that list! Sadly, presumed that as I'd paid (but for the wrong vehicle) and been honest about being the driver of the vehicle that it would be open and shut case of "oops - of course you did. Forget the PCN". Sadly, APCOA and POPLA did not see it that way and I am only now seeing the advice on how I should have played it differently.

Am unclear on next steps having lost POPLA appeal though...

Would normally expect to see a new thread with your issue, after you have read the NEWBIE section. In this instance I can see why you would post on this nearly two-year old thread! A POPLA decision is NOT binding on the motorist, so you now wait for LBC/LBA/LBCCC and take appropriate action. Is this a railway bye-laws issue? Whatever, suggest you now read the NEWBIE section and see what awaits you. If it is bye-laws, search the forum using Advanced Search with Bye-laws as your search term and change the Radio Button from Threads to Posts.

Umkomaas

APCOA (at time of writing this) have never taken anyone to court.

The_Deep

The whole industry is a scam, relying on threats of court, and the public's ignorance of the Law, A bill is currently before parliament which will regulate the scammers, many of whom are ex-clampers.

This is an entirely unregulated industry which is scamming the public with inflated claims for minor breaches of alleged contracts for alleged parking offences, aided and abetted by a handful of low-rent solicitors. Is has been suggested by an MP that some of these companies may have connections to organised crime.

Parking Eye, CPM, Smart, (especially Smart}, and others have already been named and shamed in the House of Commons as have Gladstones Solicitors, and BW Legal, (these two law firms take hundreds of these cases to court each week), hospital car parks and residential complex tickets have been especially mentioned. They lose most of them, and have been reported to the regulatory authority by an M.P. for unprofessional conduct

The problem has become so widespread that MPs have agreed to enact a Bill to regulate these scammers.

Sir Greg Knight's Private Members Bill to curb the excesses, and perhaps close down, some of these companies passed its Second Reading in the Lords this month, and, with a fair wind, will l become Law later this year..

All three readings are available to watch on the internet, (some 6-7 hours), and published in Hansard. MPs have an extremely low opinion of the industry. Many are complaining that they are becoming overwhelmed by complaints from members of the public. Add to their burden, complain in the most robust terms about the scammers.

Coupon-mad

You would have 100% won, had you followed forum advice.

Hence there is no list of 'losing' people v APCOA. If people go off piste and write their own appeal without coming here first, then (sorry to say, and it's frustrating for us) that's your mistake and next time, do it right.

The lucky thing is it's only APCOA - so ignore them. No worries. No victims PAY!

If you search the forum for POPLA lost sit tight you will find threads like yours.