is it worth appealing to POPLA? are my fines actually unfair?

redtape_phobe

I received 2 parking fines within a week, as I was using a private car park in a new area to attend some meetings for a uni project. On both occasions, I waited until I arrived at my peer's house and connected to his wifi before I paid for my parking on my phone. Because I received no yellow ticket, I assumed this was okay. However, both letters came through saying I had overstayed by 12 and 20 minutes, and I would be fined £100 for each time (by Euro Car Parks).

I appealed both internally, explaining my situation. I did tell them my name as I hadn't read the guidance on here yet. Euro Car Parks stated that they have a 10-minute grace period, which I fell outside of, therefore my appeals were denied.

Is it worth taking this to POPLA? If I pay within the next few days, it will cost £120 (on top of the money I already paid for the majority of my parking, which feels absurd). However, if I wait, a £200 bill will !!!!!! me over big time and I will probably have to stop buying food for a while.

Any advice on this? Do you think these tickets are actually unfair and worth appealing to POPLA? Or should I just bite the bullet…

Gr1pr

Definitely Not fines just invoices

Never assume

You could try popla, but its a lottery, but their decision is not binding on you

They may be unfair but its irrelevant

Do not pay !

Coupon-mad

Obviously ignore these invoices at this stage and ignore the following £170 x 2 threatograms.

Tell them if you move house of course. Common sense. You must check every letter.

If you don't understand why NOT TO PAY, you need to read what happens in the end (they use DCB Legal who discontinue ECP court claims before hearings).

Nobody pays a penny.

See the DCB Legal thread by @Umkomaas

redtape_phobe

Hi @Coupon-mad , thx for responding. I looked at the thread and can see the advice is to ignore, however I already submitted an internal appeal to Euro Car Parks before I saw this website advice. Does that mean it's too late for me to ignore them? They know that it was me who was driving, since I just tried to be honest which was apparently a huge mistake.

Gr1pr

Wait For their response then

Meanwhile, check the NTK pcns for Pofa2012 compliance or not

If they were Pofa2012 compliant, then revealing who was driving is irrelevant

redtape_phobe

Hi @Gr1pr , thx for your reply. I am just wondering what do you mean by POPLA's decision is not binding on me?

Gr1pr

It means that YOU are not legally bound or tied to their decision, but parking companies are bound by that decision

Coupon-mad

Nobody pays when they lose at POPLA.

Nothing about our advice has changed just because you said you were driving. Didn't you read any of Umkomaas' thread yet? Most people were the driver.

Car1980

On both occasions, I waited until I arrived at my peer's house and connected to his wifi before I paid for my parking on my phone. 

So, no phone signal I assume. So you went to obtain wifi access and then paid.

See https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ce83n7j7p6po

Popla aren't on your side, so I'd simply wait for the DCB Legal letter before claim at the end of the year. Come back when you get that. Ignore all the threatograms they'll send before that.