Parking stories in the News/media

Grizebeck

bargepole said:

This from the DM tells you everything you need to know, and why the DLUHC must act to curb this extortion racket:

Fat cat parking bosses rake in DOUBLE the PMs £164K salary while slapping record fines on motorists | Daily Mail Online

And they complain that the Cap on charges will force thousands out of work.....

patient_dream

Grizebeck said:

bargepole said:

This from the DM tells you everything you need to know, and why the DLUHC must act to curb this extortion racket:

Fat cat parking bosses rake in DOUBLE the PMs £164K salary while slapping record fines on motorists | Daily Mail Online

And they complain that the Cap on charges will force thousands out of work.....

And we all know who started this cloud dreaming propaganda  .... THE BPA OF COURSE

KeithP

bargepole said:

This from the DM tells you everything you need to know, and why the DLUHC must act to curb this extortion racket:

Fat cat parking bosses rake in DOUBLE the PMs £164K salary while slapping record fines on motorists | Daily Mail Online

Wow! 

A picture in that article shows a sign which states...



£170?? 

I thought the maximum allowed by the BPA (and Beavis) was £100.

What an apt name... Creative.

Snakes_Belly

KeithP said:

bargepole said:

This from the DM tells you everything you need to know, and why the DLUHC must act to curb this extortion racket:

Fat cat parking bosses rake in DOUBLE the PMs £164K salary while slapping record fines on motorists | Daily Mail Online

Wow! 

A picture in that article shows a sign which states...



£170?? 

I thought the maximum allowed by the BPA (and Beavis) was £100.

What an apt name... Creative.

0870 number on one of Creative's signs.

Coupon-mad

Chap in Scotland forgets how to Google and actually thinks unfair ANPR private parking charges are to be paid and are 'fines':
https://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/motors/9852587/fined-driving-into-car-park-luss/amp/

Coupon-mad

Talk about 'furious backpedalling' re the Foodbank CCJ case I linked here last month:
https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/kenton-foodbank-parking-fines-cancelled-25641834?int_source=amp_continue_reading&int_medium=amp&int_campaign=continue_reading_button#amp-readmore-target

The journalist wrongly thinks DCBL is the previous parking firm but just look at this truly desperate climbdown to avoid bad publicity at a crucial time for the parking industry:

"14 PCNs relating to the foodbank's two vans have now been cancelled and both vehicles have been given permits so that they can park for as long as they need to at the car park behind Kenton Shopping Centre.

Civil Enforcement has also said that it will review other PCNs issued to volunteers of the food bank "on a case by case basis," following ChronicleLive's report in November and an intervention from Newcastle upon Tyne North's Labour MP, Catherine McKinnell.

The company has agreed to offer its support to Loree to assist the foodbank in having its CCJ removed, which is thought to have been issued by the previous operator of the car park, DCBL. It has also said it will set aside two CCJs for volunteers connected to the foodbank as a gesture of goodwill."

Goodwill my backside...!

Coupon-mad

And here's Euro Car Parks apparently allowing an obstacle to be plonked in front of a payment machine, stopping people from being able to use it.

This has caused a pensioner to get an unfair £100 parking charge that of course is waaay beyond his means:
https://www.lep.co.uk/must-read/disabled-pensioner-from-leyland-hit-with-ps100-parking-charge-after-failing-to-buy-50p-ticket-because-the-car-parks-pay-machine-was-blocked-by-debris-3940190?amp

"The Post approached Euro Car Parks for a response but had no reply."

PREDICTION:

I expect to read about furious backpedalling in a week...it's almost as if the BPA is reading this thread and damage limitation is the order of the day.

So many cases of BPA member firms caving in a week or so after newspapers publicise a case, e.g. Smart Parking in another disabled driver/foodbank PCN scam:
https://www.echo-news.co.uk/news/23102166.smart-parking-rescind-basildon-salvation-army-parking-fine/

The lady's appeal was refused.  Of course it was. It's Smart Parking, what else does one expect?

But then when the newspaper stepped in, along with the Sally Army whose food-bank it is, suddenly the PCN was rescinded:

"Major Tim Justice, Basildon Salvation Army leader, said: “After the Salvation Army made a further appeal, we understand the fine has now been cancelled.”

patient_dream

Both articles above prove beyond any doubt that the BPA membership is full of wild animals and money scammers ?

The BPA should be put into special measures as they are simply not fit to be an ATA

And the IPC, the mega scam outfit should have the ATA status taken away 

Letting these wild animals run riot, the BPA has no defence to support the JR ......... they should now shut up as their propagands is pointless

Coupon-mad

I stand by what I said about cases being swept under the carpet extremely quickly at the moment, the minute the press get a sniff.

