Fine for parking over lines - best plan of attack

Coopey1980

Good evening/morning/afternoon Ladies and Gentlemen,
Just want a bit of advise before I tackle this one, as I believe it's a little different to the norm, and not sure if I should just throw the standard at them?

Got the standard fine for 'not parking correctly within the markings of the bay space' but...

...it's not like the car was parked partly over the lines, it was literally parked across 2 bays, with the line under the middle of the car, as you can barely see the damn things! I have both photos and video showing that these particular, very small (they're meant to be a ~12" T bar at one end of the bay, no continuous line) markings in that area of the car park are barely visible when viewed from within the car

Now I know they're just gonna throw out any appeal, but should I be raising the above in the original appeal, but save further arguments for when it goes to POPLA?

If someone could give me just a little guidance to what and what not to put in the first appeal text, would be much appreciated

(got plenty of video and photo of the whole site, mainly of how bad the markings are in some areas compared to others, and all the relevant signage)

:beer:

John-K_3

What are you saying here, you should not get the fine as you were not just a little bit over the lines, you had instead taken up two bays?

You then say that you could not see them from inside the car; did you not get out and check how you had parked if the lines were not visible?

Coopey1980

You can barely see the lines for about 4 or 5 bays in that area, so they're saying 'you must park in these lines' but you can't actually see them?

You literally cannot see any lines when approaching that area of the car park, so why would anyone check to see if you were between them when you got out? Bear in mind most of the car park is just bare gravel, and there's plenty of other car parks in the area that have no lines whatsoever, so the car was just parked a reasonable distance from the car that was already there (who was also parked pretty much on top of the line)

Fruitcake

What happened on the day is irrelevant. There is nothing at all different in your case. Send the template from the NEWBIES around day 26 for a BPA member, or wait for the NTK if it's an IPC company.

What is the name of the PPC please.

You should also edit your post to remove information about who did what. Only ever refer to The Driver and The Keeper.

It is not a fine.

Coopey1980

Forget to mention, it's an NCP car park...

Coopey1980

And thanks for the advice, will do as the sticky say then, and update as we go...

Fruitcake

BPA member so send the template around day 26.

Meanwhile, read up on PoPLA using post 3 of the NEWBIES.

Also, complain to your MP.

These are some of the comments made by the MPs in Parliament concerning the unregulated parking industry (Feb 2018):

https://hansard.parliament.uk/commons/2018-02-02/debates/CC84AF5E-AC6E-4E14-81B1-066E6A892807/Parking(CodeOfPractice)Bill

''Rip-offs from car park Cowboys must stop''; unfair treatment; signage deliberately confusing to ensure a PCN is issued; ''years of abuse by rogue parking companies''; bloodsuckers; ''the current system of regulation is hopeless, like putting Dracula in charge of the blood-bank''; extortionate fines; rogue operators; ''sense of injustice''; unfair charges and notices; wilfully misleading; signage is a deliberate act to deceive or mislead; ''confusing signs are often deliberate, to trap innocent drivers''; unreasonable; a curse; harassing; operating in a disgusting way; appeals service is no guarantee of a fair hearing; loathed; outrageous scam; dodgy practice; outrageous abuse; unscrupulous practices; ''the British Parking Association is as much use as a multi-storey car park in the Gobi desert''; and finally, by way of unanimous conclusion: ''we need to crack down on these rogue companies. They are an absolute disgrace to this country. Ordinary motorists and ordinary residents should not have to put up with this''.

These are the exact words used, so you should quote them to your MP in a complaint and ask him/her to contact Sir Greg Knight MP if he wants further information about this scam.

Coopey1980

Am I right in thinking that the poorly marked lines are a valid argument?

John-K_3

Er, because you could not see them?

Are you honestly claiming that you thought that the car park had no markings?

Sorry, I!!!8217;m out...

Coopey1980

This forum is dedicated to getting these outrageous parking fines overturned and hopefully eventually outlawed - are you actually arguing that their shady business practices are actually justified?

You literally cannot see any lines when you're parking the car, so are you saying that people should be checking for things they don't even see? Bottom line is their parking bays are so poorly marked that the majority of people would completely miss them, so it's not an unreasonable argument...

And yes, there's numerous car parks in that area that have zero lines, they've converted as much scrub land as possible to parking in my city it's ridiculous, so it's perfectly reasonable to assume they're be no lines in what is a mostly gravel car park!

(Text removed by MSE Forum Team)

KeithP

Coopey1980, do not be too concerned by someone who joined MSE just four days ago. Stay here and listen to the regular posters.

You have every chance against NCP.

See what you are up against:

www.bmpa.eu/companydata/National_Car_Parks.html