Smart Parking Appeal - Rejected

abh1561

Hi all,

This is my first post so forgive me if there is a better way to question this on here.

I appealed my Smart Parking fine for overstaying my welcome in a McDonalds car park. I’m young, inexperience and as many have mentioned these letters can feel massively daunting.

This fine was issued in Scotland, and had I committed more time to research then I would have chosen not to appeal and ignored the letter. However, now that my appeal has been rejected do I take this to POPLA or do I now ignore the following letters?

Any advice would be much appreciated. I am the only driver in my immediate family and have no one else to ask.

KeithP

Did your appeal to Smart tell them who was driving?

abh1561

I used a template provided on here to appeal which spoke in first person. Although it didn’t specifically state who was driving it would read as a response from myself.

Le_Kirk

If you used the template from here with no additions, deletions or modifications you should be fine. As it is Scotland, did you complain to the landowner (well McDonalds in this instance) what was the response? Have you been given a POPLA code?

abh1561

Yes I had a conversation with store manager. He said they are unable to dismiss or interfere with these fines but mentioned many people had complained about the poor signage. I got given my POPLA code within the letter I received today from Smart Parking.

Would you recommend appealing through POPLA or no longer engaging with the letters?

KeithP

My understanding is that in Scotland PoPLA will only accept an appeal from the driver.

So probably not a good idea to appeal to PoPLA.

abh1561

Thanks for letting me know.

Will this change the response of Smart Parking since I have appealed? I’m aware many people in Scotland choose to completely ignore these invoices. Since I have engaged with them, are they more likely to take further action?

I am still in the discount period and, although I have read in detail NOT to pay them, it is more manageable that if I would have to pay up a few hundred.

I appreciate the responses. First time dealing with this and it has been rather stressful.

fisherjim

abh1561 wrote: »

Thanks for letting me know.

Will this change the response of Smart Parking since I have appealed?

What response are you expecting since they can only go after the driver?


If you have appealed with the template on here you have not identified the driver that is why it's written as it is, forget POPLA for Scotland ignore anything except court papers which shouldn't come anyway.


There is no discount period it's a bribery period to get you to pay up, shut up, give them money for nothing with the least expense to them.


Stop calling it a fine, it's an invoice.


Sit back get on with your life ignore the inevitable debt collector idiots, and enjoy the festive season.

abh1561

I was referring to the letters that will inevitably follow this rejected appeal.

Well that answers my question then

Thanks!

MistyZ

Just to be sure, did you use the appeal which appears in blue text in the Newbies' thread and begins:

'Re PCN number:

I dispute your 'parking charge', as the keeper of the vehicle. I deny any liability or contractual agreement and I will be making a formal complaint about your predatory conduct to your client landowner and to my MP.'?

abh1561

No I did not know of this forum when I appealed. It was a template on the moneysavingexpert site, a rough guide which you are able to edit. I included the parts on unclear signage and mitigating circumstances.

As I said my appeal was in first person, however I didn’t explicitly say that I was the driver.

If I had known I would have read up on this forum first. My friend who I was with also got fined but she is ignoring it. My main concern was that Smart Parking would have been willing to take mine further because I appealed my invoice.