I think the APAs (specifically looks like the BPA) are likely trying to minimise press damage at this crucial time whilst the DLUHC are preparing the promised draft Impact Assessment and Public Consultation.

Private PCNs never normally get cancelled at this rate of knots...

Here's one where POPLA (yes, so-called independent POPLA) reportedly leaned on CEL to get a PCN cancelled this month:
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/cars/advice/ask-expert-how-can-fight-parking-fine-elderly-mothers-health/


Full article:

Dear Alex,

My elderly mother recently received a Parking Charge Notice when visiting her local health centre. She had to enter the registration on a touchscreen but, not being familiar with computers, must have made a mistake. She appealed to the parking operator, which confirmed she was a legitimate user and offered to reduce the charge, but not cancel it completely. We took her case to POPLA (Parking On Private Land Appeals), pointing out that touchscreens may not be appropriate for elderly users, but the charge was upheld. She is now in hospital having been diagnosed with advanced cancer and I would like to help her fight this. What do you suggest?  

– KP

Dear KP,

"Your mother had parked on private land, so in the eyes of the law this is a charge for parking and a civil matter – as opposed to a fine and a legal matter, which it would be if it had been issued by the council or the police (and in which case it would be a Penalty Charge Notice). 

The premise for such charges is that the parking operator considers you to enter into a contract when you park, as advised by signs posted around the parking area. If you don’t pay, or overstay, you’re in breach of that contract, and a charge is issued. If you still refuse to pay, the parking company can take you to court. 

If you believe the charge was not issued fairly, you can fight it by ignoring the charge in the hope the company won't bother to take you to court (though while many aren’t, some are, and if the case does end up in court and you’re found to be at fault, the costs can spiral). Or you can pay, then take the company to the small claims court, in the hope that you can get your money back that way. 

Both of these options require time, money and energy. And you have to be prepared for the fact you might end up paying more than if you were simply to settle the charge now.

I agree with your point about this rush to touchscreen (and in some cases, app-based) parking payment systems leaving many people behind and I think it’s unfair and verging on discriminatory. So I decided to write to POPLA on your behalf to see whether it would be willing to take another look at your case, asking them to take into account the circumstances of your mother’s ill health.

Thankfully, POPLA was able to encourage Civil Enforcement, the company that issued the charge, to cancel it as a gesture of goodwill. I hope that gives you one less thing to worry about at this awful time and I sincerely wish you and your mother all the very best."

Coupon-mad

Haha, now it is crystal clear and becoming a real pattern.

Another one, this time involving Horizon:
https://www.northwalespioneer.co.uk/news/23173221.conwy-womans-fine-cancelled-parking-tesco-raise-money/

"Sarah Lesiter-Burgess, a mum-of-three and primary school teacher, was involved in trying to gather donations for the Glan Conwy branch of the Fuel Poverty Action campaign at Tesco, on G Road, on September 2.

The group is managed by a small number of volunteers like Sarah, with an aim to provide advice to people facing financial hardship, and to help them access valuable grants and provide a warm space.

Realising that she would be leaving her car in the supermarket’s car park, owned by Horizon Parking, for more than three hours, she visited customer services to report this.

Sarah said: “There was a book open on the desk with names, car registration details, date and the time the person had arrived. There were no entries with a departure time.

“A few weeks later, I received notification from Horizon that I was to be fined £35, rising to £70 if not paid within 14 days.

“I visited the Tesco store and showed a copy of my fine to one of the managers. The manager said that he would deal with this, and that I was to ignore any further correspondence from Horizon.”

Several weeks later, though, Sarah received a further notice, so visited the store to ask what the current state of play was.

She said she was told by customer services said that they don't deal with matters such as this.

Sarah then filed an appeal stating that she had been doing charitable work, which was not upheld.

Another appeal was then made, outlining in detail that she had been a volunteer, raising money for a charitable cause, and that she had signed the book with her car details.

This appeal was also not upheld.

Sarah added: “I visited the Llandudno Junction Tesco customer services, to be advised that a manager would call me.

“Approximately two weeks later, I was called by a Tesco manager, who said that she had a large number of them to appeal, so would add mine in the email to Horizon.

“Subsequently, I have been contacted by Horizon confirming that they are upholding the fine, but will kindly leave it at £70 if I pay within 14 days.

“I feel it doesn't encourage people to volunteer for charitable causes and doesn't reflect well on Tesco.

“In giving over three hours of my time to help people in these hard times, I am facing a financial penalty myself.”

A spokesperson for Horizon said evidence of Sarah working for the charity would have led to the fine being cancelled at an earlier instance, but that Sarah did not provide this.

After being contacted by the Pioneer, though, the spokesperson said the fine had been cancelled."