PCN Issued by PPM Ltd - Gladstone chasing

NewNewMoney

Hi,

This is my third (and final :T) run in with Parking and Property Management Ltd, and I suspect this time I'm actually in the wrong and may have to cough up.

To give a quick background, the car park I was given the PCN is in front of my gym and I had a PT that gave me permits to allow me to use the car park. These permits were single use permits and I just had to write in the time I entered and would leave the car park, so I'd use the permits to park in the morning, go to work, come back and then go to the gym. They came on a sheet of six.

After coming back from work, I found I had a PCN which I laughed and ignored, following the steps in the newbie thread, waiting 30 days to appeal etc. I will say that guy who is actually taking photos and "catching drivers" is a c:mad:nt and I've complained and had run ins with him so I think he was targeting my car. The PCN reason was copied/fake permit.

Fast forward to approx a year later I get a letter from Gladstones saying I need to pay etc etc. Fine has increased from £100 to £160. The normal scare tactics. Again, still following the newbie thread advice I've replied like I should and I must say that at this point I'm not worried because I got the permit from my PT and I believed I could just go to my gym to get evidence.

So I go back to my gym and tell one of the staff members what happened and he said "yeah its a fake. He shouldn't have been giving them out and a few of his clients and other gym staff got caught a while back." Turns out the permits did not come on a sheet of six. You are supposed to get the singular permits every time you enter the car park, he created fake permits by making six copies of one permit on an A4 sheet.

I think those in possession of said fake permit sheet were supposed to cut them up and use a single one each time. I just folded the sheet and would display a different square each time I used the car park, ultimately me not wanting to have bits of paper in my car is what has led to my demise.

The PT that gave these (very good fake) permits to me is no longer employed by the gym and I have no idea where he has gone.

I don't think I have a leg to stand on but I'd like to know if you the experts agree?

Thanks

Ralph-y

just to clarify ... who exactly gave you the permit ?

Ralph:cool:

NewNewMoney

My Personal Trainer who has now gone AWOL.

He actually gave me the permits the first time I got a PCN (December 2016 paid because I didn't know about this site ) to avoid it happening again.

Ralph-y

while you (re) read the newbies thread for correct procedures ........

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/4816822

what have the gym management have to say ?

Ralph:cool:

NewNewMoney

Absolutely nothing. As far as they are concerned its not their problem as they didn't supply it. I have no proof that I got it from my PT and the guy has literally gone awol.

They've basically said you're probably going to have to pay it, unless you want to drag it out to court

Ralph-y

while you await forum elders who will comment on the laws / rule, re employers resonibity for employees .....

let them know that they may be called to give evidence when you drag this to court ( part bluff)

they must cancel it now or you cancel your membership?

Ralph:cool:

pappa_golf

who employed the personal trainer , the one that gave you the fake permits

NewNewMoney

I'm not paying monthly so if they or I did cancel membership, I think I'd be the one to lose out as I paid £99 for 8 months.

This is at "The Gym" who was the employer of my PT, however there's this nagging thing in the back of my head about the contract I had with the PT. Basically because I do recall reading something to do with liability regarding The Gym and the PTs. All PTs are employees and they work shifts etc, but when they do their PT sessions, they are working independently i.e. they aren't being paid by The Gym for their time. Basically if I injured myself during a PT session, I wouldn't be able to sue The Gym, it would just be the PT who has to take full responsibility/has to get their own legal protection.

I think this was their angle when I was explaining my situation to them earlier this week. One of their own employees has already been taken to court over this fake permit malarkey and received no support from The Gym, so I'm not holding my breath about them supporting a member, I don't think this is a unique case for them.

Honestly the attitude is very bad there and they treat a lot of their members with disdain, but you get what you pay for and at £12.40 I don't expect great customer service.

pappa_golf

gyms attitude or not , the fact that an "employee" , and you have stated he was , when not doing PT gave out the tickets

savour that if it gets to court


"was fred bloggs a gym employee " YES
"did he hand out permits" YES

thank you

case dismissedc

NewNewMoney

Okay so I just need The Gym to admit/provide evidence that he was an employee at the time, and I need to track down my contract with him?

The_Deep

Gladstones may soon be brown bread, best not to accord them too much respect.