Private Parking Tickets - General discussion points

[lamma]

only if the/enough letters get sent.

[fed_up_and_broke]

I will wait for any letter to arrive before I send anything off.

[kirsty.hiya]

Hi Guys,

 

I'm after some help I hope someone can advise. I think I came across this website too late

 

Anyway, I live in a new build development and earlier this year OPC were bought in to monitor the parking within the development. We have been allocated 1 space per property and have 2 vehicles within our household. To cut a long story short I was issued with 2 parking tickets while parked in one of our neighbours bays. It wasnt a neighbour who I knew but I knew the parking space was not used and on hindsight perhaps I should of made arrangements with the owner of the space to borrow their permit or something meaning that I would not incur a ticket but at the time I somehow thought I might get away with it.

 

I disputed both tickets upon reciept of a letter from OPC. Unfortunately I have not followed a single one of the guide notes on here and wish dearly that I had google searched this prior to writing any correspondance but what is done is done and going forward I need some kind of solution.

 

I thought by telling porkies to OPC I might be able to blag my way out of it and claimed that displayed on my dashboard was a permit borrowed from my neighbour who made no use of the space. After exchanging a few letters they provided photographs of the windscreen/dash of my vehicle and low and behold no permit displayed (of course).

 

Anyway, I hoped that by ignoring them at this stage they might go away but they have now passed it on to debt collectors who have included ridiculous administration charges etc and the debt is now almost £200.

 

Given that I have pretty much done everything this website advises me NOT to do, I'm not sure I have a leg to stand on anymore but if someone could advise I would appreciate that.

 

Alternatively if you think I'm better off cutting my losses and paying up please do let me know.

 

I just begrudge paying nearly £200 for parking on the development where I live!!! Especially when the neighbour who's bay I was in didnt even make a complaint! They dont even own a vehicle! It's absurd.

 

All advise appreciated!!

 

x

[jukush]

Hi

 

I have just been issued with a Parking Ticket from Central Ticketing and was horrified as I read the conditons on the retail car park and it states that you can park free for 2 hours whilst visiting the retail shops - I went into Halfords and then Comets mainly to browse and bought nothing - I then went across the road to my doctor's to pick up a prescription and on my return I noticed a Parking Ticket on my windscreen.

 

There were other cars around me but none of them received a ticket - I also saw one person drive up park his car and walk straight out of the car park - again no ticket!!!!!!

 

I was told by one of my friends to check this site out and must admit the advice given sounds fantastic but am not sure how I go about this.

 

The registered owner of the car in question is my daughter's and I was the driver - I would appreciate any advice and heplp on how I should proceed as I am very reluctant to pay the charge of #60 pounds.

 

Thanking you

[crem]

By doing nothing at this stage Central Ticketing will obtain the RK details from the DVLA and write to them (in this case your daughter). They will undoubtly imply that she is legally responsible for paying your invoice and that all manner of things will befall her if she ignores them. These may include (although is not limited to) a plague of locust in her garden, the sun not coming up tomorrow and her suffering from bubonic plague; twice!

 

Providing none of the above worries her, ignoring them is by far the simplest action.

[pjf2222]

Hi I wonder if anybody could offer me any advice.

 

My 'parking charge' came as a result of entering my number plate wrong in the ticket machine and therefore when the anpr camera took (very bad) pictures of my car entering and leaving the car park the number plate did not match up to its database of numbers entered in the machine.

 

I did not keep the ticket i had bought as no 'penalty' ticket was stuck on my car so I assumed all was well.

 

I have then followed the template letters with every letter they have sent me to the point of the 'cease and desist letter', which I wasn't really expecting a reply to! They replied.

 

I am now wondering whether to:

a) ignore

b) write back another letter along the same lines as the 'cease and desist' one.

c) since I have not already told them it was simply a spelling mistake, say the driver has 'just remembered' and tell them to check their database for the number I actually put in.

 

I understand that any of the above would probably work and it is highly unlikely I will end up paying but this is really starting to become irritating and I'm just wondering how best to end it quickly.

 

Again, any advice would be appreciated.

 

Thanks

[jukush]

Thank you for your reply - I will ask my daughter to pass all correspondence onto myself to take the stress off her - am I right in thinking I don't have to respond to anything I receive even the first letter/invoice she may receive??

