Parking Control Services clamped my car - advise please

[tantrums]

I would appreciate your advice please. I have a permit to park in our office building carpark. It is controlled by Parking Control Services.

 

Last week my car was clamped and I had to pay £205 to get it released. The reason was that my permit was back to front on the dashboard. It had blown over when I had gone to get my jacket at lunchtime and slammed the car door shut.

 

From the outside it was obvious it was the permit. They are all small rectangular bits of white card. The same clampers/attendents are in the small car park every day and know who has permits and who don't as I have been parking every weekday since June. They did not go to reception and check about my car.

 

When the guy came to unclamp, he said he knew what happened as he had seen the pictures and that I could appeal.

 

I understand that private car operators will be made illegal soon and that this company, judging from other threads are not worth pursuing in courts as there is no one to find to get the money back from. Is what they did illegal though? Or was I in the wrong- even if by accident? Can I claim anything from the company that we rent offices from in the building who have contracted out this carpark? Should they not have agreed terms with them to check the number plates of cars who have paid to park there, or to double check with the manned reception before clamping their tenants?

 

thanks.

[postggj]

claim the money back from the landlord/land owner

Edited September 20, 2010 by postggj

[Al27]

Who employs them? They're the ones to sue.

[tantrums]

But how can I go after the landowners if I am part of a permit scheme and the permit was back to front? Are there any links or any info I can refer to see what my rights are. Sorry to trouble you and thank you.

[My Real Name]

There's a clamping guide at the top of the forum.

[Al27]

But how can I go after the landowners if I am part of a permit scheme and the permit was back to front? Are there any links or any info I can refer to see what my rights are. Sorry to trouble you and thank you.

 

A permit is just a written permission to park. Clamping is a tort to trespass. How can you be trespassing when you have permission to park?

[pin1onu]

As Al says it's all about permissions. You had the permit. I'll lay odds that there's nothing to say about which way up it has to be displayed.

 

If you sue I'd say you have a slam dunk case.