How much trouble am I in? BW Legal.

memeroro

Hello.

I know we have some practiced BW Legal heads in these forums.

I got a fine from them in Dec 2024 about an incident in Oct 2024.

I had stopped for 7 minutes in a restaurant car park because my daughter spilled hot coffee on her lap. I saw a forecourt of a restaurant so pulled in as all the roads were double yellow. I did not intend to stay, nor did i stay. I stupidly presumed the forecourt of a Chinese restaurant would be free- but even so it was a very brief "are you OK? lets sort this out" stop. You can see from the CCTV I don't even properly park.

I hadn't even remembered the incident happening as it was so brief. I appealed and was told that the parking company GXS was now going to increase the fine to £270.

I searched a lot of forums, and got the advice that if i ignored it- it may well go away. I did and it did.

NOW almost 2 years later I am getting automated calls from BW Legal telling me to respond to their letter. They haven't written me a letter - the last email was Dec 2024.

I'm wondering how much trouble i am in?

Also whether if it goes to court I have a case for it being thrown out as i didn't actually "park"? I have also been very open and honest in my replies to GXS who just replied telling me I now ow £270 for going to appeal because of "costs" they incurred.

I know there are current rules that in car parks people must have 10 minutes decision making time - but this contravention came in before that rule and I'm not certain it applies to private parking.

Does anyone have advice?

Gr1pr

Definitely Wasn't a fine from GSX, just a private pcn invoice

Nobody is in trouble here

Ignore the messages, but do ensure that GSX DPO has the correct address for the service of papers, especially if you have moved since the incident date ( a Data Rectification Notice. )

Everyone has a defence, its written for you in the defence template thread in announcements near the top of the forum, so please study the first 2 posts in there

Come back to this thread if B W Legal post a Letter of Claim to you, or if you receive a Money Claim N1SDT pack from the CNBC in Northampton using MCOL, before the 6 year deadline kicks in

No paying, no panicking either, keep a cool head

Ps, as it was an emergency, you should have stopped on the yellow lines on the public road, not on private property

Coupon-mad

"I saw a forecourt of a restaurant so pulled in as all the roads were double yellow."

…that's exactly what double yellows are there for! As long as there are no kerb blips (indicating a loading ban) then stopping on DYL is fine for short issues (and for unloading, passenger pick up & drop off and a host of exempt activity as long as the car isn't left parked) and you cannot get a postal PCN for stopping on-street on a DYL.

Despite popular misconception this is exactly what double yellows are for. Remember that and do tell other drivers in your family. Amazes me people don't know this … but you do now.

You never, ever need to choose a property forecourt. Avoid like the plague!

"I have also been very open and honest in my replies to GXS who just replied telling me I now ow £270 for going to appeal because of "costs" they incurred."

No that can't be right unless you already have a CCJ.

You'll never have to pay a penny (not even if it reached a hearing because judges see right through these predatory and unsolicited camera traps) so stop engaging and no offering to pay money for this illegal (covert) surveillance.

Show us that email exchange with GXS please. I want to see what they said to you.

Wasn't Shoreham/Worthing area was it?

James_Poisson

"I got a fine from them in Dec 2024 about an incident in Oct 2024"

It was not a "fine" it was a charge, and if those dates are correct had you not outed yourself as driver they couldn't hold the keeper liable.

"I know there are current rules that in car parks people must have 10 minutes decision making time - but this contravention came in before that rule and I'm not certain it applies to private parking"

The IPC COP of 1st July 2021 stated:

13.1 Motorists must be allowed a sufficient Consideration Period so they may make
an informed decision as to whether or not to enter or remain on the Private Land

https://portal.theipc.info/brandings/2/resources/documents/Code_of_Practice_v8.pdf

Car1980

Check your credit history (Experian, Clearscore etc.)

Coupon-mad

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6679679/how-much-trouble-am-i-in-bw-legal

Did you read our replies?

Show us the letters/emails. The latest BW Legal BS and this one:

"I have also been very open and honest in my replies to GXS who just replied telling me I now owe £270 for going to appeal because of "costs" they incurred."