Help! PCN from UK CPM for parking outside a designated bay

Sam007

I did cover the reg number for one car in blue marking. Below is a photo I sent them to show that it is a bay which cannot be distinguished from the rest. But they've rejected that, stating that at the time the vehicle was parked there, it was not a bay. Insane!

hxxps://imgur.com/3CjHQPc

nosferatu1001

https://imgur.com/3CjHQPc

Yes, in ONE photo you covered the reg. Not in the other. You posted two photos.

nosferatu1001

Parking companies lie

So theyre claiming they painted those markings later?
What gap was there betewen the event and the photo you took?

Sam007

I think this is what they're claiming, because when I spoke to the shopkeepers, they confirmed that they painted the lines around the bay 2-3 days after. The gap from the date of event to the photo I took is around a week.

nosferatu1001

So it wasnt marked at the time
Meaning technically theyre correct
However the fact it was clearly INTENDED to be a bay works against them.

Fruitcake

Were both of those images supplied by the PPC? In the first pic, the car is further back than the other two cars so in my opinion it is impossible to see if there is a line to the left of the car or not.
I think there is a line there but you can't see it because the car is "hiding" it. Later on someone came and "repainted" the line.

The parking sign doesn't show the charges for breaking the scammers made up rules as the text is too small to read.

Sam007

Yes both were taken by the PPC. They probably took one photo while the car is still moving :mad:

I agree. It's hard to see the line. To be honest the worry is if the car was in the way of the exit. I genuinely can't tell from the images especially that it's the end bay. Perhaps the witness can support in this case.

Fruitcake

I don't think it is a case of it being hard to see the line, I think it is impossible to see it, but I'm sure it's there. You can't see the line between the 1st and 2nd cars from the right either, but I'm quite sure there is one there as well.

I would put the scammers to strict proof there wasn't a line there at the time because there most definitely is one there now. They have conveniently sent you a picture of it. It may have been freshly painted but perhaps there was an old faded line that they painted over to make it stand out.
The lines to the left of the line in question including the Give Way triangle are extremely fades, which makes me believe there was indeed a faded line there when your vehicle was parked.
Unless they can produce a contemporary photo' of your car and no line, I think they are stuffed.

Sam007

Just come home to another letter from their Debt recovery company Trace giving final notice and threatening with more charges If we don't pay within 7 days. They're now saying the next action will be to pass it to their legal team.

The amount of grief and stress these scammers cause is tremendous. I hope all this won't be in vain if we end up in court.

Where can I get help preparing a county court defence? What do we need to include in our defence, and are there any templates from other cases similar to this that we could use?

KeithP

Sam007 wrote: »

Where can I get help preparing a county court defence? What do we need to include in our defence, and are there any templates from other cases similar to this that we could use?

Those questions are best answered by a thorough in-depth read of post #2 of the NEWBIES FAQ sticky thread.

Practically all the information you need to defend a court case, including examples of Defences, Witness Statements, etc, is in there.

Of course with all that information, it won't be an easy read.
You are wise to consider this at an early stage. Read a little at a time.