 

I have read a few of the responses on here and I think I read somewhere to reply back to the invoice saying I am the registered owner of the vehicle in question but was not the driver??? Am quite confused about this as my first thought was to pay it but after being told about this site thought differently as it was a crazy amount they were asking for and it did say parking was free for 2 hours otherwise I wouldn't have parked there.

 

Thanks again

[Double0Jester]

Hi all,

 

First time fined and first time poster.

 

Basically was doing some temporary work for a firm in a Midlands city who use a separate car park where (I assume) they pay for permits. I was given one of these for my duration fo work.

 

Forgot to move it from the slot under the radio where I store it, to the dash to display it clearly. Remembered around lunch but it was too late, bang £80 fine.

 

Now I assume it does not cost £80 a day to own a permit for this car park therefore I believe it comes under the Unfair Terms And Conditions In Consumer Contracts Regulations.

 

Am I in the right to ignore it and then use the templates when they send mail to inform me of the increased fine. I have to pay within 7 days.

 

Regards,

Jester

[crem]

It is very important for you to tell us whether this is a council run car park or private covered by a PPC. Who is the ticket issued by?

 

Edit

As you say you have to pay in 7 days that clearly implies it is a PPC junk mail invoice. (as council would give you 14 days recduced charge and 28 days to pay full)

 

You still should confirm abslutely for us.

[Double0Jester]

It is very important for you to tell us whether this is a council run car park or private covered by a PPC. Who is the ticket issued by?

 

Edit

As you say you have to pay in 7 days that clearly implies it is a PPC junk mail invoice. (as council would give you 14 days recduced charge and 28 days to pay full)

 

You still should confirm abslutely for us.

 

It was issued by Vehicle Control Services Ltd, absolutely not council owned. I believe the land owner contracts VCS to monitor the car park to ensure there is no "illegal" parking.

 

Of course I doubt it cost £80 a day for a permit

 

Hope this helps?

[lamma]

VCS - just keep the paperwork in a drawer, every so often open the drawer look at the paperwork and laugh. Close drawer.

[Double0Jester]

Shall I stick to the letter templates then when they mail me? The first letter about driver may be an issue. Whats the next best letter to use as a first response?

[crem]

Shall I stick to the letter templates then when they mail me? The first letter about driver may be an issue. Whats the next best letter to use as a first response?

 

The best letter to use that is generally recommended in your position is this one;

 

 

 

 

 

 

That should do it

[paul1971]

please can some one help

asap as fine needs to be paid by 30/09/08

 

To cut a long story short we live in a private road and the council have put a single yellow line outside our house, which we are the land owner and we have to maintain the road.

We were given a parking ticket on the 30/8/08

we wrote to the council to ask them who gave them permission to put a yellow line in a private road?

a reply came back saying the landowner did. so we wrote back again asking where the written permission was and who gave it to them? they then wrote back saying the had not got any written permission but they could put the yellow line there without permission from the landowner. (so they are changing there story)

and they said the residents where consulted about the yellow lines which they didn't do because i have owned this property since 1996 and they stated that they had permission in 1998. The yellow line has a break in it and there is no t bar on the end of the line.

The day after we sent the council the letter 02/08/08 we received a letter from the highway agency stating that the road is private and that the council have not adopted it. in the mean time about 11.30 that morning the highways agency tryed to paint over the yellow lines that are there so my partner took out the letter and showed them,and they drove off.

A little while later they came back 3 times to see if our van had moved.

we are very frustrated that they can do what they like and make up rules as there going along. On the 24/09/08 I rung the highways agency and asked for advice but there was no one there to answer my questions the girl has had to pass it on for someone to look in to and I'm still waiting a reply. rung back a gain on the 26th and spoke to a women and she said there was a legal order on the private road what ever thats mean i dont know!

They want us to pay the ticket by 30/9/08 or the ticket will double in price and they will take us to court.

i have got photos of the yellow line.

i have also sent letters to our local councilor and the chief ex of wycombe district council and awaiting there reply.

