Parking Ticket on allocated space

shredfg

Hey guys,

I am new to UK and bought a car last week after my 2nd month in here. My rented apartment has allocated parking space for my car and my flat number is painted on it. I have been parking the allocated area for a week and got a parking penalty from Vehicle Control Services Limited. They are demanding £60 if i pay in 14 days. However it is said to be my parking slot by letting agent. Should i pay anything to these guys? I didn't have anything attached to windscreen and on their photos it is clearly seen that i parked to my door number, not anyone elses!

Thank you

Coupon-mad

You may *need* to display a permit, so why didn't the Letting Agent give you a permit?

You are now finding out why NEVER to live somewhere with parking enforcement by a private firm, this will make your life a complete misery, no-one will cancel it, and you will get more PCNs and then the horrible little firm will sue you in court.

That is why not to live there.

Anyway, the NEWBIES sticky thread tells you what to do when VCS sue you.

shredfg

Thank you, I am newbie so i didn't know there were such shady stuff going on. It also says THIS IS NOT A PARKING CHARGE NOTICE. What does it mean really? I am not used to with all these namings

Coupon-mad

Those are covered in the NEWBIES thread which is for people new to this, to read fist.

The_Deep

This is almost certainly a scam, encouraged by the Managing Agent, read this

https://www.bing.com/search?q=parking+prankster+residential+p

arking&form=EDGEAR&qs=HS&cvid=35ef77bce2464576afea0f97c5f01f99&cc=GB&setlang=en-GB&PC=ACTS

and read some of the hundreds of "own space" threads on here.

Does your AST require that you have to display a permit to park? If not, your AST will almost certainly grant you "Primacy of Contract", and the PCN is invalid in Contract Law and they may be committing an offence under The Landlord and Tenants Acts. Complain like Friar Tuck to your Landlord, The Managing Agents, and your MP.

It is the will of Parliament that these scammers be put out of business. Hopefully that will take place in the near future. In the meantime involve your MP, the poor dears are buckling under the weight of complaints about these scammers. Read this one which I wrote earlier

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 Third Reading in late November, and, with a fair wind, will become Law next 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.

shredfg

Thank you for your comments. Like i said I am new to UK and not aware of such weird situation on my origin country. I haven't been issued any permit by letting agent yet. It says you must leave on your windscreen on some signs which i always thought for visitors as it is my slot and has even painted number on it.

shredfg

Do you guys know how much does it cost in case you lose at court? In the end of the day, i parked at the area which i am entitled to park. But i am also wondering, i appealed with weak statement this morning without knowing it.

Fruitcake

You need to look at your lease or assured tenancy agreement to see what it says about parking. If it doesn't mention a permit, or say that a third party can charge you or take you to court, you are in a very strong position to win if this goes to court.

The most it would cost if you lose in court is about £175, but you would get up to £95 if you won.

Complain hard and long to the letting agent and managing agency if there is one.

Ask your neighbours to see if any of them have had one of these as well. If enough people are affected you can put pressure on the landowner/letting/management agents to get this problem sorted out.

Half_way

Thank you for your comments. Like i said I am new to UK and not aware of such weird situation on my origin country.

Sounds like a much more civalised place than here, especially if it doesnt have PPC's.


You said its a rented place with allocated parking, what paperwork do you have with the flat, and what does it say about parking?

shredfg

There is only one small restriction about parking which says you can only park car and in order to park anything else you need written permission of landlord(truck etc). In this case it seems to be fine, but i don't wanna deal with court to be honest considering the lack of experience in UK.

shredfg

I appealed against it but don't wanna go to court. Do you guys know if they ever cancelled it previously? My tenancy agreement doesn't mention any permit. So I am allowed to park. I sent them documents about parking on appeal. Is there any chance that i will be cancelled?
Thanks