Paying a PCN on a lease car (slightly unique)

KHarg

Hello,


Thank you for those who have contributed regarding this issue already but I have found slightly contradicting information which does not provide clarity and additionally I have slightly unusual circumstances, so any help here would be greatly appreciated.


The registered owner leases a car through the registered keeper (a private company) however the main driver on the insurance policy is different to the vehicle owner.


The PCN was issued by G24 Ltd for a parking offence for overstaying the amount permitted on a private / shopping centre car park. It isn't immediately clear to all users about the parking 'rules' (if the driver was to contest it wasn't clear and obvious).


N.B when they left the car park at late at night the car park was nearly empty with 100+ bays available so they would not have inconvenienced anyone in leaving it there (if that has any merit in an appeal).


The lease company (registered keeper) have forwarded the notice and a covering letter to the registered owners home address. The letter states they will have no choice but to pay the charge if final demands / court action is threatened with them, but the letter also states the authority (G24 I assume) have been issued with the name and address of the vehicle owner should receive further information direct from the authorities. It also states the owner does not hear from them they should use the copy provided by the lease company to initiate themselves.


The issues they have is that checking the forum, early posts (2013-2015) indicate G24 were not BPA approved and are 'cowboys', however checking their website it seems as though they now are as the BPA logo is displayed at the bottom of the page? Can you confirm or advise where we can check the authenticity of their membership please?


Additionally the lease company will hold the registered owner responsible at this stage and despite emailing them this morning to say they will resolve this directly with G24 - and to please do not pay any reminders, they have still stated they must do in-line with company policy and the registered owner will be invoiced if this takes place.

We understand some of these issues may be discussed individually in the forum but we are not sure how they would influence any grounds when considered as a collective in any dispute / appeal? As far as I am aware at this stage G24 are only aware who the registered keeper / owner of the vehicle is, but given the dates of the offence and receipt of the notice how this will also contribute towards it?


If they did appeal, can they contest they wasn't aware of their procedure due to poor signage, (even though they may have records of them using the car park daily)?

Any help / advice would be greatly appreciated.


Thank you.

The_Deep

This is an entirely unregulated industry which is scamming the public with inflated claims for alleged breaches of contracts for alleged parking offences, aided and abetted by a handful of low-rent solicitors.

Parking Eye, CPM, Smart, and another company have already been named and shamed, as has Gladstones Solicitors, and BW Legal, (these two law firms take hundreds of these cases to court each year). They nearly always lose, and have been reported to the regulatory authority by an M.P.

Hospital car parks and residential complex tickets have been especially mentioned.

The problem has become so rampant that MPs have agreed to enact a Bill to regulate these scammers. Watch the video of the Second Reading in the HofC recently.

http://parliamentlive.tv/event/index/2f0384f2-eba5-4fff-ab07-cf24b6a22918?in=12:49:41

and complain in the most robust terms to your MP. With a fair wind most of these companies may well be put out of business by Christmas.

Fruitcake

First of all, edit your post to remove all that personal information.

Only refer to The Driver, The Registered Keeper, the Day to Day Keeper, and The Owner, who are different people/entities.

DO THIS NOW!

Parking scammers monitor this forum.

I see nothing unique in your circumstances.

KHarg

I have done as advised. Thanks.

Computersaysno

Slightly unique.....???


If by "unique" you mean "exactly the same as thousands of others on here"...then yeah I agree.

Fruitcake

G24 are IPC members.

Just follow the information about appealing as lessee/hirer you will find in the Sticky thread for NEWBIES thread. Do not wait to send this.

You should edit your post to remove information that does not help your case. Admitting that "someone" forgot, or failed to do something is not a good idea.

Send a copy of the appeal to the lease company stating that this has now released the lease company of all liability. If they decide to pay this PCN, you will not be liable.
Ask them to state who this "authority" is that they mention as you have only been provided with a speculative invoice from a private company.


Check the lease to see what it says about pacing PCNs. It will probably mention penalties and fines, but not Private parking charges, which are nothing but speculative invoices.

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.

Show the above to the lease company as well.

nosferatu1001

No such thing as registered owner. For a start, registered with whom?

The person the lease company has issued this to is the KEEPER. The DRIVER is the person who drove that day. They may or may not be the same person - we dont know that, we dont want to know that, the PPC certainly SHOULD NOT be told this.

And no, this situation isnt unique in any way shape or form.

KHarg

Registered owner with the insurance company. Any insurance will require both registered keeper and registered owner as they may differ.


Didn't need an obnoxious answer. Just looking for help mainly with G24s status and any dates given the chain of correspondence.

Fruitcake

KHarg wrote: »

Registered owner with the insurance company. Any insurance will require both registered keeper and registered owner as they may differ.


Didn't need an obnoxious answer. Just looking for help mainly with G24s status and any dates given the chain of correspondence.

You didn't get one.

There is no register of vehicle owners in the UK. If this gets to small claims court you will need to understand the correct terminology such as this. Please don't p1ss off the regulars who give up their time for free to help people like you.

You were told to re-edit your post as it still has damaging information, but instead decided being rude to someone who is trying to help was more important.

Your questions have already been answered, or will be answered in the NEWBIES thread.
You need to get stuck into it. It will take you several goes before you start to understand how this rotten unregulated scam industry works, so grab a brew and get reading.

pogofish

Nothing "unique" about this at all - Victims thinking that their case is somehow different are making the biggest mistake of all as they invariably hand-over far too much info to the PPC, which could make things much more difficult for them down the line.

However, its G24, so you are lucky. They are in their own special league when it comes to muppetry.

Get into the Newbies Sticky for the most current and effective advice.

nosferatu1001

KHarg wrote: »

Registered owner with the insurance company. Any insurance will require both registered keeper and registered owner as they may differ.


Didn't need an obnoxious answer. Just looking for help mainly with G24s status and any dates given the chain of correspondence.

Its leased, so the owner is the leasing company for a start. So no, still wrong. There is no register of vehicle owners in the UK. You are mistaken in this.

You didnt get an obnoxious answer, you got one pointing out that its still really obvious who did what, and if its obvious to us, its obviouis to the PPCs who moniotor this forum.

You are in exactly the same situation as loads of people with leased vehciles. Oh, and you sstill havent shown us the ts and cs, to see if the lease company can do what theyve said. Company piolicy is bolliocks, all that matters is your contract.