At a complete loss who belongs to what body for PCN appeal

TSH42

The other month I received a Parking Charge Notice through the post from a company called myparkingcharge.co.uk for overstaying in Smyth street car park in Wakefield.

The reason for the overstay was due to a medical condition I have called Ulcerative Colitis. 

It was fairly late in the evening around 10.40 when heading back to the car, that I urgently needed the use of a toilet and had to divert from the car park to quickly find a restaurant to use their toilet. Anyone with this debilitating disease will know full well how quickly one needs to find a loo.

To cut a long story short this took me 20 minutes over the allotted time on the ticket purchased from the pay and display machine. Ticket expired 10.50 left car park 11.10.

I appealed to myparkingcharge.co.uk using their online form explaining my situation and sending images of letters from my IBD consultant to my doctor as proof of my disease and how severe it is.

My appeal was rejected and the rejection letter said I may appeal to the IAS within 28 days.

I was wondering if any knowledgeable person on here could clarify a few question for me please?

Maybe I'm just old and stupid, but everything seem as clear as mud to me!

I could not find out who the landowner of the car park was but the signs in the car park say 'Excel Parking'. Also on the signs it says 'by using the car park you are entering into a contract with Vehicle Control Services Ltd'.

According to the BPA website: www.britishparking.co.uk/bpa-members 'Excel Parking Ltd' are members.

Vehicle Control Services Ltd however, are IPC members.

MyParkingCharge.co.uk is a trading style of the Excel Parking Services Group who are also IPC members.

My appeal rejection says to appeal to the IAS is this correct?

Should I be appealing to the IAS?

Although originally appealing on medical grounds, on the night of parking it was absolutely bouncing it down with rain and there was no lighting on or around the car par sign near the machine and was very dark. I only obtained the above information i.e Excel Parking & VCS Ltd signage info from Google street view and images others have posted on Google (see attached image).

Thank you.

Gr1pr

The private parking industry is currently unregulated,  so study the official MSE advice 

Excel Parking are not the landowner's,  neither are VCS,  Somebody else is the actual landowner, find out who

Both companies are IPC AOS members,  not BPA AOS members. ( but they are probably corporate members of the BPA. )

The 2 companies are sister companies,  same offices, same owner, SRS,,  in Sheffield 

The IAS is a kangaroo court,  don't bother appealing to them , don't pay either 

Do complain to the landowner's or managing agents  asking for a cancellation due to the circumstances,  plan A

Ideally you should have either extended the parking or bought another ticket,  because the first ticket didn't cover the time on site, on that private car park , which was their reason for issuing a pcn

Ps, that Smyth St car park,  Wakefield,  has been a controversial site for a decade or more,  see this thread from a court case 7 years ago 

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/5889051/win-against-excel-parking-for-smyth-street-wakefield-in-court

Do not pay, do not appeal, definitely complain , because the landowner or managing agents may take pity on yo, but the private parking companies won't 

Umkomaas

I post this advice from time to time:

SOME IDEAS FOR DETERMINING WHO OWNS THE LAND 

1. Google searches

2. If a retail park, check on any signage which lists the on-site outlets

3. Ask retailers on the site if there is a managing agent

4. Ask retailers on the site to whom do they pay rent

5. Contact the local authority and ask who pays the non-domestic/business rate for the car park (some councils have a spreadsheet on their website)

6. Contact the local Valuation Office and ask if they know. They often have a website which might provide the information 

7. Contact The Land Registry and for a small fee they should be able to provide definitive detail

8. If you haven't already done so, give us the name of the car park/site/location, we may have seen other cases there. 

James_Poisson

I understand your problem from personal experience, but you are dealing with greedy scammers that don't own the car park and get their profits from issuing PCN's to people like you, they have no compassion, sympathy or any interest in you what so ever, only their bank balance, hard facts but there you are.

That sign is so busy and looks to be designed that way to be confusing why put silly logos down the side, why is the font so small, why is the PCN charge hidden at the bottom, and at night you would be hard pressed to read it (dated photo needed for evidence in the dark).

But the industry is rotten, it is unregulated, and there is no appeal that is fair and above board except the County Court, which is why you need to get evidence now just in case.

The land owner may be more sympathetic.