NPM Parking Issues

KING44

Hi guys,

I'm having trouble with a NPM trying to scam me out of money for a private car park of the flats that i live in. I am rightly parking there as i have two allocated spots but i had to swap my company car to a van for a small period of time and although i displayed the permit (not massively clear as it was wedged on the dash and not on the rear view mirror as there is not one) i still got sent a ticket. Whats more annoying is that when my car was returned to me i received another ticket as now they are saying that although the permit was displayed it was blocked by a air freshener although it wasn't as the permit number and location were still clearly visible.

I have already made the mistake of missing this forum before i appealed the two charges and the PCNs were already transferred to my name, however i have not had a response from the appeal and now they are sending overdue charges, not to mention that one notice is still going to my company and the other is in the wrong name (close but not quite right) despite, again, both being transferred to me.

Annoyingly have already paid 4 of these over a year ago when i moved to the flat even though the charges first started appearing over 2 months after moving in and to make matters worse, i had to swap my car due to the fact it was broken into in the same car park and cost me £125 in window replacement!

I have no idea where to go from here and whether correspondence between me and NPM is even worth it as it hasn't been any other time so any help or advice would be massively appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

D_P_Dance

HAVE YOU READ THIS?

https://parking-prankster.blogspot.com/2016/11/residential-parking.html

What does your lease/AST say about displaying a permit? Does it mention a charge for not displaying a permit?

In almost every residential car park, the Private Parking Company has no authority to charge residents properly parked in their own spaces. Their lease/AST has primacy.

If you have paid this company and their was no requirement to do so, they have obtained money from you by misrepresentation, I would take them to court for its return. Sent them a free LBC now, you can follow it up at any time within six years..

https://www.which.co.uk/consumer-rights/letter/letter-before-small-claims-court-claim

On 18th March 2019 a Bill was enacted to curb the excesses of these private parking companies. Codes of Practice are being drawn up, an independent appeals service will be set up, and access to the DVLA's date base more rigorously policed, and persistent offenders denied access. Hopefully life will become impossible for the worst of these scammers.

Until this is done you should still complain to your MP, citing the new legislation.

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2019/8/contents/enacted

Just as the clampers were finally closed down, so hopefully will many of these Private Parking Companies.

ShakeItOff

It's not a huge problem if you appealed and identified the driver. There are lots of cases on here which have been successfully defended at court where the driver has defended.

What does your lease/AST say about parking tickets? There are lots of examples of people parking in their own spaces and being ticketed on this board - it would be worth having a search through to see what others have done.

Lastly, what is the full company name of NPM? This will help us help you in terms of knowing which trade body they belong to.

KING44

Thank you guys for the replies and advice.

I have read through the lease agreement and there is no mention of tickets/permits and limited notes on parking:

‘The property situated at and being (my address) together with the fixtures, fittings, furniture and effects therein and more particularly specified in the inventory issued to the tenant and all grounds. It shall include the rights to use, in common with others, any shared rights of access, stairways, communal parts, paths and drives’

Am I right in assuming that ‘drives’ as stated would be the parking spaces as there are no drives just a car park. I was informed by the agents that spaces were numbered with the flat number and that i had access to two, which there are. I believe, although vague I have been more than considerate to others in the block and abiding by adhering to the lease agreement so maybe the vagueness would work in my favour?

Also would it be taken that seriously putting in a claim as it is clearly stated on the tickets that an appeal after payment would not be considered or could that also work in my favour of fear mongering due to the threats of higher charges?

NPM are National Parking Management, previously Northampton Parking Management, which is worrying as it could mean that these parasites are branching out.

Coupon-mad

It shall include the rights to use, in common with others, any shared rights of access, stairways, communal parts, paths and drives’

Am I right in assuming that ‘drives’ as stated would be the parking spaces as there are no drives just a car park.

I would interpret it that way, especially if the flat was advertised with parking.

Fruitcake

What a lease/AST doesn't say about parking/parking permits is just as important as what it does say.
If there is no mention of a permit scheme in your lease/AST and no mention of a third party scammer being able to charge you or take you to court then you are on solid ground as your lease trumps any made up rules by a bunch of scammers.
You already have a right to park so the scammers can't charge you again for what you already have as your right.

KING44

I guessed that also as there is no mention of permits, ticketing or scamming parking management.

I’m going to look into contacting my MP and sending them a claim to tie them up a bit.

I might also see if anyone else in the block has been ticketed as I doubt I’m alone with all the the broken and torn down signs around the car park.