Accidentally drove through drop-off zone at Heathrow Airport yet paid £7.5 for collection zone park

briancr7

Hello,

The driver drove into drop-off zone at Heathrow Airport by mistake, been out of it in 3 minutes according to the parking charge itself, yet paid the £7.5 for collection zone parking (The vehicle was actually there to collect).

They still sent a 'fine', which quite surely is non-POFA worded, its from APCOA, looks exactly like the one in the collection `A thread of Pictures of 2023 parking firm NTKs`.

The question is that should the driver just appeal with the template at Plan B, or make the case and say driver went through drop-off zone by mistake since the driver does not know the airport, and actually went to collect someone where the parking fee was paid on exit (holding receipt for it)?

Does it worth to try Plan A? Since its a very big airport, not sure if complaint would be a good solution, would be very difficult to reach the authority there?





Advice appreciated,
Thanks.

Fruitcake

It is not a fine.

The driver should sit on their hands in the corner, and say and do nothing. Absolutely nothing.

Plan A is always a complaint from the keeper to the landowner and the keeper's MP, and the BPA. This a known and recurring problem at this site, but nothing has been done about it yet.

Plan B is for the keeper to appeal using the template in blue text, adding a one liner that the site is not relevant land, the NTK is not PoFA compliant, therefore the keeper cannot be held liable.

briancr7

Fruitcake said:

It is not a fine.

The driver should sit on their hands in the corner, and say and do nothing. Absolutely nothing.

Plan A is always a complaint from the keeper to the landowner and the keeper's MP, and the BPA. This a known and recurring problem at this site, but nothing has been done about it yet.

Plan B is for the keeper to appeal using the template in blue text, adding a one liner that the site is not relevant land, the NTK is not PoFA compliant, therefore the keeper cannot be held liable.

Got it. I will correct my original post.

Could you clarify, would it be still the better solution to appeal using Plan B opposed to do nothing?
Just want to make sure that no letters are going to appear from debt collectors, etc.

Fruitcake

Plan A is the only way that this sort of behaviour by unregulated private parking companies referred to as rogues, scammers, and bloodsuckers by UK MPs will ever be stopped.

The general advice for any PCN is, do not pay, do not ignore, do not reveal the driver's identity. The advice to ignore has not been given on this forum since the law changed in 2015.

To date, APCOA have never done court, so you could ignore it. It doesn't mean APCOA will never do court, but are unlikely to start with a one off ticket where the keeper cannot be held liable. An appeal, even if a second stage appeal to PoPLA is needed, will see this off and remove any doubt or worry.

Do not ignore any other PPC unless they are not an ATA member.

Debt collectors are powerless and can do nothing except send you poor quality bog-paper. 

Umkomaas

After complaining to the airport, send this simple message to APCOA within their 28-day deadline. They will cancel (as long as you don't tick any 'I was the driver' type box). 

As your Parking Charge Notice does not comply with the requirements of the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012 (Schedule 4), you are, in law, unable to hold the registered keeper of the vehicle liable for the parking charge; I suggest therefore you contact the driver. As there is no legal requirement placed on the registered keeper to identify the driver, I will not be doing so.'. 

Coupon-mad

briancr7 said:

Fruitcake said:

It is not a fine.

The driver should sit on their hands in the corner, and say and do nothing. Absolutely nothing.

Plan A is always a complaint from the keeper to the landowner and the keeper's MP, and the BPA. This a known and recurring problem at this site, but nothing has been done about it yet.

Plan B is for the keeper to appeal using the template in blue text, adding a one liner that the site is not relevant land, the NTK is not PoFA compliant, therefore the keeper cannot be held liable.

Got it. I will correct my original post.

Could you clarify, would it be still the better solution to appeal using Plan B opposed to do nothing?
Just want to make sure that no letters are going to appear from debt collectors, etc.

No-one told the keeper to do nothing.