Dealing with unresonable parking charge

Veryconfusedparker

I'm looking for advice about a parking charge I got from Smart Parking in Inverness recently. There is a lot of discussion about the behaviour of this company at this car park on the MSE forums but most of it is 10 years old. The charge seems unreasonable but the treat of debt collectors, escalting costs etc. is worrying
The story …I entered the Srothers Lane Car Park in Inverness on 8/3/26 intending to find a parking bay and accompany guests to the bus station. No bays were free. I stopped the car by the back barrier and remained with it hoping a bay would become available - none did and finally after 18 minutes I left the car park - I had been beside the car throughout and had not been able to accompany the passengers to the car park. I received a parking charge notice which gave an appeals option - which i did (without naming the driver). I have now received a letter saying the appeal has been rejected and giving the option to pay £60 now, appeal to the IAS but pay £100 if that is rejected or pay £170 if debt collectors become involved. It seems unreaonable but not sure what to do next. (car registered in Scotland)

Half_way

At the moment there is no keeper liability in Scotland, so as long as you do not identify the driver, or imply as to who it was by saying I did this, he did this, friend, mother, sister etc either to Smart or on here then you have a good line of defence to build upon.

oldernonethewiser

Pity you ever got in touch with them but assuming, hopefully, at no point was the driver identified, then you can safely ignore the PPC.

James_Poisson

"There is a lot of discussion about the behaviour of this company at this car park on the MSE forums but most of it is 10 years old".

That's an interesting claim Smart appear on here almost daily!

Coupon-mad

Just ignore it. I thought Scottish drivers knew to ignore private PCNs, all the time that the Transport Act POFA clauses haven't been made live. You have no keeper liability (yet).

Nothing will happen.

Veryconfusedparker

thanks for all the advice - hadn't realised what a lot of history there is to the Strothers Lane car park!
With hindsight a shame i responded to the intial correspondance from Smart Parking, but given the driver wasn't identified sounds like i can safely ignore this charge - even if i have to put up with the hassle/stress of debt collectors trying to push their case😕

Gr1pr

Agreed, but things will change in the future when Scotland aligns with England and Wales, possibly later this year, for future PCN's, but wont affect this particular older case of yours or anyone else's until the change, and only going forward from that unknown date, not retrospective , not changing older cases

Tethys72

thank you - this information is very useful. I've been chased about the same carpark from 2023. I thought the first letter was a hox until i got the second one from dcb legal. So the letters can be ignored is what i'm reading?

Gr1pr

A victim should respond to a Letter of Claim, or a Money Claim

kryten3000

DCB Legal do not litigate in Scotland.

Tethys72

My immediate reaction would normally be to pay automatically. But £170 is ridiculous.

So, reading this, i don't think it is a Letter of Claim or a Money Claim? Do they tend to escalate to 'Scottish partners'? I've been going through this forum and haven't appealed this with Smart Parking Limited, is doing that still of any value in Scotland?