Private parking charges - Supreme Court decision changes the law

[dugong]

And where are we going to park?

At the DVLA.

[Craig the Princess]

I'd love to live in Breadvanland where Parking Companies are virtuous defenders of the parking regulations and would never penalise an honest hard-working motorist for parking correctly. I would certainly park correctly.

 

Where they would never falisfy time stamps

http://www.driving.co.uk/news/parking-wardens-doctored-photos-to-ticket-innocent-drivers/

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-lincolnshire-34220908

 

Wouldn't ticket lots of cars incorrectly then not contest appeals as they know the tickets are not valid

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1567572/8-in-10-parking-fines-overturned-on-appeal.html

[dugong]

I'd love to live in Breadvanland where Parking Companies are virtuous defenders of the parking regulations and would never penalise an honest hard-working motorist for parking correctly. I would certainly park correctly.

 

Where they would never falisfy time stamps

http://www.driving.co.uk/news/parking-wardens-doctored-photos-to-ticket-innocent-drivers/

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-lincolnshire-34220908

 

Wouldn't ticket lots of cars incorrectly then not contest appeals as they know the tickets are not valid

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1567572/8-in-10-parking-fines-overturned-on-appeal.html

THINK OF THE POOR LANDOWNERS!

[Craig the Princess]

Some people are tools, and there is a need for parking restrictions, time-limits etc.

But they, and the people who run and enforce them need to be subject to regulation to ensure that they are fair and enforced correctly.

This judgement has swung the situation too far in favour of the parking companies (who have been proven not to be 100% trustworthy) and this is why additonal regulation is now needed IMO.

[dugong]

I got done for buying too much tinfoil.

[Guest Breadvan72]

I am not pro the companies, but I don't think that they are Darth Vader and Co either.  I am anti people being twats, and also think it's  a trivial subject, that people become over agitated about.    Ditto speeding tickets.    

[Louise2cv]

As someone who is naïve and optimistic, not to mention a stickler for the rules, I still think that the vast majority of the kind of people going on the internet to ask if "I just need to ignore this ticket, right?" or signing up to pepipoo to have their case looked over, are more likely to have run out of luck while "playing the game", taking a chance on not being caught than to be genuine victims of unscrupulous parking companies.

<airy fairy naïvey louisey> Perhaps if people who had no case hadn't made so many attempts to wriggle out of it and draw attention to the loopholes both parties exploit the path to justice would be easier for genuine victims? Or perhaps in a wave of unjustified optimism, cutting out the Bevis like appeals will make it easier for genuine victims of unscrupulous companies to get justice?</airy fairy naïvey louisey>

[Felly Magic]

I'm seeing a lot of bellyaching, and a lot of acting like that mad bint who to be honest needs to spend so much fighting this she loses her house! You break the rules, tough fucking shit, and stop being dim about the costs. for crying out loud there are loads of costs involved here, 1, the cameras and infrastructure, 2, the ISDN lines, 3, camera operators wages 4, the office staff contacting the DVLA 5, the DVLA fees 6, the letter to the gobshite who did something they shouldn't have done 7, the poor bastard in the control room who has to deal with said belly aching cockend 8, the lawyers, and finally 9, the owners/shareholders. Suddenly that £85 fine doesn't go very far does it?

 

And I'm seeing so many fucking gobshites parking like twats these days, double yellows included, that I do feel like there is a strong need for a massive cull on the motoring population. You get nicked now, I think you should lose your car for a month, it will serve you right for behaving like a selfish twat

[Tayne]

On 06/11/2015 at 21:01, dugong said:

I got done for buying too much tinfoil.

 

 

[Craig the Princess]

I'd agree with that apart from the trivial part, it wasn't easy for us to lose £230 for a minor parking infringment (espically as either the sign wasn't there or was too small to be easliy seen in the dark). Where people found guilty of assult are being fined £90 that seems wildly out of proportion.

 

At least they cannot clamp you now so you can contest without paying. I would still say the companies attract a higher than usual rate of arseholes from personal experience.

[wuvvum]

I'd agree with that apart from the trivial part, it wasn't easy for us to lose £230 for a minor parking infringment

 

A pair of heavy duty bolt cutters costs significantly less than £230.  Just saying like.

[Craig the Princess]

A pair of heavy duty bolt cutters costs significantly less than £230.  Just saying like.

