One Parking Solution Notice to Keeper Parking Charge

Cancaminin

Hello everyone

I've just read the threads related to this, but mine is a bit different, so I'm asking for your advice.

I've received today - 7th December - a Notice to Keeper Parking Charge for a contravention I allegedly was responsible for on 9th November at 18.40 - 18.47.

First thing I thought was: this is a scam, because I have never parked there, reason being that I live around the corner of the place.

Then I have tried to recollect what it may have happened. Checking the date, I see that it was a Saturday, when it usually is extremely difficult, if not impossible to find a space where I live, [redacted by Forum Team].

So what I do, when it happens, is driving around endlessly to find a space, because, even if the taxi dedicate stretch would be an easy option, I would not take the risk to have an argument with them. 

So that is the picture: despite paying for a parking permit, if I make the mistake of driving somewhere on certain times or days of the week, when I'm back I have to face to drive around for hours before finding a parking space, and I'm not talking about somewhere near either. It is impossible, full stop. 

So, even if I avoid using my car - that is absurd I know - on Saturdays, sometimes I have to and then I have to drive around for hours before parking. Last time I remember I did that for more than 1 hour 50 minutes.

So, the only thing I can think of is that, driving around that night, I might have stopped for a few minutes there, while in the car. I'm not even sure that I had stopped there, despite the charge saying that, because it's one of the spot, by a petrol station, that I use to reverse. I would never ever dream of parking anywhere where I'm not supposed to and leave the car there.

I haven't checked the website yet in case you suggest to ignore the charge altogether, and they might check that I have received the penalty and so on.

I've reached such a level of anxiety related to the situation that I've been looking to move somewhere else for some time now and I'm now taking it in consideration more seriously.

Despite being already quite anxious about driving, parking and so on, I don't want to go insane stressing about contraventions.

Fact is that I'm "guilty" of not finding a parking space.

Thank you for your advice..

Gr1pr

Its definitely not a Penalty, just an invoice ( Parking Charge Notice. ). for the alleged breach of the parking contract on that private property by a notorious private parking company who targets drivers for any transgression , including the unauthorised  stopping on private property for 7 minutes 

You are probably correct in your story and assumptions above, but it won't wash with OPS, an IPC AOS member 

Coupon-mad

I know the area. I'm a West Sussex lady but am familiar with Hove/Portslade as a relative lives there-ish.

By the way: Pretty sure you can always park free in George Street overnight. No permit needed. Unrestricted until 10am I seem to recall, every day. I'm guessing George Street was full?

I also know where you are describing: the entrance roadway leading to the Royal Mail buildings & car park, innit? A well known trap.

I would just ignore them and if you get a Court Claim I'll help you personally, if I have time.  The forumites here can always help with any claim though.

Or try an appeal as keeper, NOT saying who was driving.  That NTK matches the non-PoFA 2024 version I show in the NTK pictures thread. Means they can't hold you liable as registered keeper... so NO saying or implying who was driving.

How long did they say you were there?  Oh I see: Seven minutes.  Go online (perfectly safe!) and download ALL their photos now. Is the car in the same position throughout? Or is it moving/turning? Where is the CCTV camera angle from?

Certainly NEVER pay OPS. Scum, IMHO.

As it was evening, go on foot and get some photos in the dark this month sometime, and show us how bad the signs are. And get a wider pic showing the position in the dark, of the hidden/dark/high CCTV camera.

That evidence will also help you if you bother to try the farce of the 'kangaroo court' the IAS but mainly they'll be useful 2024 evidence, if OPS try a small claim.  No risk. We do this daily!

And myself and @ParkingMad are the 'Brighton ladies' who have helped people beat OPS in court loads of times. She sometimes has a bit more time than me to help during the threatogram letter chains journey.

KeithP

Notice that the Notice to Keeper has a Date of Sending of 29th November 2024 and a Contravention Date of 9th November 2024.

That means that the parking company have no way of transferring any driver's liability to the keeper unless you tell them who was driving.

It looks like you parked in one of these bays...

    [click on the image to go to GSV]
...is that right?

Cancaminin

Coupon-mad said:

I know the area. I'm a West Sussex lady but am familiar with Hove/Portslade as a relative lives there-ish.

By the way: Pretty sure you can always park free in George Street overnight. No permit needed. Unrestricted until 10am I seem to recall, every day. I'm guessing George Street was full?

I also know where you are describing: the entrance roadway leading to the Royal Mail buildings & car park, innit? A well known trap.

I would just ignore them and if you get a Court Claim I'll help you personally, if I have time.  The forumites here can always help with any claim though.

