Parking stories in the News/media

Coupon-mad

Thorndorise said:

This is gold....I mean c'mon...
What I'd love to know - and am considering asking on a public forum like Linkedin....is what % is significant that are cancelled at the appeal stage...

Typically focusing on MSE - and the (Excellent) advice given here....they poo poo it obvs...self-serving detritus...



Watch the 'really interesting' misinformation here! https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7285940164785238016/

I watched it and laughed my head off!

We should be flattered that two PPC-biased solicitors are clearly so worried about this forum and 'misinformation going to the Government' that they staged a Podcast chat that nobody except us will watch!

We are doing something right aren't we?! 

  

But on a serious note, one wonders how they can keep straight faces whilst spouting that:

(a) the ("95% of decisions go against the motorist") IAS and/or

(b) the typical series of dozens of texts, unwanted phone calls, emails and letter threatograms from roboclaim firms - always with the clear message:

"TOUGH! IT'S FAR TOO LATE TO DISPUTE: PAY UP OR ELSE AND IT IS NOW £170 FOR NO JUSTIFICATION WHATSOEVER AND WE DON'T PAY VAT BECAUSE WE DRESS IT UP AS IF IT'S ALL A 'PARKING CHARGE'!"

... are somehow offering a kindly debt 'resolution' stage. Utter codswallop IMHO.

He said it at the start (paraphrasing)  "two lawyers talking about parking; seems like a joke"...

Yep... made me laugh!

Loved the main focus on a quote from the NEWBIES thread which they then used to twist the words into something else.

1505grandad

https://www.contestorlegal.co.uk/blog-3/a-victory-against-unfair-parking-practices-a-case-study-of-napier-parking-limited-vs-leigh-ellwood

"In a shocking display of predatory behaviour, Napier Parking Limited has issued an astonishing 41 Parking Charge Notices (PCNs) against our client, a tenant totalling a staggering £4,000."

"Upon reviewing the particulars of the claim, it became apparent that Napier's case was built on shaky ground. The location of the alleged contraventions was not particularised, and the terms relied upon, as well as the breach, were not clearly outlined."

"Napier was represented by BW Legal, a firm notorious in pursuing parking claims."

"In a surprising move, Napier filed a particular of claim that failed to comply with CPR 16.4(2)(ii) and (iii), which mandates that the Claimant specify if seeking interest, the date to which it is calculated, and the total amount of interest claimed to the date of calculation. The Claimant's omission of these crucial details is a glaring breach of the Civil Procedure Rules."

" The statement revealed a pattern of mismanagement by the landowner, which had resulted in our client being unable to renew their parking permit. This, in turn, led to the issuance of multiple tickets, which Napier was now attempting to enforce."

"At the final hearing, the advocate representing our client, highlighted the flaws with the amended particulars of claim with non-compliance with the CPR. The court, taking into account the argument presented, ruled in favour of our client, striking out Napier’s claim in its entirety. This victory was a testament to our expertise and dedication to fighting against unfair parking charges.

This case serves as a stark warning to Napier Parking Limited and other parking companies that engage in similar practices. Their aggressive tactics, designed to intimidate and coerce individuals into paying unjust fines, will not be tolerated."

J63320

https://www.theguardian.com/money/2025/jan/18/private-car-parks-uk-drivers-penalties-charges

Article from today’s Guardian. Describes some horrendous cases, but disingenuously suggests that the behaviour of the PPCs is improving.

Umkomaas

J63320 said:

https://www.theguardian.com/money/2025/jan/18/private-car-parks-uk-drivers-penalties-charges

Article from today’s Guardian. Describes some horrendous cases, but disingenuously suggests that the behaviour of the PPCs is improving.

That is coming from the lady (Ms Hudson) who fell foul, on numerous occasions, of the Excel 'pay in 5 minutes' scam. I think she is being influenced by some IPC/BPA propaganda. Let's see what she thinks if she cops for another ticket!

The BPA and IPC say the code they have devised “will raise standards and deliver greater transparency and consistency for the benefit of motorists”. Firms play a crucial role in managing parking spaces, they add, and “over 99.77% of parking events are compliant and free from dispute”.

So 0.23% 'non-compliant' parking events equates to the issue of 14.5million tickets?  In which case the numbers are mind-boggling!  How many 'parking events' are there annually here?

Jenni_D

If you consider a low average of 10 parking events per day in a car park, that's 3,650 per year. 🤷‍♀️

The numbers still don't quite add up though ... 0.23% non-compliant would equate to 6.3 billion parking events per year. Or there being over 17 million car parks in the UK.

Umkomaas

Jenni_D said:

If you consider a low average of 10 parking events per day in a car park, that's 3,650 per year. 🤷‍♀️

The numbers still don't quite add up though ... 0.23% non-compliant would equate to 6.3 billion parking events per year. Or there being over 17 million car parks in the UK.

The crazy numbers are akin to the BPA's forecast that £19.5 billion would be lost to the economy resulting from the statutory reduction in parking charges. 

https://www.britishparking-media.co.uk/news/government-proposals-to-reduce-parking-charges-will-lead-to-a-gbp-19-5-billion-hit-to-the-uk-economy

Add to the silly numbers they threw at (and were swallowed by) the Govt when keeper liability was conned out. 

How anyone can trust any figure produced by the BPA?

Jenni_D

In 2015 the BPA estimated that there were 17k-20k car parks in the UK ... no way that's increased 100 fold in 10 years. 🙄

https://www.data.gov.uk/dataset/af896cab-79ee-43c2-a3cb-3a1198b97f52/car-parks-bpa

ParkingMad

The IPC say there are 68.5 million parking events each day in the UK. But according to the RAC there are only 34 million cars on the road and 34.5 million people have a full driving licence (74% of people aged over 17).

NCC1701-A

Are they counting when I park on the road or on my drive as opposed to in a car park?

Jenni_D

Lies, damned lies, and statistics. 68.5 million will likely be extrapolated from there being about 34 million cars whereby each car parks twice every day. The fact that the vast majority of those "parking events" will likely be on land that has no PPC oversight whatsoever is merely an inconvenience to the message they're trying to convey.