Initial Parking fine problems

joe_dh

Hi there, 
my mother received a parking fine from a private company demanding £100 for a small village high street car park next to a co op. It turns out this is the car park for adjacent pub not the other side co op. The fine was received on 3rd august, and relates to dates for 30th July when alleged incident took place. 

They have a photo of the car entering and leaving but no picture of who was driving or actually parked. 

We have been away since 2nd august and only just returned from France (can prove travel dates) to find this fine, so it is over the 29 days to appeal directly option. 

Today I went onto the website to try and appeal and failing that pay the fine. But the website does not recognise the fine number on either the appeal or payment page. I then tried their automated phone number which also said it encountered a problem. 

Not sure what to do at this stage. Do we just wait to see if a collection letter turns up? They said in fine it will go up to £170 if passed to an agency! This is a small village high street in Surrey and am shocked they are charging this much. 

Any help much appreciated. 

Fruitcake

It is not a fine.

Plan A is always a landowner complaint.

Send an appeal by post. Use the template in blue text from the NEWBIES sticky Announcement. Send it unaltered from the keeper. Post it from a Post Office counter, first class, and get a free proof of posting. 

Add a one line at the beginning that it was not received until *date the keeper returned home*. There is no reason to explain why this was the date first seen at this stage.

Never, ever 'phone an unregulated parking company. Do not reveal the driver's identity.

Please tell us the location as it may have cropped up here before.

Ignore powerless debt collectors if the appeal is rejected. The fourth post of the NEWBIES explains why it is safe to ignore.

Redx

But bear in mind that Initial Parking do issue court claims

The £100 figure is standard and has been or a decade , even £85 has been allowed at the Supreme court in the Beavis case 6 years ago !!

So the £100 total cannot be disputed

The proof of travel is irrelevant to their case , the timescales are set in POFA 2012 , which they are likely to have complied with , meaning that the keeper is legally liable

The government consultation closed last week , nothing will change until next summer , which won't affect your case a the changes won't be retrospective anyway

Without a landowner complaint Nd cancellation , I can't see the keeper winning this

Tell that driver to find and read the signs wherever they park a vehicle , ALWAYS !!

They should know that they must obey signs as a driver , both on and off the road , nowhere is safe , if in doubt , do not park

Many pubs now have parking companies monitoring the car park , I was in a Holt's pub and restaurant near Manchester airport last weekend , monitored by Enterprise parking , give your VRM to the bar staff !!

No free parking except for patrons only , plenty of nearby shops , but no concessions

Umkomaas

This is a small village high street in Surrey and am shocked they are charging this much. 

It's the same whether it's central London (but that will be even higher next year) or anywhere else between John O'Groats and Land's End.

I continue to be surprised by motorists who are blissfully unaware of the existence of PPCs and the level of charges they dish out, given that up to 10 million of them are receiving PCNs every year - this is rhetorical rather than personally directed at you @joe_dh. 

joe_dh

Hi there,
 thanks for your responses. I’ll send a letter as suggested with proof of posting.
location: the Royal Oak, bookham. 

I agree that it seems they’ve complied with all regs and timescales. And as time has elapsed from being away, it doesn’t matter who drove the car. 

My concern is the website doesn’t even recognise the parking charge number to pay or appeal so does this mean it’s already passed on to collectors? 

I really can’t afford it to go to £175… 
I did do a screen video recording of the website not recognising the invoice number or registration both on appeal page and payment page, though not sure if this would help. 

Kind regards, 

Redx

I am afraid that what you can or cannot afford is irrelevant , if it goes to court and the defendant loses , the total will be around £200 and non payment in Full within one month will result in a CCJ for 6 years , all for one lapse in judgment by the driver not looking for signs and reading them

The ability to pay or not is not a matter for the claim or judgment

joe_dh

Yes I’m aware my bank balance has little to do with it. But not being able to actually pay the fine on their website does surely? It’s a little alarming it doesn’t recognise the parking charge number. 

Redx

Send a cheque in the post then , royal mail is a typical allowed alternative

I agree that it is strange but you have stated that the time to pay or appeal has passed , so yes it has probably gone to debt collectors

You could complain online to the BPA 

Coupon-mad

joe_dh said:

Yes I’m aware my bank balance has little to do with it. But not being able to actually pay the fine on their website does surely? It’s a little alarming it doesn’t recognise the parking charge number. 

You are surely not planning on paying?  You are not going to pay £170 and who cares about getting Debt demand letters from third party firms?  

They are explained with pictures, in the 4th post of the NEWBIES thread, already.   Please read it first before asking stuff like whether these letters can affect credit rating (no) and whether they can come knocking (no). 

Not a single person here would pay just because they’d missed some arbitrary appeal window.  Appeal anyway as advised, by post, going to a PO counter and getting a free certificate of posting, and keep it.

Do not use ‘signed for’ post.

D_P_Dance

It is not a fine, please read the newbies and complain to your MP.