East Midland Airport - VCS Charge for stopping on a zone where stopping is prohibited.

Coupon-mad

Yes you would be complaining to EMA.

di.partridge

Coupon-mad said:

Yes you would be complaining to EMA.

Please can you look over my complaint that I am planning to email to EMA. After spending some time trying to find out who the CEO of EMA is, Steve Griffiths, and reading others say  emails just bounced back, from this person, I then found a thread where they said they had received a responce from Ioan Reed-Asprey from EMA (who said their CN was to be cancelled). This was in October 2024. So I am sending the email to him. 


Dear Mr Reed-Aspley

I would like to bring to your attention a distressing incident that happened regarding a third party organisation you use to control parking in the East Midland airport  (EMA) area - Vehicle Control Services (VCS). 

On  xxxx/2025 I was issued, as the registered keeper of the car - registration XXXXXX,  with a Charge Notice for £100 for allegedly "stopping in a zone where stopping is prohibited" by VCS.    

On xxxxx/2025 at @14 23 a VCS mobile enforcement cameras detected and recorded still images of the above mentioned vehicle for 32 seconds. This was as a result of an emergency, when the car stalled and the red engine light came on. On the third attempt to restart the car, the engine started and the car drove away safely. As the landholder, EMA is jointly and severally liable for the actions of its agent, VCS, and I am asking you to instruct them to cancel this charge, particularly since the emergency stop in question was necessitated by a mechanical emergency, which is exempt under the East Midlands Bylaws 2001, section 4(3) and 4(4). VCS are blatantly ignoring the byelaws exemption for emergency stop situations which is detailed within your own 'east-midlands-airport-byelaws-2001-re-issued-september-2009.pdf'. .

It is also worth pointing out that if EMA wished to hold owners or keepers liable under the airport bylaws, that would be within your authority as the landowner, although this has not been pleaded and is not legally possible here. VCS, as a third party, is definitely not the airport owner, and their 'parking charge' is purely for their own profit. Unlike a penalty under the bylaws, which would go to the public purse, VCS’s charge is based solely on contract law, and their allegations only apply to the driver.

As the registered keeper, I cannot be assumed or inferred to have been the driver, nor can I be pursued under any distorted interpretation of agency law. VCS has issued an invoice that, by law, can only hold the driver liable, not the keeper. Please note the Protection of Freedoms Act2012(Sch 4), confirmed in Appeal Court judgment VCSvEdward.

I insist that this matter be escalated as a formal complaint to the highest levels of management. Given the potential legal ramifications of EMA’s potential liability if VCS is found to have behaved unreasonably should this escalate to litigation, as is the modus operandi of this firm of ex-clampers.

I expect this matter to be taken seriously and for VCS to be instructed to cancel this CN without delay.

Yours sincerely,
[Your Name]
Registered Keeper of [Vehicle Registration]
[Your Address]
[Your Contact Information]


Are you still saying for me to not appeal the charge via VCS or IPC?  I totally understand this is fruitless but if it goes to court will it look like I have not entered into the process and it might reflect badly with the judge??

If my letter does not get a responce. Am I right in thinking I now need to just hold my nerve through all the bullying letters and await my day in court.

Thank you for your help. It really does help me to continue fighting this. Sadly my mum told me today that she has just paid a parking fine for parking at Asda and forgetting to give her parking ticket to them. She is 78 for god sake. Its just outrageous!

ChirpyChicken

No dont bother appealing and it wont have any affect and sorry to hear that. Your right it is outrageous 
.complain to the ceo

di.partridge

ChirpyChicken said:

No dont bother appealing and it wont have any affect and sorry to hear that. Your right it is outrageous 
.complain to the ceo

Thanks. it feels very stressful when you start out on this road. But I feel glad I have spent the time to read and learn a lot. I really feel I can now cope with all the bullying and look forward to a day in court, should it come

Stonk

OP originally stated to the forum they stopped to input into the satnav.  The letter of complaint to EMA states they stopped as a result of an emergency related to a fault with the car.

Much as I depise the antics of parking companies, I don't think lying is a great way to defeat them.  Better hope the recipient doesn't read this forum.

Coupon-mad

ChirpyChicken said:

No dont bother appealing and it wont have any effect and sorry to hear that. Your right it is outrageous. complain to the ceo

The above poster means the CEO of Asda. Get your mum's money back.

In your complaint I would remove all this which doesn't help to win friends at EMA:

"It is also worth pointing out that if EMA wished to hold owners or keepers liable under the airport bylaws, that would be within your authority as the landowner, although this has not been pleaded and is not legally possible here. VCS, as a third party, is definitely not the airport owner, and their 'parking charge' is purely for their own profit. Unlike a penalty under the bylaws, which would go to the public purse, VCS’s charge is based solely on contract law, and their allegations only apply to the driver.

As the registered keeper, I cannot be assumed or inferred to have been the driver, nor can I be pursued under any distorted interpretation of agency law. VCS has issued an invoice that, by law, can only hold the driver liable, not the keeper. Please note the Protection of Freedoms Act2012(Sch 4), confirmed in Appeal Court judgment VCSvEdward."

di.partridge

Stonk said:

OP originally stated to the forum they stopped to input into the satnav.  The letter of complaint to EMA states they stopped as a result of an emergency related to a fault with the car.

Much as I depise the antics of parking companies, I don't think lying is a great way to defeat them.  Better hope the recipient doesn't read this forum.

Yes, I am aware of that, but its too late to change what I have written on here now. I am new to all this, its all been a learning experience. There are other things that I haven't written on here, reason being I don't want them recorded on here. I was in quite a state driving round EMA. I have not lied about what happened at EMA

di.partridge

Coupon-mad said:

ChirpyChicken said:

No dont bother appealing and it wont have any effect and sorry to hear that. Your right it is outrageous. complain to the ceo

The above poster means the CEO of Asda. Get your mum's money back.

In your complaint I would remove all this which doesn't help to win friends at EMA:

"It is also worth pointing out that if EMA wished to hold owners or keepers liable under the airport bylaws, that would be within your authority as the landowner, although this has not been pleaded and is not legally possible here. VCS, as a third party, is definitely not the airport owner, and their 'parking charge' is purely for their own profit. Unlike a penalty under the bylaws, which would go to the public purse, VCS’s charge is based solely on contract law, and their allegations only apply to the driver.

As the registered keeper, I cannot be assumed or inferred to have been the driver, nor can I be pursued under any distorted interpretation of agency law. VCS has issued an invoice that, by law, can only hold the driver liable, not the keeper. Please note the Protection of Freedoms Act2012(Sch 4), confirmed in Appeal Court judgment VCSvEdward."

Ah, ok, I hadn't understood that. I will talk to my mum today to get the facts and write to the COE of Asda.

Thanks, Coupon-mad, I will send the complaint omitting the sections you have highlighted. Its hard to know what approach to use when complaining as I have read many different styles/approaches, so guess i copied and pasted bits and pieces from others.

Coupon-mad

But you've now told us it was you driving so clearly you could never have used that section (which would be lying that you weren't driving).

Half_way

Does the so called no stopping appy to all vehicles?
what about cyclists?
Next time im in Diseworth i might go for a ride up the hill to the airport