Or try an appeal as keeper, NOT saying who was driving.  That NTK matches the non-PoFA 2024 version I show in the NTK pictures thread. Means they can't hold you liable as registered keeper... so NO saying or implying who was driving.

How long did they say you were there?

Certainly NEVER pay OPS.

If it was night-time get some photos in the dark now, and show us how bad the signs are. That evidence will also help you if you bother to try the farce of the 'kangaroo court' the IAS but mainly they'll be useful 2024 evidence, if OPS try a small claim.  No risk. We do this daily!

And myself and @ParkingMad are the 'Brighton ladies' who have helped people beat OPS in court loads of times. She sometimes has a bit more time than me to help during the threatogram letter chains journey.

Thank you so much for your reply,

Yes, it was exactly the spot leading to the the Royal Mail buildings, but I'm sure I never parked there, while I might have been there for some time with my car's engine running or reversing to get back to [redacted by Forum Team] and then back and forth again. It was almost a month ago, so I can't remember exactly which one of the two, but I'm sure I definitely never left the car parked there.

George street and all the other roads were full, also because, I think, there have been a few road closures in this area over the last few months, including the one that is still in place now, stretching a long section of the road where I live.

Ironically, there are always cars without permit parked, and they apparently get away with it no problem. They go to the chippy, the wine bar or the pub to spend their night, luckily enjoying themselves, while I have to spend hours driving around and as I'm experiencing now, even risking to get a PCN because of that! It's completely unfair, and this should be regulated, what is the point to pay for a permit if it's so hard to find a space.

Apologies for the rant, but spending a Saturday night like this is very depressing.

Thank you again and thank you for the job you do with the other ladies!

Cancaminin

KeithP said:

Notice that the Notice to Keeper has a Date of Sending of 29th November 2024 and a Contravention Date of 9th November 2024.

That means that the parking company have no way of transferring any driver's liability to the keeper unless you tell them who was driving.

It looks like you parked in one of these bays...

    [click on the image to go to GSV]
...is that right?

Thank you Keith,

More likely I was not even in one of the 3 spaces there, it might have been more where the cross is, since I was probably there to reverse. I don't believe I was there for almost 7 minutes with the engine running!

Coupon-mad

If you stopped/turned where the cross is, IMHO that's either public highway or part of the petrol station land. Have you logged in and downloaded all the still images? Show us.

Cancaminin

Coupon-mad said:

If you stopped/turned where the cross is, IMHO that's either public highway or part of the petrol station land. Have you logged in and downloaded all the still images? Show us.

I haven't yet logged in, thinking that they might see it and then I could not claim that I haven't received their letter, that was my idea.. Shall I?

Coupon-mad

Yes yes yes. Perfectly normal and needed.  You are not going to be claiming not to have received the NTK you've just shown here!

Cancaminin

Coupon-mad said:

Yes yes yes. Perfectly normal and needed.  You are not going to be claiming not to have received the NTK you've just shown here!

Now that I've seen the pictures I remember, I had stopped by to let my daughter go to tesco, they also put photo of her rushing to the shop, can they do that?

As Keith said, I was not occupying any of the bay, apart from a inch of the front left tyre.. The shoots show clearly that I was in the car all the time.

Receiving such a notice dated the 29th November on the 7th December, advising that I have 14 days to claim a reduction is a joke already. Very frustrating and unfair!

[Image removed by Forum Team]

Gr1pr

Hi, you definitely won't be lying about not receiving paperwork, that is not a valid defence, otherwise everyone would be using it, the letter was presumed to be delivered 2 business days later, they don't have to prove receipt of it 

Whilst you do have a permit for where you officially stop and park, its not for anywhere else, especially not areas or traps overseen by the shysters OPS.  There are over 170 private parking companies issuing circa 14.6 million PCNs per annum, in a currently unregulated industry.  Of course its unfair, they have always made it unfair 

Regulation is wayyyyy overdue and might happen next year, but that doesn't help this case here in 2024

But coming here for help has meant that you can get the best advice there is, with people who have knowledge, wisdom and experience, usually due to themselves or friends or relatives receiving PCNs in the past. ( Or nasty clampers. )

I doubt that the timestamps on the CCTV or ANPR cameras are incorrect, so it probably was 7 minutes, stopped isnt parked but the parking company won't care about that distinction, or your parking troubles, or anything else 

Focus on the facts, appeal based on no keeper liability, as keeper, no blabbing about who was driving, even if its obvious, no stories either, bare bones only, closely following the advice by coupon mad or parking mad