andyd12345 12:33 Thu Aug 30
Parking fine question
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Looking for some advice for anyone in the know.
Took the kids / Mrs bowling at the Kursaal back in February, and they've got an ANPR car park that tracks arrival / departure times etc. I bought a ticket, went bowling, after the game came back out and bought a 2nd ticket to top me up and then went back in for some lunch.
6 months later i get a text from Gladstone solicitors saying i owe £160. It turns out that there was a gap of 21 minutes between my first ticket expiring and the 2nd starting which they've done me for, and they sent the initial notice to my old address that I moved out from a few months before. I had updated my driving licence when i moved but not my log book, so i accept that is my fault.
I feel that £160 for a very basic human error is incredibly excessive, and I would hope that a judge would rule (at least partly) in my favour. I clearly haven't attempted to defraud them as I bought 2 tickets, but also acknowledge that by the letter of the law i have breached the contract. However, they haven't lost any revenue, and in fact there was more than 21 minutes left on my 2nd ticket when i left so they've actually received more money than they should have.
If i went to court and the judge ruled against me, does anyone now if that counts as a CCJ, or could i just pay up there and then and be done with it? If it wouldn't constitute a CCJ then i'd happily take my chances and represent myself in court (even if there is the chance of another coupe of hundred quid of court fees), but if there is a risk of a CCJ then I might as well just pay up. I just don't want to be that mug that get intimidated into paying an excessive fine without having my say.
Any advice would be welcome.
Thanks
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Replies - Newest Posts First ( Show In Chronological Order)
Hermit Road
1:20 Fri Aug 31
Re: Parking fine question
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That standard letter on moneysavingexpert is spot on. Worked like a treat for me.
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ChesterRd
10:31 Thu Aug 30
Re: Parking fine question
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would help if I posed the link!
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/forumdisplay.php?f=163
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ChesterRd
10:30 Thu Aug 30
Re: Parking fine question
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As well as pepipoo already provided this othr forum may have useful advice too
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Queens Fish Bar
9:46 Thu Aug 30
Re: Parking fine question
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Yup
Bexley Ironworks 6:54 Thu Aug 30
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Athletico Easthamico
8:17 Thu Aug 30
Re: Parking fine question
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https://www.gov.uk/appeal-parking-fine
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Bexley Ironworks
6:54 Thu Aug 30
Re: Parking fine question
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A carefully constructed letter should get you off. Generally speaking, you're on the hook for council parking fines but private parking companies generally don't have a leg to stand on.
The peppipo link below is a useful resource and should give you the info you need. They need to prove who was driving the vehicle as the fine is to the driver, not the owner of the car. NEVER tell them who was driving. The fine also needs to be comparable to the loss of revenue suffered by the business from your car being there. £160 is obviously way over the top.
These private firms fleece people. If you read up on it you'll find that they don't have the law behind them in most cases and exploit peoples ignorance on the matter. I've got myself and two others off of these in the last couple of years.
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Dr Moose
6:03 Thu Aug 30
Re: Parking fine question
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andy,
Ignore about charges, just seen further down. I will change my stance; as others have said tell them to whistle for their fee and offer £100; they can ask their client for the fee.
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Dr Moose
6:00 Thu Aug 30
Re: Parking fine question
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andy,
If they can prove there was a 21 minute lapse then you're fucked, but do question the amount and ask them to show you a scale of charges or is it £160 the second you are over your allotted time. I doubt a judge would rule in part in your favour once presented with all the evidence.
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Spandex Sidney
2:59 Thu Aug 30
Re: Parking fine question
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And fuck their solicitors cost, they can't claim them from you, even in court.
Just fucking ignore, or offer £100 in full and final settlement.
There's no consequences to you until a Judge tells you you have to pay up AND you don't pay within the time given, normally 14 days. It's only then you get a CCJ, not before and no bailiffs can be involved until this time has elapsed either
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Spandex Sidney
2:56 Thu Aug 30
Re: Parking fine question
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As has been said, just ignore them. If you get court papers, then pay them then. You can't get a CCJ until a judge issues you with one so if you pay before court then no CCJ
Plus they can't claim costs before court either so it won't cost you anymore than it will now.
Wait for the court summons. Betcha a tenner you NEVER get them. These companies work on a numbers game, X% pay up before and that's what they take.
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Frankie van der Elst
1:59 Thu Aug 30
Re: Parking fine question
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I know its really annoying but you haven't paid for the full time you were parking so they will be entitled to issue you with a penalty charge. If the notices were clearly displayed, then they will be entitled to charge you.
They have then incurred extra costs because you haven't updated your log book. That in itself is an offence carrying a fine of up to £1000.
Rather than wasting any more time on this I think you need to pay up and move on!
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joe royal
1:51 Thu Aug 30
Re: Parking fine question
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It's one of those things where contesting it will cost you more than just paying up.
But try the peepooo link , at least that advice is free.
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violator
1:49 Thu Aug 30
Re: Parking fine question
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Gladstones are just part of a collection agency, they can't take you to lunch, let alone court. If you get a notice before court action then offer to pay
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andyd12345
1:40 Thu Aug 30
Re: Parking fine question
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Willy
Solicitors cost is £60. The fine is £100. They’ve tracked me down by entering my name into a database - it’s taken them 15 seconds.
But thanks for input
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WorldCupWilly
1:34 Thu Aug 30
Re: Parking fine question
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Why it's so excessive is that they've spent the best part of 6 months trying to track you down. You have incurred all their costs trying to find you - far more than any lost revenue.
It is not a basic human error to not update the address of the registered keeper of the car.
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Grumpster
1:14 Thu Aug 30
Re: Parking fine question
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Right or wrong, fines for parking and speeding nowadays are scandalous.
I got clocked doing a monstrous 27mph down Southend seafront (I thought it was a 30 zone) and my fine was bigger than some cunt at work who had been clocked doing 90 in a 60.
Does it depend on the police force/council??
Annoying for you getting a fine the same amount for missing 15 odd minutes that someone would get for not paying all day.
Slags.
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andyd12345
12:50 Thu Aug 30
Re: Parking fine question
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Thanks Alan - never heard of them - will give them a try now
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andyd12345
12:49 Thu Aug 30
Re: Parking fine question
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Thanks Charley - I gave CAB a call, and they basically said that i'd breached the contract and everything else is irrelevant (legally). They couldn't answer the question about CCJ though, because they only offer advice unto the point of going to court.
Ill try a local solicitor...
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Alan
12:49 Thu Aug 30
Re: Parking fine question
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These are the experts on parking fines:-
http://forums.pepipoo.com
Register on the forum and post your problem there, they can give you chapter & verse.
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charleyfarley
12:46 Thu Aug 30
Re: Parking fine question
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Hi mate give CAB a ring, it's the National number not local and they are pretty good
England call 03444 111 444
failing that a lot of local solicitors do a first half hour free interview
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Don Ravioli
12:41 Thu Aug 30
Re: Parking fine question
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If you pay it up there and then you’ll be fine.
It’s when you don’t pay it you have a problem.
I’ve got the same sort of problem, was in Cornwall a few weeks ago and after the long grove down there my boy was hungry so we stopped and got a pizza express takeaway, I pulled into a car park to eat it, then left.
3 weeks later a fine comes through the door.
I didn’t even leave the car and was only 19 minutes but they want £100 off me.
Absolute joke.
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