 

Sadly because it was the first day they had two chaps there all day. I really didn't want to be accused of criminal damage.

They must have made over £5,000 that day alone from that one street.

[warren t claim]

Obscure your number plates with wet leaves or gaffa tape when entering and leaving a car park. Job done.

[omegod]

So what should I do...god forbid...that I want to spend more time/money than I can in two hours at one of these godforsaken shopping parks? can I just move to a different space ?

[Taff]

Companies and government organisations never lie*.

 

They do. As do posters on this thread.

 

 

 

I'd love to live in Breadvanland where Parking Companies are virtuous defenders of the parking regulations and would never penalise an honest hard-working motorist for parking correctly. I would certainly park correctly.

 

Where they would never falisfy time stamps

http://www.driving.co.uk/news/parking-wardens-doctored-photos-to-ticket-innocent-drivers/

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-lincolnshire-34220908

 

Wouldn't ticket lots of cars incorrectly then not contest appeals as they know the tickets are not valid

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1567572/8-in-10-parking-fines-overturned-on-appeal.html

 

 I suspect BVs view is, if you take a moment to famileirse yourself with the rules of the game, you are unlikely to get stung. There will always be exceptions (as in your case & I have been in that position myself. That's what the appeal system is there for) but by and large the people seeking to evade these costs had a very good idea of what they should have accepted in the first place and choose to push their luck. And they are now whining like a slapped bitch when they got found out

 

my sympathy is in short supply with people who are chancers that get sussed.

[Craig the Princess]

They do. As do posters on this thread.

 

 

 

 

 I suspect BVs view is, if you take a moment to famileirse yourself with the rules of the game, you are unlikely to get stung. There will always be exceptions (as in your case & I have been in that position myself. That's what the appeal system is there for) but by and large the people seeking to evade these costs had a very good idea of what they should have accepted in the first place and choose to push their luck. And they are now whining like a slapped bitch when they got found out

 

my sympathy is in short supply with people who are chancers that get sussed.

 

 

I echo your last point, if you decide to park at B&Q for 4 hours while you got to the football next door then no problem with the fine. I think pretty much everyone on here shares that view.

It is more a point about how much power should be devolved to these private companies when the appeals system (that they self-administer) is not fit for purpose.

[Matt]

I want to bring up the topic of signage. I totally understand that if someone enters a contract they are bound by it and that winging afterwards is daft but I can't help but question ParkEye's signs:

 

 

Who here could read the entire sign before driving in? I don't think it would be safe to read even the main print on the sign while driving in some circumstances and I don't think any person with reasonable eyesight could read the small print from farther than a few feet let alone from the entrance of a car park.

 

Obviously it would be foolhardy to enter into a contract without first reading it in it's entirety, I highly doubt that anyone would deny that so what are we expected to do? Park somewhere else, walk to the sign, read it in it's entity then drive into the car park if we agree? Perhaps everyone should stop, possibly blocking the entrance or road, maybe get out, read it then decide if they agree or not. I'm sure that would be very efficient, especially if they don't agree and need to reverse.

[mercrocker]

I have actually enjoyed this thread.   Its like having a reasoned sound argument with myself. 

 

I am a parking obsessive to the point that I have often pissed Mrs Rocker off by reading every sign in the vicinity of my intended stoppage and making her walk half a mile if that satisfies my yearn to avoid a fine.   I have even been known to google earth our intended destination and read signs with the camera thingy. 

 

Some of these signs are really deliberately obtuse and seem intent on catching people out.   On the other hand there are plenty of twats out there who really piss me off but unfortunately they are not doing anything "wrong" (read ticket-able).   People who park on blind corners,  junctions, pavements etc because THEIR day is more important than anybody else's.   These fuckers grunt me off far more than parking monitors who can largely be avoided by me simply avoiding the shops and businesses that use them.   

[Guest Breadvan72]

I echo your last point, if you decide to park at B&Q for 4 hours while you got to the football next door then no problem with the fine. I think pretty much everyone on here shares that view.

It is more a point about how much power should be devolved to these private companies when the appeals system (that they self-administer) is not fit for purpose.

Ignore the tinpot appeals system. If you have a legitimate beef, take a stand in the Small Claims Court. The privatised appeal routes are not compulsory.

