Hope Cove Car Park 2024

Wizawaz

On the 10/01/2024 I parked at this car park in Hope Cove. There was no one else parked there but us.
Similar to previous posts on the subject.
I received letter from PPS telling me I had to pay £60.
I have appealed, only today receiving a letter that it was not successful, so it is going to the IAS next.
As they say it was human error that the machine only captured the first letter of my Reg.
I have the ticket, we paid £2 by contactless.
The machine would not allow us to move on to the duration screen until I had put my Reg in.
I required 2 hours. We paid, it printed the ticket.
We did not stay the full time.
I also do not like the photo they have taken of us driving in, it rather encroaches on my privacy.
I will be arguing that point too.
I will not pay this, I will let it go to court as previous messages have stated.
I think also I will take all paper work to the police, as I am sure PPS are aware, especially after at least 3 years and I have read these cases happening from this car park on this site and Facebook, where the Reg is not being successful placed in during this time frame, so it is a stronger case of being a machine error.
They are trying to extort monies from me illegally. Committing a fraud and scamming members of the public who innocently just want to park and enjoy a walk around Hope Cove, on a winter's day.
I do not know who this couple is that own the car park land, but they are receiving monies from this, and again I will include them in my point raising it in court if it comes to that. 
It was my first time there, and last!

Fruitcake

The forum collective advice is not to appeal to the IAS, because it is not independent, and it is considered to be a kangaroo court. If you appeal against forum advice, be aware that you stand a 95% chance of losing, which may embolden the PPC and may sway a judge into believing it is a fair ADR from a fine upstanding company.

Coupon-mad

Fruitcake said:

The forum collective advice is not to appeal to the IAS, because it is not independent, and it is considered to be a kangaroo court. If you appeal against forum advice, be aware that you stand a 95% chance of losing, which may embolden the PPC and may sway a judge into believing it is a fair ADR from a fine upstanding company.

This.

But OBVIOUSLY no paying!

Wizawaz

My situation slightly different. Although I was the one who was driving my car and parked in the car park. It was my friend who used his contactless payment to pay for the parking.
I am annoyed! as I was all set to take it to court, my friend on the other hand has opted to pay the £60, he did not want the long drawn out, lottery. He had also had advice from a family member who had a parking issue at ShadyCombe Carpark in Salcombe. They had taken it to court only to loose. 

I feel cheated.
As the way I look at it. PPS say it is human error.

The point I would argue in court would of been.
So from their understanding, everyone has to check their printed tickets.
But if the full reg has not printed upon it, we will have to go through the whole process again, paying for parking. 
Do they have this advertised on their boards? Do they have a refund scheme available for the dud so called tickets that do not print out the reg? The car park is unmanned who do we ask? 

However, I am an eager keyboard warrior!
I have emailed the local councilor, and they have responded.
I am posting their response here, so others can follow this email trail.

Dear Sir or Madam, 

Thank you for your email, we are very sorry to hear that you are yet another victim of this car park. 

With regret, the car park is under private ownership, the management of the area has been outsourced to an operating company and we have no information regarding the land owners.  The Parish Council have absolutely no jurisdiction or influence in the management of this land. 

From the numerous complaints we receive each year as well as the posts that are uploaded to the Hope Cove Facebook page, we can only advise that in our experience the management company stick rigidly to the rules/regulations posted on the signage in the car park and as such, anyone overstaying their time or not having a full and correct registration number printed on their tickets is likely to be fined.  Furthermore, we have received communications from people who have received fines but have already disposed of their tickets and so are unable to prove they were parked there validly and are left with no option but to pay or take the risk of going to court and receiving a bigger fine.   

You could try contacting the following, they may be able to provide some advice to you:  https://www.popla.co.uk/?fbclid=IwAR3yF4tyPecP_qqJKEpFhZfsHNx7GXQjS5LygfnfND-pJX35n1ROZwDaMbE

Richard Harding is the local reporter for the Kingsbridge & Salcombe Gazette, you can email him at richard.harding@southhams-today.co.uk.  The local tourist board is Hello Kingsbridge: info@hellokingsbridge.co.uk and the Salcombe Information Centre can be contacted at info@salcombeinformation.co.uk.  The MP for this area is Anthony Mangnall MP he is aware of the issues with this car park and can be contacted via email at anthony.mangnall.mp@parliament.uk. 

We are so sorry that we are unable to assist you further with this.

Best wishes

Katharine Harrod

South Huish Parish Clerk

Tel:  07704 941150

Email:  clerk.southhuishpc@gmail.com

www.southhuish-pc.org.uk

PLEASE NOTE:  The role of the Clerk is a part time position.  South Huish Parish Council business is conducted on Tuesdays.

Fruitcake

Why on earth did your friend pay? Are they the registered keeper? If not, they could never have been liable. By paying it, your friend has become part of the problem because they have funded  the unregulated parking industry.

As for their family member going to court, every case is different, and I doubt that person had the knowledge base and the help of this forum that would have greatly increased their chances of winning.

You should still complain to the landowner and your MP, as should your friend who has been taken for a ride, pardon the pun.

I would definitely contact the press agencies mentioned by the parish clerk. Apart from their advice about contacting PoPLA, which would be pointless and impossible where IPC members are concerned, she is obviously aware of the problems at that car park.

pustit

What a pathetic response from the parish council. "fines", "don't know the owner".
They receive numerous complaints yet continue to not help the victims. They are obviously well aware of the situation and should at least look up, in the District council records, who the owner is.  At the least, it would make the parish councils time consuming task of fielding all these complaints so much easier.

LucyinLondon

I have the contact details of the owners - they were a little hard to find but I'd be happy to share if it leads to some positive progress with the landowners - as South Hams citizens, they really should speak to the community to find a fair solution.

pithersfolly

Have also fell victim to this car park scam on August BH Monday 2024. In process of appealing (think its a waste of time). But have time to take it to small claims court if I must. Advise in this area would be helpful.

Coupon-mad

Do what the above poster says; landowner complaint.

magpie1894

Response for pithersfolly. I was victim at the end of June: currently fighting my corner, and prepared to go to small claims court if necessary. It is obvious that PPS have faulty machinery (which just so happens to generate them a lot of income, both at Hope Cove and Sunny Corner in Cornwall), but they will claim that machines are working properly. I think one of the keys if it goes to court is to have "easy to present, so easy to understand" evidence of machinery fault. To this end, I suggest you look up HOPE COVE PARKING ISSUES GROUP on Facebook, and enter the following details (i) your date of parking, (ii) if you know, what was printed on your ticket for your car registration (often only the very first letter!) and (iii) PPS' Parking Charge Referance, likely to start A559_ _ _ _ . If enough people do this, it will produce a good book of evidence

Coupon-mad

That's really useful. Thanks for posting it.

Yes evidence of a pattern is key to showing that the machines are (deliberately or negligently?) faulty.