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£275 Clamp Woes
LeonardChallis
Posts: 15 Forumite
Hi Guys,
I travelled to a friends house in Hull last weekend and parked in the car park behind their house. The Car Park was obviously private, had sufficient signs on the walls saying it was private, and that people would be clamped. Anyone in their right mind wouldn't do anything like that, right?
My friends had lived there for around 2 months, and I'd parked there a few times. The reason for this is that the landlord had told them that that specific car park was free for residents who lived there. So with that in mind, and of course that I had parked there in the past, I parked there again. The next morning I arrived to find a clamp on my car, with a demand for £275 to have it removed. In fact, the only reason they didn't tow my car away, apparantly, was because they couldn't fit underneath the small tunnel-entrance. I phoned the police and was told they were legit, (the company was called Parking Control, based in Macnhester, company no. 06844790) and then spoke to the clamping company themselves saying they didn't own the land, they just sorted out the private parking bit.
They told me the only thing they could do is reduce it to £235 to remove the clamp that day to have my car back, otherwise they were sending "the other truck" to fetch it. They also said I didn't have to pay that day if I gave them my keys so they could drive it out the car park and put it in the normal truck, then it would have been £30 a night till I could afford it.
We obviously went back to the landlords and asked them what was going on, but the original landlord wasn't there and the person standing in said no, it's £50 a month, and you need a permit, even though the original landlord said it was free parking for the residents.
I am obviously going to appeal, with a signed letter from as many residents in the flats as possible saying it was supposed to be free, along with a copy of the receipt of the clamp payment, which I had to pay, extremely begrudgingly (though I was pleasant to all staff involved despite thinking it was very unfair), but I just wondered if anyone has any tips for me?
Surely £275, or even the £235 fee is a little bit over the top? And where would I stand with the lying landlords?
Thanks in advance for any help you can offer.
I travelled to a friends house in Hull last weekend and parked in the car park behind their house. The Car Park was obviously private, had sufficient signs on the walls saying it was private, and that people would be clamped. Anyone in their right mind wouldn't do anything like that, right?
My friends had lived there for around 2 months, and I'd parked there a few times. The reason for this is that the landlord had told them that that specific car park was free for residents who lived there. So with that in mind, and of course that I had parked there in the past, I parked there again. The next morning I arrived to find a clamp on my car, with a demand for £275 to have it removed. In fact, the only reason they didn't tow my car away, apparantly, was because they couldn't fit underneath the small tunnel-entrance. I phoned the police and was told they were legit, (the company was called Parking Control, based in Macnhester, company no. 06844790) and then spoke to the clamping company themselves saying they didn't own the land, they just sorted out the private parking bit.
They told me the only thing they could do is reduce it to £235 to remove the clamp that day to have my car back, otherwise they were sending "the other truck" to fetch it. They also said I didn't have to pay that day if I gave them my keys so they could drive it out the car park and put it in the normal truck, then it would have been £30 a night till I could afford it.
We obviously went back to the landlords and asked them what was going on, but the original landlord wasn't there and the person standing in said no, it's £50 a month, and you need a permit, even though the original landlord said it was free parking for the residents.
I am obviously going to appeal, with a signed letter from as many residents in the flats as possible saying it was supposed to be free, along with a copy of the receipt of the clamp payment, which I had to pay, extremely begrudgingly (though I was pleasant to all staff involved despite thinking it was very unfair), but I just wondered if anyone has any tips for me?
Surely £275, or even the £235 fee is a little bit over the top? And where would I stand with the lying landlords?
Thanks in advance for any help you can offer.
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Comments
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A friend with bolt cutters0
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Sorry, bolt cutters not illegal providing you do not damage the actual clamp or steal it. Whilst a short answer Dacouchs is useful. As for reclaiming the money wait for more knowledgeble to come along.I'd rather be an Optimist and be proved wrong than a Pessimist and be proved right.0
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Wherever there is a discrepancy between what is told to you by word of mouth and what is plainly black and white in writing, always trust the written word. I sympathise with your situation, but I would have taken those signs literally and just parked on the street or something. Gambling is a mug's game.LeonardChallis wrote: »where would I stand with the lying landlords?0 -
Here are the sad facts.
The Parking company's revenue comes from where? The answer is from "transgressors" such as yourself. They put a warning sign up, which may or may not be compliant, but let's say it is.
They then have an agreement with the landlord that they will patrol the area and the landlord steps back, except to issue permits. Any "deal" outside that you may or may not do with the landlord's staff is outside that agreement.
So you, quite naturally, having been given the informal nod by one of the landlord's staff feel aggrieved about getting a charge, which you have by now paid presumably, and want to appeal. To who?
The landlord isn't going to reimburse you out of his pocket and, since the parking company have abided by the deal they have with the landlord, they most certainly are not about to give you back their income, so I am afraid you have seen the last of your money.
No I am not supporting private parking at all, please believe me. But once you have parted with your cash to one of these companies, you have virtually no chance whatsoever in seeing it again.
Sorry.0 -
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What about a small claims action against the landowner and clamping firm?
You could try that or go through Moneyclaimsonline. Regrettably, I did that last year against a builder, won by default, but the bailiffs were unable to get anything out of the builder as his only asset was his van and tools and they won't take that.
You also need to be very sure on what grounds you would sue. Perhaps NeilB or Sarah might give advice on that score.0 -
Thanks for your thoughts everyone. I am going to send the template letter from the Private Parking Tickets: Tickets are often invalid, don't pay....section on this site, and see what happens. If I get anything back at all it will be a bonus. Even if I had not been told I could park there, £275 is a huge amount to be asking from people is it not?0
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