Private Parking fine- I appealed by email- was I wrong?

[Slabber]

Recently got a PCN - a stereo was being fitted by a chain store (free car park is for this and several other shops) and I left the car with them to fit it. When I got the PCN for being in the car park for over 2 hours I appealed- was I wrong to do this? By appealing/acknowledging/admitting I was there does this now mean that I will legally have to pay?

[sailor sam]

I'm assuming it was issued by a PPC? In which case it was a parking charge notice and NOT a real PCN. In which case ignore it and do not communicate with them again. It's a speculative invoice, nothing more.

[esmerobbo]

No even by appealing it does not make any charge applicable. Rather then appeal I would have told the retailer concerned that since the car was in their care they need to get the charge cancelled.

However it matters not ignore everything from now on!

[Conniff]

No, you weren't wrong to appeal as you didn't know at the time that there is 'no' appeals' with private parking tickets.

 

1. You could do the sensible thing as advised and not pay it, but you will receive more threatening letters which should also be ignored, but keeping this forum updated as you receive them in case they throw something sneaky in.

 

2. You could ask the shop, (sounds like Halfords) to get it cancelled for you.

 

3. Or you could pay it and then sue the shop as it's them that hired this company to patrol their carpark.

 

No1 is the best option as the other others will all be hassle for you.

[ManxRed]

Don't do #3!! Its not necessarily the shop that hired them. It could be a management agency, or development company responsible for the car park. Besides you'd be out of pocket for the ticket then out of pocket for court fees, hoping you might win. You might not. Ignore is genuinely the best policy here.

[Slabber]

Sailor Sam- Thanks!! BTW It has "Parking Charge Notice" and a PCN number along the top so I guess it IS a PCN? Does this affect how I should proceed?

Esmerobbo- I have contacted the retailer and done as you suggested, thanks so much!!

[Conniff]

It makes no difference whatsoever, you either take the advice you've been given and ignore it or you pay it and close this thread.

[ManxRed]

PCN = Penalty Charge Notice issued by a local council under decriminalised parking and under actual legislation (usually the Road Traffic Act or similar). A PARKING Charge Notice is a speculative invoice for breach of contract under civil law (and therefore completely unenforceable) but is suspiciously designed to look like a proper PCN (I mean, it has the same initials and everything!!), in a cynical attempt to fool you into paying money you do not owe them. As Coniff says, its your choice. Don't pay it though, for God's sake!

[Jamberson]

Put yourself in their place. There is such a thing as a Penalty Charge Notice, also known as a PCN. So when they invented their own illegitimate fine, they worked out the best way to fool people was to call it a PARKING charge notice, which conincidentally of course, has those magic initials.

 

Do you see how sneaky and shady all this is? Ignore them. They are chancers trying to swindle you.

[Al27]

The purpose of the phoney appeals procedure is to a) give the ticket the impression it has some credence, and b) keep tabs on which victims have made contact.

 

Some PPC's use the latter to choose who to keep persuing. Some don't really care and everybody gets the same treatment whether or not they've responded.