Parking stories in the News/media

Coupon-mad

This is Money whinging about how long the new Code of Practice is taking:
https://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/cars/article-12619239/amp/Why-taking-long-curb-private-parking-charge-menace-asks-LEE-BOYCE-drivers-clobbered.html

No mention of the fact that the BSI 'PAS' meetings took place in the heart of the pandemic (2020 and 2021) and ultimately it is the PPCs and bloodsucking DRAs who blocked the new Code in 2021 (threatened JR) and 2022 (actual JRs).

The only mistake I think the DLUHC made was thinking they could cut corners with no up front Impact Assessment, and being too naive about the litigiousness of the parking industry.

Now they've had their fingers burned, they know better.  Knowledge is power.  The team now working on it is stronger, in my view.

I hope PPC World live to regret their various legal blocks and delays.

In fact, I am sure they do regret it already because if they'd not threatened the first JR in early 2021 (as they did) the Code would have gone ahead almost certainly ALLOWING +£70 DRA fees, because we all saw from the 2021 Public Consultation that the Government (then) actually thought that was OK!

The MHCLG at the time DIDN'T EVEN INVITE QUESTIONS about that in the Public Consultation in 2021 and stated it as a fait accompli.  So it's clear that some credulous staff/lawyers somewhere in Government, were taken in by the 'barely legals' and DRA suits at the time and had swallowed it that the price-fixed £70 was "the industry standard".

They even said that at an August 2021 Webinar (that us regulars watched) acting like the added extortionate fees weren't an issue.  PPC World could have had that in the bag if they hadn't delayed the Code that was pretty much set to be first laid before Parliament in Spring 2021.  But they were greedy.

I remember Steve Clark pointing out publicly, either in Parking News or at a BPA meeting we got a recorded copy of, effectively sighing: "look at what you could have had" i.e. he knew what was likely on the table in 2021 and he made it clear that he thought maybe the threatened JR that year was a bad move.

Sensible guy.  A loss to the BPA.

Well a lot happened in the 6 months between that Webinar and Feb 2022, I can tell you.

I can't talk about the work, the who or what was said, but let's just say (as you may have gathered) there were good people who wouldn't let it lie.  There were no deep pockets for funding JRs on the "good side", but a lot of deep sentiment and evidence that adding £70 per PCN was nothing short of the "extortion" that Neil O'Brien MP then declared it to be, as the scales fell from their eyes. 

And a lot is still happening.  Don't worry. The idea of adding 30% came out of the blue, is badly misinformed and hasn't gone down well.

Let's hope they listen.

UncleThomasCobley

Coupon-mad said:

I like their style in that respect.

What I don't like is the unprofessional "look at me" wording in the blogs talking about 'the esteemed Mr Yamba' and how astonishingly brilliant he is every second word.

Reminds me of a certain narc.  You know the one. Always thought he was the cleverest person in the room when he clearly was not.

It would appear that their content is flushed through ChatGPT where it is "enhanced" with the  fawning, effusive, gushy, rhapsodic, adulatory, hyperbolic, hagiographic and encomiastic praises. Still... nothing wrong with waxing lyrical if they are successful against the scamming vermin we all know as the unregulated private parking industry.

1505grandad

Well you'll love todays agianst C-m's favourite......:-

https://www.contestorlegal.co.uk/blog-3/triumphing-over-unjust-parking-charges-and-claiming-750-in-costs-against-one-parking-solution-ltd

Coupon-mad

Very happy with that CCJ set aside and striking out of an OPS claim.

Grizebeck

The wording is awful . It's cringy

Coupon-mad

Yes embarrassingly bad.  But good outcomes and two VERY useful transcripts so far. 

UncleThomasCobley

BTW, does anyone have the actual transcript for the VCS v Ian Edwards appeal? I have found the transcript here but it cannot be downloaded. In the meantime, if anyone needs it, I have managed to copy and paste it and reformat it as the original in a PDF format, except without the copyright message:

https://www.scribd.com/document/676990739/VCS-Limited-v-Ian-Mark-Edward

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/yvxek3kfwtb3qent3lj6y/VCS-Limited-v-Ian-Mark-Edward-H0KF6C9C.pdf?rlkey=niecohfdtj1n1ysh5prbsp52p&dl=0

Coupon-mad

Yes I do have it, below.  With all the headers.

It's Ian Edward without an 's' but this file has been saved wrongly as 'Edwards' in the title:

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/w0k19zxzlpf9eumu68u7b/VCS-v-EDWARDS-Transcript.pdf?rlkey=5t2gilebrjx7g0d6jmy32lou4&dl=0

1505grandad

Good old  Homeguard v Jopson strikes again:-

https://www.contestorlegal.co.uk/blog-3/unparalleled-legal-victory-defining-the-true-meaning-of-parking

"Following this, the Court agreed that the Defendant’s brief stop to drop off groceries did not constitute parking. The claim was dismissed, and the Court awarded costs in favour of the Defendant under CPR 27.14(2)(g) , citing the Claimant’s unreasonable conduct and failure to rectify the false statement in their witness statement."

Coupon-mad

Jolly good.

I mean the real 'pivotal case' is Jopson not this one but he does like to blow his own trumpet and he has a lot of success, so we stand alongside Jackson Yamba in this fight.