I hope you can find the time to have a look at our problem

Most grateful

paula i have letters from council if needed

[lamma]

What makes you think they will take you to court ? Is this ticket issued under the 1984 regs ? Interesting point re the unadopted road. I don't think they can impose restrictions unilaterally but will have to do a bit of research on it. This road is "not maintained at public expense" which is key. meanwhile post up pictures of the PCN (front and back, suitably washed of personal details). plus any interesting letters... and get the TRO

[831badger]

My vehicle was parked in Tesco car park in Hull for a short time, it then left the car park for a period of around one hour and then returned. within twenty minutes it had been issued with a UKPC ticket stating that it had been parked over the 2 hour time limit. The driver of the vehicle spoke to the attendant (giving him no personal details) and was told that there was a 2 hour no return limimit. When asked where the signs were to inform people of this the attendant stated that there was none it was simply his company policy...how can they do this and what can we do??

[crem]

My vehicle was parked in Tesco car park in Hull for a short time, it then left the car park for a period of around one hour and then returned. within twenty minutes it had been issued with a UKPC ticket stating that it had been parked over the 2 hour time limit. The driver of the vehicle spoke to the attendant (giving him no personal details) and was told that there was a 2 hour no return limimit. When asked where the signs were to inform people of this the attendant stated that there was none it was simply his company policy...how can they do this and what can we do??

 

Can they do that (about the unwritten no-return 2-hours)? - probably not.

Does it matter as the original invoice is undoubtedly tosh? - probably not.

What can you do about it? Nothing.. which is precisely what you should do.

[sunbeamshadow]

I have just come across this forum after I started to investigate a ticket my son had received.

 

It is the same ticket as FED UP AND BROKE posted on the forum, issued by the same "enforcement agency" Parkforce.

 

My wife was just about to send the cheque off when I said to her to wait until I had a look into it - and then came across this forum.

 

FED UP AND BROKE - have you had a letter from Parkforce yet?

 

Having checked the Parkforce website they state that their clients need to display "contractual warning signs" in the area. Having checked the area does have warning signs - however they all belong to Euro Car Parks, and state that "This area is enforced by Euro Car Parks" - Parkforce doing a bit of poaching?

 

I haven't done anything yet, sending the payment or appealing and looking at the forum the advice is to wait until Parkforce contact me. Is this still the right thing to do?

 

Any further advice would be gratefully received.

[lamma]

wait for their letter. put it in the drawer. ignore it. live life.

[sunbeamshadow]

lol - Its there already!

[fed_up_and_broke]

I have just come across this forum after I started to investigate a ticket my son had received.

 

It is the same ticket as FED UP AND BROKE posted on the forum, issued by the same "enforcement agency" Parkforce.

 

My wife was just about to send the cheque off when I said to her to wait until I had a look into it - and then came across this forum.

 

FED UP AND BROKE - have you had a letter from Parkforce yet?

 

Having checked the Parkforce website they state that their clients need to display "contractual warning signs" in the area. Having checked the area does have warning signs - however they all belong to Euro Car Parks, and state that "This area is enforced by Euro Car Parks" - Parkforce doing a bit of poaching?

 

I haven't done anything yet, sending the payment or appealing and looking at the forum the advice is to wait until Parkforce contact me. Is this still the right thing to do?

 

Any further advice would be gratefully received.

 

Just to keep you updated, I have not received a letter yet and that was nearly a month ago.

 

I still expect to get one soon, and as soon as I do, I will let you know.

[letshelp]

Sunbeam,

Don't waste time or a stamp on their 'appeals' process, I will guarantee now that you will 'lose' and their 'fine' still stands, but very kindly they will allow another 7 days to pay at the reduced rate. As everyone else has been advised just ignore.

regards

[kateanded]

Hi all,

Never posted on a forum before but found this one when looking for advice on a parking fine received from G24 for overstaying 12 mins in a toys r us car park. My husband is the keeper of car but we were not driving it at the time, it was a family member. They tried to claim that as keeper my husband was liable for fine..rubbish!!

I followed the template letter, almost to the word and result! I had a letter from G24 this morning (only 3 days after I wrote to them). It states..

"Further to your appeal regarding the above parking charge notice, we would like to confirm that this has been waived. No further action is required by you."

Can't believe they backed down so quickly, just goes to show they haven't got a leg to stand on.

So just wanted to post a big thankyou for some invaluable advice, you saved us £75!! Cheers.

[letshelp]

OMG someone has won an appeal:eek:

[crem]

Does that mean we can never again say in a thread "there is no appeals system for PPCs"?