[Taff]

I want to bring up the topic of signage. I totally understand that if someone enters a contract they are bound by it and that winging afterwards is daft but I can't help but question ParkEye's signs:

 

 

Who here could read the entire sign before driving in? I don't think it would be safe to read even the main print on the sign while driving in some circumstances and I don't think any person with reasonable eyesight could read the small print from farther than a few feet let alone from the entrance of a car park.

 

Obviously it would be foolhardy to enter into a contract without first reading it in it's entirety, I highly doubt that anyone would deny that so what are we expected to do? Park somewhere else, walk to the sign, read it in it's entity then drive into the car park if we agree? Perhaps everyone should stop, possibly blocking the entrance or road, maybe get out, read it then decide if they agree or not. I'm sure that would be very efficient, especially if they don't agree and need to reverse.

I might try that in Asda Longwell Green next week. Their entrance is set up on such a way that you have little alternative other than to continue into the car park. Summoning the manager to assist me as I reverse out, having read the parking sign and concluded that I don't agree with it and wish to park/shop elsewhere, and thereby causing traffic mayhem appeals to the arse hole in me.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Guest Breadvan72]

The Shoe Lane parking type of sign is placed before you make a commitment to park, usually by passing a barrier and taking a ticket. A free car park and a pay and display car park usually puts up signs that you can read after you enter. You can then leave if you do not like the terms offered.

[Louise2cv]

If you can't get all the important info while driving past you should prob get an eye test. Go and read the small-print later. If you do, you might spy the reduction to £40 if the penalty is paid within 14 days, the evil barstewards.

 

There is as much info there as a roadside sign for on street parking operated by the council, if not more. If you are happy with the signs on the high street or wherever, that tend to just state the "time limit" and "no return", then I don't see how you can complain about these signs. You get no warning of what the council penalty charge is on their signs.

[scaryoldcortina]

Like this one?

 

 

The information that they expect you to attend the vehicle at no greater than five minute intervals is on display at the bottom of a locked filing cabinet stuck in a disused lavatory with a sign on the door saying beware of the leopard.

[Louise2cv]

Exactly. If they have strict criteria for meeting their definition of "loading" then really they ought to put it on the sign.

 

At least the parking eye one gives you all the info.

[Eddie Honda]

These barrier entry ticket/token places, do they not have an unadvertised freebie period?

 

Example 1 (Ireland I know, but stay with me).

 

Take a plastic chip coin entering the car park. Providing I nip in and nip out on both occasions in the last two weeks the pay machine comes up "no payment required" and spits the coin back out. I exit without issue. I think the free window is 10 minutes. This is not advertised. It does say €1.30 for up to an hour...

 

Example 2 (High Wycombe 10 years ago)

 

Barrier/ticket at multistorey near RM collection office. Enter taking ticket. Providing there was no queue at the collection counter, you could get back to the car and exit FOC. Again I think this was a ten minute window and unadvertised.

 

In both cases I think it would provide sufficient time to either pass through the car park or pulling in and reading the small print.

[Andrew353w]

I now love parking enforcement officers-well, the ones in Exmouth, in Devon! We've just returned from a week's holiday in Devon & we went on a "twitching" (bird spotting) trip on the River Exe (strangely we were NOT rescued by the Italian Navy and taken to a small island in the Mediterranean Sea to have our asylum applications processed...) I'd parked the car on the sea front & paid for 3 hours but didn't return for over 4 hours. I did see the warden walking around & expressed my thanks for him not having ticketing me. His reply was an interesting one: As long as there are spaces available in a bank of spaces and a driver has paid for his parking (non-payers ARE ticketed) he sees no point in ticketing anyone, as no-one's being inconvenienced by anyone else. Once a bank of spaces is full then drivers over-staying their time ARE inconveniencing others, so they'll get a ticket. Common sense wins!

 

THIS MAN SHOULD BE PRIME MINISTER!!!

[scaryoldcortina]

A parking warden using common sense to avoid needless ticketing? Wow

[Louise2cv]

I hope no one tells his boss!

[mercrocker]

There is one in Salisbury, too.   Last week one of the three machines in a car park was broken.   Warden told us he was giving everybody 3 hours (the maximum time) and then coming back with his book.  

[anonymous user]

Like this one?

 

 

 

My interpretation of that sign is that you could park there for loading starting at 8:00am on Monday and take until 6:00pm on Saturday to complete it, but then I am an arse who takes things literally