NTK received - next step please?

leeroy25

So I read the newbies bit and various threads about Myparkingcharge who are behind the 'fine' I have received about 10 days ago. As stated I have waited and sure enough an NTK came in the post today. I believe I have a case to appeal this fine as the reason for the fine was parking in a non-parking bay. However this bay is only part hatched with no signage to suggest it should not be parked in. I would argue the markings look like the bay has been added over the edge of other markings to give an extra space as such literally everyone treats it as a regular space.
This is backed up by the fact the next day I went to the venue, inside the shop there was a photo of this space highlighting it should not be parked in. I guess I am not the first person to get a ticket for this recently.
My question is do I enter an appeal on the my parking site now or do I go to the supermarket that owns the land and make a complaint with the manager either verbally or in writing? (I was not shopping at the supermarket when I parked there and do not have a supermarket receipt). I did have a ticket.
Of course the NTK states my current fine will be £60 if paid within 14 days and £100 thereafter.
I believe I have a legitimate argument , please let me know if you think appealing is the best thing to do in this instance.

ShakeItOff

Complain first, see if that gets it cancelled. But don't leave it so long that you miss the appeal deadline.

Complain to the store manager verbally, and if that doesn't work, email the CEO.

Have the template appeal in the NEWBIES thread ready to go at a moment's notice. No changing it, and no admitting who the driver was.

Coupon-mad

It is not a fine, it's a scam.

Can't be won on appeal though, as that is biased, see any threads about the IAS.

Can be won by defending it when they try a later court claim, as long as you write or email to tell VCS if you move house within 6 years.

I would argue the markings look like the bay has been added over the edge of other markings to give an extra space as such literally everyone treats it as a regular space.
This is backed up by the fact the next day I went to the venue, inside the shop there was a photo of this space highlighting it should not be parked in. I guess I am not the first person to get a ticket for this recently.

Agreed, why would they go out of their way to put a photo hidden away inside a shop, rather than tell VCS to bl00dy well mark the area properly or stop issuing PCNs for that misleading area?

The_Deep

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 become so widespread that MPs agreed to enact a Bill to regulate these scammers. Hopefully, this will become law by Easter .

leeroy25

Hi Guys. I went to the main retail store that has signage in the carpark today and spoke to the manager. they informed me that in fact the carpark is owned by the site landlord and monitored by Excel. None of the stores in the retail area have any say in the ticketing of cars. So do I somehow try and contact the landlord directly? Go to the body which excel are registered with Or do I go to appeal through the myparkingcharge portal? I can imagine it will not be a positive outcome via the latter option as stated above they will be biased?
Just for further info to back up my side. Today when I visited the carpark there was a car parked in said bay upon entering the car park and was being issued a ticket by a parking warden. Upon leaving the carpark there was a different vehicle parked in this bay! As I said before. Everyone assumes this to be a normal space.
I hope I can get this resolved!

MistyZ

You have a good argument to present in a complaint to the overall landowner or land management company. Funny the stores didn't think to tell you who that was! They rarely do, it seems. But it's hardly restricted information and if you ask the store managers directly they should tell you. It is often necessary to go direct to the landowner, nothing new in this.

Someone will know who they are but if that fails despite your best efforts you can get this information for a small fee (a few quid) from the land registry.

The 'big boys' often do cancel, don't be intimidated.