Private parking fine - worth fighting?

[Engineerino]

I received a letter from a private company with a £100 fine in regards to parking behind some shops in a town near Heathrow. There is a photo attached of the rear of my car enclosed also.

Whilst I shouldn't have stopped there, i chose to because the road continued into what seemed like a buses only street and my passenger jumped out to investigate, which took all of five minutes whilst I sat in.

My question is, is this worth fighting / do these companies actually pose a threat? I have only ever dealt with the council with fines and know they have the full power of the law behind them to get their money.

[kiethton]

Unless its parking eye (which you can beat fairly easily) just throw it and any other letters you may get in the bin.

[aw51 121565]

You need to register then post on here - advice to "ignore" ( ) is 2012's fish & chip shop wrapping, as such consigned to the dustbin 'cos it's gone orff.

Said ticket is very much worth fighting indeedy - but it depends who the "private parking company" (PPC) is, 'cos there be potential changes in the air recently (the devil is in the detail , he said cryptically).

[Mr Taxpayer]

If it includes the word 'fine', then hand it to the Police. Only courts can issue fines; it may say charge, in which case it's an invoice. There's plenty of advice on this and other forums, try pepipoo, that say fight. You'll win because this companies business model is to scare people into paying.

[Engineerino]

Thanks for the responses already - it clearly does say 'charge' instead of fine which makes sense.

The company issuing the charge is 'P*rk Direct UK' - have hidden a letter in case they google their own cases etc, a little tin foil hat I know.

The message claims I did stop or wait in an area where there is no stopping or waiting allowed, I'm not entirely sure how to fight this claim (if responding is something I should do), the photo does not even show the front of the car or the driver so unsure if they can prove I was driving.

I will join Peppipoo later and ask there also, thank you for the website
Recommendation!

[silverfoxcc]

Engineerino

Agree with getting onto pepipoo

Just follow what they ask you to do and you will cost the company at least 30.00

Oh and DO NOT contact them in any way and NEVER admit you are the driver, otherwise you could be opening a can of worms for yourself.
If they offer to arbitate via POPLA they will ose on the 'Genuine pre estimate of loss' you will offer

Edited to add

The good guys on there are HCanderson, School run mum, gan. just look for ones that have a lot of posts to their name

[JustinP1]

Engineerino said:

The company issuing the charge is 'P*rk Direct UK' - have hidden a letter in case they google their own cases etc, a little tin foil hat I know.

I've bought sausages from them for years - never had a problem, always top quality. I'd happily give them a recommendation.

[jep]

I recently had one from parking eye, and after a bit of research, found these guys. For the princely sum of £16, it was worth it for them to take it off my hands completely. If they failed, then they'd also pay the charge. I had the charge cancelled within a week.

[anonymous-user]

JustinP1 said:

I've bought sausages from them for years - never had a problem, always top quality. I'd happily give them a recommendation.

Whenever I have to hammer sausages into somebody's lawn, these are my preferred choice too.

[Eclassy]

jep said:

I recently had one from parking eye, and after a bit of research, found these guys. For the princely sum of £16, it was worth it for them to take it off my hands completely. If they failed, then they'd also pay the charge. I had the charge cancelled within a week.

I am expecting to receive one of these in the post shortly after having overstayed in supermarket car park and I may just use these chaps if I cant be bothered to join Peipipoo (got a lot on the plate at the moment. There was a ticket on my windscreen but I just binned it.

It will be sweet revenge because I once paid the parking company of the same supermarket £75 (many years ago + I was ignorant) for returning within 2 hours. I only bloody returned because I couldnt find parking the first time round and did a quick drive through the side streets for a free space which I didnt find.

[Red Devil]

silverfoxcc said:

Engineerino

Agree with getting onto pepipoo

Just follow what they ask you to do and you will cost the company at least 30.00

Oh and DO NOT contact them in any way and NEVER admit you are the driver, otherwise you could be opening a can of worms for yourself.
If they offer to arbitate via POPLA they will ose on the 'Genuine pre estimate of loss' you will offer

Edited to add

The good guys on there are HCanderson, School run mum, gan. just look for ones that have a lot of posts to their name

And MSE (CoupnMad et al). Start here - http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.php...

OP, check the NtK very carefully. It has been known for this document to mention two different entities which begs the question as to who exactly the creditor is (the latter MUST be correctly identified on any NtK). There have been other reported discrepancies as well. Check the MSE threads for this PPC. Note that EVERY NtK must comply in ALL respects with PoFA Shchedule 4 Section 9.

POPLA Assessor Matthew Shaw has stated that the validity of a Notice to Keeper is fundamental to establishing liability for a parking charge. "Where a Notice is to be relied upon to establish liability ... it must, as with any statutory provision, comply with the Act."

If it's this lot you're dealing with, they appear to be a somewhat Disneyesque company.
http://parking-prankster.blogspot.co.uk/2014/06/a-...
http://notomob.co.uk/discussions/index.php?topic=4...

They have a very chequered past as well - https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/dvla_releas... - it's not exactly difficult to create a front to convince the DVLA that there is no connection and thereby allow the latter to claim plausible deniability.