EPS ANPR PCN - 10 mins stop - no permit - Daventry Road Coventry CV3 5HF

[FTMDave]

What you've done is great, thanks.

[FTMDave]

Well, where to start?

 

The government's Code of Practice allows you five minutes to read the signs and ten minutes to leave the area, and you were within that time.

 

Even their horrible trade association allows "sufficient" time to read the signs (let's be silly for a moment and say that's a minute) and ten minutes to leave the area, so you're fine there too.

 

The government CoP also says that when a PPC takes over an area then they should put special signs up for a period so regular users aren't caught out, and you can be sure they haven't done that.

 

You mention their tiny signs.

 

And so on and so on.  You won't be paying a penny.

 

Ignore their stupid threats - but come back here if they formally threaten court with a Letter Before Claim/Letter Before Action.

 

Is this place local to you?  Would it be possible to go back and get photos of their rubbish signage?

[FTMDave]

6 minutes ago, 007 said:

After a closer look at the pictures the time on the top one is actually 11.10.56( in the picture )

Well spotted!

 

What time is on the photos in the second picture?  The quality isn't good enough to be able to zoom in at this end.

[FTMDave]

Great detective work!

 

So in reality you stayed 2:15.

 

The government code of practice lays down an obligatory 5-minute consideration period and the industry has traditionally had a 10-minute grace period.  So they've deliberately lied on the PCN to take you over the 10 minutes and hoped you wouldn't notice (I for one didn't notice, glad you're more eagle eyed!)

 

Will they take you to court?  Well if they think you're a mug with respect for their systems and/or someone terrified of court, then yes.

 

What the forum recommends is to ignore all their initial communications but if they formally threaten court with a Letter of Claim to reply showing you've sussed their sordid little scheme and would enjoy giving them the thrashing of their lives in court.  They then generally crawl back under their stone (although there are no guarantees).

 

If someone in the area could get you photos of their rubbish signage that would also be great extra ammo to sink them.

[FTMDave]

Well done on the photos.

 

Keep a list of the signs and when they were put up, because if this does end up in court you can be sure they will lie and say all the signs were there at the start.

 

The government Code of Practice (section 3.4) states -

Where there is any material change to any pre-existing terms and conditions that would not be immediately apparent to a driver entering controlled land that is or has been open for public parking, the parking operator must place additional (temporary) notices at the site entrance for a period of not less than 4 months from the date of the change making it clear that new terms and conditions/charges apply, such that regular visitors who might be familiar with the old terms do
not inadvertently incur parking charges