Euro Car Park Fine

Lillymae

Hi,



This is problaby going to be a "you need to pay this" but thought it was worth asking!


Parked in a Sainsbury's car park recently in my WAV and assumed ( wrongly) that it was a 3 hour free parking!
We walked into the local town and while there my youngest, who is disabled, was violently sick, so badly that we needed to go and buy a new set of clothes before heading back to the car.



Didnt think anything of it and then received a parking charge for staying longer that allowed, there is no time limit mentioned in the letter but after phoning the shop they stated it was a 2 hour limit and we were 2 hours 20 minutes.



They have attached photos of the number plate entering the car park and a very, very dark (almost impossible to see) one of us leaving.



Is there anything I can do or will I just have to pay it?



Thank you.

EdGasketTheSecond

You need to ask on the Parking sub-forum to this motoring forum. generally you can fight the fine but there are procedures to follow. get advice on the Parking forum

AdrianC

Whatever the rights of wrongs around the issue of the ticket, the fundamental reason car park operators need to control their parking is to prevent people from abusing it.

Sainsbury's don't provide land and facilities for people to use while they walk into town. They provide land and facilities for people to use while they are in their store.

The law in this country says that the only ways in which a landowner can protect their land from abuse is to issue penalty charges (like they have here) subject to very strict signage criteria, or to use access control barriers to physically restrict exit until any excess parking time has been paid for.

EdGasketTheSecond

Yes but the 'fine' aka invoice, is always totally disproportionate to the loss suffered by the land owner. Often the car parks are mostly empty anyway so there is no loss and no justifiable invoice, which by the way, generally doesn't need to be paid.

Ebe_Scrooge

OP, as per the previous posts, if you post in the Parking sub-forum you will lots of helpful advice.

Where was this - England, Scotland or Wales ? If Scotland then basically you can safely ignore the pretend "fine", as long as you don't name the driver. For England and Wales you can appeal it - but you need to follow the procedures detailed in the "sticky" threads of the Parking forum.

AdrianC

EdGasketTheSecond wrote: »

Yes but the 'fine' aka invoice, is always totally disproportionate to the loss suffered by the land owner. Often the car parks are mostly empty anyway so there is no loss and no justifiable invoice, which by the way, generally doesn't need to be paid.

Which is precisely why I started that post with...

Whatever the rights of wrongs around the issue of the ticket

If you don't like the restrictions a land-owner put on you using their land, don't use it.

Lillymae

AdrianC wrote: »

Whatever the rights of wrongs around the issue of the ticket, the fundamental reason car park operators need to control their parking is to prevent people from abusing it.

Sainsbury's don't provide land and facilities for people to use while they walk into town. They provide land and facilities for people to use while they are in their store.

The law in this country says that the only ways in which a landowner can protect their land from abuse is to issue penalty charges (like they have here) subject to very strict signage criteria, or to use access control barriers to physically restrict exit until any excess parking time has been paid for.

Thank you for your advice!


Just for your information I wouldnt normally park in Sainsburys and walk into the town BUT we have just got a wheelchair accessible vehicle and its too tall to fit into the local shopping centre parking and this was the ONLY place I could find to park in!


Also I were going to go into the store when we had been into the town but as my youngest was sick and time was short so we never got the chance!


Please dont assume you know all the story, you could have asked to clarify !

AdrianC

While I sympathise, I think you miss the point.

The owner and operator of the land do not want you to park there and leave their store to go into town. At all. It's that simple.

Lillymae

AdrianC wrote: »

While I sympathise, I think you miss the point.

The owner and operator of the land do not want you to park there and leave their store to go into town. At all. It's that simple.

Seriously I was going to use their store but needed to get something in the town first, I’m sure I’m not the only person to do this!

I just wanted some advice to see if I could fight this as I don’t have much money, and not to worry I won’t be using their car park again!

DoaM

AdrianC wrote: »

Sainsbury's don't provide land and facilities for people to use while they walk into town. They provide land and facilities for people to use while they are in their store.

Not necessarily - it depends on what conditions may have been put in place when planning consent was granted. For example it's not unusual for planning consent to include a requirement to provide parking facilities to allow people to visit other shops in town.

@OP - go to the Parking board and check out the NEWBIES sticky FAQ.

AdrianC

Lillymae wrote: »

I’m sure I’m not the only person to do this!

No, you aren't. Which is why they enforce as they do.