What's the cost of parking fines? Poll Results/Discussion

TZracer

abcdenicola wrote: »

I live in the Southwark borough of London where no matter how careful you are, you are bound to get caught. Each time it happens to me, I vow that I'll never let it happen again, but still manage to fall foul of the dreaded parking wardens.

I've already appealed twice and one of the appeals is still under consideration... I'm anxious to see what the outcome will be. But whatever happens, the moral of the story is that this is a lovely cash cow for the council and we poor hapless motorists are more often than not, victims of highway robbery in the truest sense of the word!:mad:

Whenever i go into Southwark area for work the majority of the parking pay and display machines are out of order meaning you have to drive around trying to find somewhere to park even more than normal. This is a scam! I'm convinced they're deliberately not fixed, there will inevitably be people who try their luck and end up with a ticket.:mad:

A couple of years ago i was working in a launderette in that area and was on a meter. Got delayed by the customer and some one came in to tell me there was a warden by my van. I went out knowing i was over the time by 10 mins to find the warden sticking a ticket on the van, fair enough my fault for gassing... As the smiling warden took a picture of the ticket another guy popped up from the other side of my van who'd been putting a clamp on it!!!:mad::mad: They then both jumped in a van and legged it!

I'd love to know what the figures are for that area relating to area and no of fines/tickets imposed compared to the rest of London...

Be warned...

I'mcomingbackasaman

I parked in the Council car park in between the miniscule parking lines. But there was snow on the ground and I couldn't see the lines. I estimated going off the way the next car was placed where the next line could be and off I went into work. I got a ticket for parking between 2 parking bays. I appealed because of the snow but they showed me photographic evidence of my car squat directly in the middle of a line. That cost me £20. I now keep a small kids shovel in the boot just in case.

scuttler617

I got a ticket for GBP60/100 from a private company in a pay and display. I sent them a cheque to cover the costs of the overstay (GBP2.50 - their losses) which they cashed. They've since sent me the usual set of threats and fake summons which I've ignored and for a couple of months now it's been quiet.

When it comes to private parking companies apparently it is only governed by contract law which allows them to claim only for losses (i.e. the pro rate cost of the overstay) so don't pay the excessive penalty fine - these are analogous to the financial services industry's penalty fees which everyone here knows about.

Not sure how it works with supermarkets and retail parks where there isn't a scale of charges but I guess if they would have to prove the size of the fine is equivalent to their losses and I guess they'd have a hard time proving that. Also if you can be sure they can't prove you were the driver (via CCTV etc) then claim that you weren't the driver - they can only penalise the driver and not the registered keeper.

None of this applies to council enforcements.

fat_freddy

calm down gb57,for all tickets issued by private companys, DON'T pay the ticket, they have to take each individual ticket , to the small claims court,cost to much money, they send out intimidating letters to scare you into paying, for all loacal authority issued PCN's allways, allways APPEAL the ticket. but please don't pick on the parking attendant, they are just doing a job, and do not issue tickets becos they have targets,becos there are no targets, if you stupid enough to park in the wrong place, they are smart enough to book you, just think of this little ryhme, If there is no line, there's no fine!

rog2

Whilst I, genuinely, would have no problems with the issue of 'parking tickets' for anyone who deliberately causes an obstruction, either to other road users or to businesses/homeowners, by inconsiderate parking, I certainly disagree with the imposition of parking tickets that are designed purely for 'revenue' collection.

jicms

I find the results hard to believe. Everyone I know seems to get fines every now and again.

It's all very well just driving and parking in your local town where you know the tricks but however much I try in new places it's easy to make genuine mistakes with the ploys to catch you out with the unclear signage.

ADC_3

you'd get very different results...

rog2

ADC wrote: »

you'd get very different results...

Or 'Wheel Clamping'....

gb57

Well, Fat Freddy, I am not sure why you say there are no targets for traffic wardens, because my understanding is that there definitely are! They are paid extra for more tickets.

Also, like other posters, I have no problem with tickets being issued for parking where an obstruction is being caused, but stupid things like having one wheel slightly over a line, or being done for the ticket machine issuing a ticket with an incorrect time (as happened to my OH), are just ridiculous and done to raise revenue. When you find a machine that it faulty they make reporting it almost impossible.

We did appeal that last ticket and they refused to believe the evidence. It was only because my OH rang the council and spoke to the bloke who was responsible for the actual machine revenues and maintenance, and he confirmed that indeed they had raised far more money on that day than for tickets issued, and that there was obviously a fault with the machine, that we got the ticket rescinded. (He was a really decent bloke, got the ticket sorted himself). The revenue team was obstructive and difficult - they don't even put phone numbers on tickets and correspondence, so you can never talk to anyone, and they ignore letters for ages. They obviously just hope that people will pay the fine so that it does not get doubled.

Now you have got me started all over again :mad:

I avoid parking fines by using my bike whenever possible!! Or I use a car park when I can. Most of the car parks round here are "pay on foot", so you pay as you leave and therefore don't overrun, as you do on a meter.

moneysavingpornstar

My local authority recently published figures on parking tickets, and they admitted that a little under half of all tickets issued were unpaid !!!

Works for me. just don't pay it. Oh and registering your car at a bogus address seems to help
And if you ever get a summons for a ticket, be sure to change the registered keeper to prevent the car being seized. Picked up that one from the Bailiff program on the tv!

Don't get me wrong, I always park thoughtfully but wardens are a law unto themselves.