Desperately looking for some advice

Kimmyl

go-on-then said:

It is not a fine. It is not worth sleepless nights and please stop worrying.

Unfortunately you are now caught up in this very common game of  'will they or won't they pay'.  You wont be paying, only a judge can make you pay and it may not even get as far as court so no worrying about that either.

Please dont fall for the letters threatening debt collectors and ccj's,  it's all part of the game to make you pay.

Please read the Newbies thread as everyone is advised to do and follow the steps.  Also read, read and better read as many other posts as you possibly can to get a better idea of how this all works.   You will probably read of other people in a similar position to yourself and their case may help yours.

You will get excellent step by step help and advice on this forum. Do as you are asked, when you are asked and you will be fine.  Defence and witness statement help is given so no worrying about that either.
Citizens Advice don't have much idea about private parking so it is often suggested not to go there.

Thank you for your reply. I’ve been going through the newbie thread and did so before posting, trying to see if there’s anything more that I can do that I haven’t. I’ll be honest though, some of what I am reading is very confusing to me, I’ve never dealt with anything legal/court proceedings I know it’s not even at that stage yet but it’s all so daunting. Will carry on trying to take in as much info as possible. 

Umkomaas

Kimmyl said:

KeithP said:

Where exactly did this alleged parking event take place?

It was at Trafford Retail Park in Urmston, Manchester 

Start your landowner/managing agent complaint with Peel Holdings, they manage the car park.  See the top of the entrance sign. 

Kimmyl

Umkomaas said:

Kimmyl said:

KeithP said:

Where exactly did this alleged parking event take place?

It was at Trafford Retail Park in Urmston, Manchester 

Start your landowner/managing agent complaint with Peel Holdings, they manage the car park.  See the top of the entrance sign. 

Just took a trip down to retail park peel don’t seem to own the side with Starbucks and Aldi in its a seperate car park on the same retail park it’s Akzo Nobel who owns but when I emailed they said they only deal with pension funds and haven’t provided me with the correct contact for the department who would deal with this

Umkomaas

Try to find out who the managing agent is for that side, there's sure to be an intermediary between the actual landowner (such as a pension fund) and the day to day running of the site. I'm sure one of the retailers there will know because they would have contact with the MA if problems with their premises crop up (for example). 

go-on-then

Akzo Nobel are a large paint / coatings company.  Their website has a ' Speak Up '   option to click on then  ' Report a concern online '  option.

Ask there for any information / contacts regarding this / their land / parking companies.  Someone must know someone. 

Kimmyl

Akzo Nobel have proven very difficult to contact however I did manage to lodge a complaint with a company who works on their behalf, I need to wait 8 working days until I can chase up a response.
Other things I have done:
Sent email to local MP - awaiting response

Sent tweets to both Starbucks and Aldi - Aldi have responded, were very apologetic but told me there’s nothing they can do as they don’t own the land which is what I was told over the phone too.
No reply from Starbucks on Twitter but over the phone they said the same as Aldi.

Sent another email to SIP basically pleading with them as the fine has now gone up to £115. They replied that they give me until 1st March to pay £100 (fine was originally £60 but I appealed) 

I’m now debating whether to take out a credit card in order to pay this PCN, as I’ve mentioned before I’m sick with worry purely because I keep overthinking the scenario where they take me to court, the costs triple and I loose the case. I would be ruined, like I’ve mentioned it’s a stretch with my current situation to pay £100 I don’t have any disposable income after bills/necessities. I thought my argument using “equality act 2010” would have settled this at appeal stage given my circumstances but I found this website after the appeal and since reading the newbie thread have read that IAS are known as a “kangaroo court”.
I have 3 very young children and I don’t if I have it in me to deal with all the legal stuff I know absolutely nothing about. Even reading on the newbie thread frazzled my brain at parts it’s all very daunting and scary… I don’t have the slightest clue!

also, for some reason the park ticket and all follow up is being sent to my old address (which is my mums house so I still receive the post) and being sent in my maiden name (which changed in 2020) I’ve updated everything driving licence and log book wise so not sure why this is

Umkomaas

I keep overthinking the scenario where they take me to court, the costs triple and I loose the case. I would be ruined,

You are seriously overthinking this. A maximum cost award if you lost in court (if they actually do that), would be:

£100 original parking charge
£35 court filing fee
£50 (capped) solicitor fee
£25 (rarely seen) hearing fee

Absolute max of £210. 

I'm sure that's bad enough, but not the imaginary amount you seem to be mulling around in your head.

But, if it gets to court, we can help you with defending, and in the vast majority of cases, where people fully follow forum advice, those cases are defended successfully.

Kimmyl

Another thing to add about the stupid lay out of this retail park is that only the bit with Aldi and Starbucks uses SIP. 

The other side owned by Peel (but all still part of the same retail park) has no parking rules, you can park there for however long you want. I’ve been shopping at this retail park for years so I never thought anything of parking times when going into the Aldi/Starbucks side but that was only additionally built last year. 

They are so sneaky with ways to sponge money out of innocent people just trying to get about their day. The car park was almost empty, I was a genuine customer who took slightly over 90mins but it didn’t make a difference to anyone, I wasn’t taking up a space or parking dangerously, I had a young baby and was still in significant pain walking from my c section I don’t understand what they are trying to charge me for!!!!!! 

bargepole

Kimmyl said:

They are so sneaky with ways to sponge money out of innocent people just trying to get about their day. The car park was almost empty, I was a genuine customer who took slightly over 90mins but it didn’t make a difference to anyone, I wasn’t taking up a space or parking dangerously, I had a young baby and was still in significant pain walking from my c section I don’t understand what they are trying to charge me for!!!!!! 

Because that's what they do - try to extort money from people going about their legitimate business.

This is why these charges are often referred to as a 'scam', and it is why the Government has stepped in to introduce the Parking (Code of Practice) Act 2019, and the consequent publication of the new statutory Code, taking effect some time next year. This will limit this type of parking charge to £50, with 50% discount if paid within 14 days, and prohibit any fake 'debt recovery charges'.

Your original thread title says 'Desperately looking for some advice'. All of the advice you need is in the NEWBIES thread, but we can only put it out there, you have to understand it and act on it. Your choices are either to pay the scammers, or put in the hours to understand how to fight it.

Le_Kirk

Send a Data Rectification Notice to the DPO of the Parking Company assuming it is SIP Parking: -

dataprotection@sipcarparks.co.uk
telling them your new address for service and requiring them to ERASE your old data and inform all and any of their agents and sub-contractors of the same.  Attach a copy of your V5C showing your correct address.