No return within parking rule

martyp

Hi all,

I'm getting mixed info on this one.

A sign says "4 hours free parking, no return within 1 hour"

This is at a location where I may wish to come and go within a 4 hour period.

From what I understand if you leave at any time within that 4 hours and return then you could be fined and not "no return for an hour after the 4 hour period"?

It's camera controlled car parking so not sure what the cameras might detect. So if I left after say an hour for 20 minutes then came back and maybe parked in a different space for another hour would the cameras detect me arriving and leaving then arriving again within an hour?

They also have multiple car parking areas with their own entrances and exits adjacent to each other so would each one be considerd a new 4 hour limit?

I have asked the parking company to clarify exactly but one of the businesses the car parks are for believed you could come and go within that 4 hour period.

I'm curious to know if anyone has been fined for violating the "no return" rule especially if within the time limit stated.

Herzlos

If it's a private (non council) car park you could be invoiced (not fined) for pretty much anything.

But yeah, staying for an hour and coming back 20 minutes later would be against the rules.

Are the multiple car parking areas connected internally? As in, are they essentially the same car park or several distinct ones? If the latter, you could certainly argue that each has it's own contract.

martyp

Excellent thanks. Yes there is one road that goes between them from the main road but you can't move between car parks other than via that middle road.

They're private car parks as well.

Bonniepurple

I queried this at a supermarket when I popped in for a quick freshen up prior to an interview. Went to the interview, came out, went back to the supermarket for lunch. Asked if it was okay and they said just give them the registration. No further action.

Grey_Critic

I recall some years ago there were similar problems where someone was carrying out some work on their home and returned to I think B&Q for further materials and got a ticket.

Mildly_Miffed

Let's say your car is seen parked there for six hours.

Did you breach the four hour limit?
Or did you go away for ten minutes and come back, so are only parked for three hours, twice?

It's quite simple. The people whose land it is do not want you parking there all day. If you want to park all day, find somewhere else to park.

Herzlos

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81963279#Comment_81963279

It's a real problem with some of the more predatory parking companies, I think called double dipping.

If you've got a max stay duration but a car visits twice, the first exit and second entry are 'lost' and the combined stay is flagged up. So popping into a car park on the way to and from work may claim the cars been there all day.

It leads into a whole host of other questions I've never seen an answer for, like what happens if I drive to a car park, park within the allowed time and my wife takes my car to the same car park later. Who, if anyone, violated the terms of the parking contract?

forgotmyname

Sister and mum got caught double dipping.

Sister went to ASDA around 8am and left within 30 minutes and her son went back around 9pm and again
was only in there for around 30 minutes. Private parking company claimed the car was there all day/evening.

Mum got caught entering and exiting a McDonalds carpark several times because there were no spaces so
she left the carpark and re-entered with no parking taking place until the final stay which was well within the
allowed time limit.

They claimed it could not happen and they have procedures in place to prevent it, but thankfully the local area
newspaper covered an incident where they ticketed someone for using it in the morning on the way to work and
again on the way home and they said he was there all day and did not back down even though he had clocking
in times to show that was impossible.
Seems someone else got a ticket for visiting 2 days in a row and they claimed it was there over 24 hours but again
they had proof they were at work.

martyp

Thanks all, does seem like double dipping is risky. If they maintain their cameras only caught the first entry and last exit and nothing inbetween how can you argue that?

Mildly_Miffed

I rather suspect there's a simple way to protect against this "double-dipping"…

Don't tailgate the car in front through the entry/exit. Leave sensible space.

Herzlos

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81969657#Comment_81969657

Having something like Google location on will allow you to prove the users location. Or some other evidence the driver was somewhere else like clocking in sheets or reciepts.

The thing to remember though is the parking company only exists to issue invoices; they've got no incentive to get it right or to allow any appeals (their independent appeals service is widely ackownledged to be a scam), so you either need to get the actual owner to make them cancel it, or call their bluff at court.