Vista Centre Parking Ticket - CPM

Parkingchaos100

Hi All, 

I saw previous advice on MSE, so was hoping someone may be able to help!
I visited the Vista Centre Hounslow, paid for a ticket - but apparently parked in a bay that I wasnt meant to use. The signs were very unclear - the different between and unallocated space and an allocated space wasnt marked, which bay was which. in fact the white lines were hardly visible and no sign near where I parked.

I have comaplined to the management company and sent a letter to my MP.

Is this worth disputing - I feel like I have walked into a trap.

Many thanks in advance.

Gr1pr

Plan A was your best option for getting this cancelled,  a complaint about the incident to the management company,  which you have already mentioned,  plan A is mentioned in the newbies sticky thread in announcements near the top of the forum too

Otherwise UKCPM won't cancel it 

Parkingchaos100

Hi All,

I have been trying to get the management company to cancel this, seems they are keen to do so in the first instance.
I have now been sent a final warning before it gets passed to a debt collection agency.

Assuming this goes ahead, am I correct in assuming they need to start any court proceedings?
The car is registered to my father and I am on the insurance as a second driver. So need I write to them to informt hem of this?

Many thanks 

Coupon-mad

Nope, your Dad is best getting the letters and ignoring them.  Come back if he gets a small claim.

DO NOT LET HIM PANIC AND PAY.

Send him here if he (wrongly) thinks he's risking a CCJ or huge costs. He isn't, we do this every day and we know what we are doing.

Parkingchaos100

Thank you for your help, it is much appreciated. 

The management company came back and said that they could revert the charge to £60 - but wouldnt be able to cancel. My argument was the signs wern't clear, not the bay marked. The management company said that the parking contractor has just put up new signs to make it clearer!

Where I parked, there were small signs on the pavement about 6m away with the parking conditions, but no sign saying that the bay was either allocated or unallocated,  and no decscription of what either type of parking ticket actually was. The nearest sign mentioning an allocated parking area was about 25metres away - which the guy walked over to and took a photo of as part of the PCN. I purchased a ticket understanding it was an allocated ticket - ie. allocated to my car registration for an allocated time.

See photos attached. I'm guessing this is a valid defence and wanted to make sure others agreed.

Many thanks in advance

Coupon-mad

Yep just ignore it until the LBC arrives.

Parkingchaos100

Update - I have a final warning to pay £60. Which I dont want to do as a matter of principal.
Is the LBC you refer to a letter from the debt collection agency?

Is it worth bothering to appeal to UKCPM - would it matter for any legal proceeding?

I have been reading up and it seems any appeal to UKCPM is futile, but just wanted to make sure I cover all bases.

Many thanks!

Le_Kirk

Difference between debt collector letter and letter of/before claim is in the NEWBIE sticky but generally debt collector letters give only 14 days for action whilst letters before claim state that at the top and give 30 days before action.

Coupon-mad

Coupon-mad said:

Yep just ignore it until the LBC arrives.

Advice has not changed. You can't appeal and there's no need.

Parkingchaos100

Thanks for all your help guys, I have been reading the newbie board. I have now received a debt collection letter. My father is a bit worried about it.

Is this the time to respond saying that he wasn't the driver and there is no keeper
liability? He is a bit too old and timid to go to court!

Coupon-mad

Re-read the fourth post of the NEWBIES thread. The one with that tedious letter in a picture.

Please don't show us these daft letters.

Coupon-mad said:

Coupon-mad said:

Yep just ignore it until the LBC arrives.

Advice has not changed. You can't appeal and there's no need.

If he wants to transfer liability to you (as driver) he already knows how to do that because it's on the PCN.