Vehicle Control Services LJLA

DisruptiveLad

Anyone ever get a No Stopping notice from VCS for stopping near a barriered entrance to a car park at Liverpool John Lennon Airport?

Fruitcake

Yes, lots of people.

There are at least two other threads on this forum from today about stopping charges at this location.

Read the sticky NEWBIES Announcement and follow the advice there.

Plan A, complain to the landowner and your MP.

Plan B, appeal using the template in blue text from the NEWBIES.

Read up on what to do if/when the initial complaint/appeal is rejected. 

If possible, get photos and videos of the site and signage.
Read other JLA no stopping threads, as well as other airport no stopping threads.
Download dashcam footage if available, and/or smartphone data if location tracking is enabled.

KeithP

DisruptiveLad said:

Anyone ever get a No Stopping notice from VCS for stopping near a barriered entrance to a car park at Liverpool John Lennon Airport?

Why do you ask?
Are you carrying out a survey or something?

DisruptiveLad

Long story. I'm pulling all threads together bit by bit. This case involves a Notice close to a car park barrier as opposed to clearly stopping in a No Stopping zone on a road within the complex. 

Coupon-mad

Same as loads of VCS cases.  Another one was won by a forumite only last week.

DisruptiveLad

Mine is rather specific though.

Umkomaas

DisruptiveLad said:

Mine is rather specific though.

From your limited description, it looks very little different to many we've seen where people have pulled into gateways, pull-ins etc in that vicinity. One I recall in the misty past where a motorist had driven into the wrong car park entrance and stopped before the barrier to reverse out. 

Trainerman

DisruptiveLad said:

Mine is rather specific though.

Yes but if you do not fill us in on details, the experts here cannot point you in the right direction

Fruitcake

Have a look at ginger_thread_man's thread where he got a PCN for stopping in a queue at the barrier to a car park at Bristol Airport, also infested by VCS.

He won his court case. VCS's own photos clearly show the car stopped in the queue, off the no-stopping route. He was sent a copy of the landholder contract by VCS at the witness statement stage. This clearly showed the car park entrance road was outside the area they are contracted to manage.

I used that to beat VCS when one of my relatives got a PCN for stopping in the drop-off car park approach road. Again, photos and the contract showed the car was outside the no-stopping zone.

Another poster got a PCN at Bristol Airport for stopping at a roundabout, again outside the no-stopping area. They also won their court case.

Another poster got a PCN for stopping .... wait for it ... at a STOP sign. She got it cancelled.

Another poster got a PCN for stopping at another airport, at a Zebra Crossing.

What I'm getting at is, yes, lots of people have received PCNs for stopping at airports. You need to make complaints long and loud to the landowner/landholder and your MP, as well as follow the appeals process where hopefully you will be able to kill it off before it gets to court.

DisruptiveLad

Thanks guys. The car had been driven into the wrong car park entrance. The driver engaged the attendant via intercom. The images clearly show the barrier, but those pics are not location stamped. They contain no signage, nor red road markings.

LJLA this week say they wouldn't expect a queue of cars there to attract a Notice. I have inferred from that VCS are acting illegally. My local MP is ready to intervene with LJLA should they not provide answers to further questions. They now appear ready to cooperate. Their own parking Ts and Cs refer to VCS' authority only starting when a car enters a car park. I've reminded them of their legal obligations and of possible consequences if they allowed VCS free reign illegally. (Fraud Act 2006) and possibly Theft act 1968.

There's also the contract VCS' Elms Legal provided. I asked for ALL documents VCS would rely on in court. They sent a Fixed Term Contract with no mention of a definite renewal. The contract is not signed correctly, not dated appropriately and has no witnesses. It breaches Section 44 of the companies Act 2006. Elms, in writing, said the car was parked. VCS say stopped.

I have referred VCS to the Coronavirus Business Complaints unit for harassment during a pandemic. A number of other referrals will follow.

DisruptiveLad

To be honest, between VCS and Elms, they have wracked up a large amount of regulatory breaches and possible criminal acts - obtaining keeper details under false pretences; attempting to obtain financial advantage under false pretences; harassment. I'm minded to go to court to be honest.