Fine for parking at motorway services

[SnailTrail]

Hi Guys,

Last weekend I went to help a friend with an engine swap. He's quite far away so I met him halfway, at a motorway service station (Bothwell on the M74), where I parked my car and we went in his car to his house.

I was dropped back off at my car and left the carpark 10:21 hours after arriving, which exceeds the "free parking period" according to the letter received today. Now the letter does not state how long this free parking period is, and I didn't see any signs to tell me that I can only park for a maximum amount of time. That's not to say there isn't - but if I had seen them i obviously wouldn't have parked there that length of time!

The letter is from a private company CP Plus who are demanding £90, or if paid witchin 14 days a "reduced" fee of £50. Do I actually have to pay this, being a private company, or do I just suck it up and pay? If not what's my best course of action?

Cheers,
Andrew

[mehball]

I know the services and yes there are signs as you enter and in the car park so you cannot use that excuse. You may be able to argue though that the charge is not a fair representation of the service stations loss of earnings.

[hornetrider]

I'd be filing that one in the round folder under the desk.

[SnailTrail]

hornetrider said:

I'd be filing that one in the round folder under the desk.

I'm tempted by this option to be honest - would they have any legal grounds to chase me for it/if they do would they bother?

[hornetrider]

You might get the usual hand wringers on saying that you've taken advantage of private land etc etc, pay up bang to rights, but frankly, meh. They will probably persist with a string of letters threatening this and that, but you can ignore them all, they will go away.

[mehball]

Do not ignore it! This used to work but companies now follow these through with new legislation that gives them more powers to request vehicle details from the DVLA.

[sjg]

Looks like pretty clear signs to me:

https://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=M74,+Larkhall+ML9...

[hornetrider]

mehball said:

Do not ignore it! This used to work but companies now follow these through with new legislation that gives them more powers to request vehicle details from the DVLA.

Do feel free to list all the successful court cases for all our benefit.

Thanks.

[SnailTrail]

sjg said:

Looks like pretty clear signs to me:

https://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=M74,+Larkhall+ML9...

Ok fair enough, as I said I never said there wasn't I just said had I seen a sign I wouldn't have been parked there for over 10 hours.

However, in my defence, if you do a 180 on that Google maps view of the sign you'll see the entrance to the car park. I've been to the place 3 times and each time had to slow right down and concentrate on trying to squeeze through the smallest car park entrance known to man without hitting my car off of the lovely concrete barriers, averting my attention somewhat form the sign.

[Rude-boy]

hornetrider said:

Do feel free to list all the successful court cases for all our benefit.

Thanks.

Whilst I suspect that the "Ignore, it will go away" is likely the outcome the question I ask is "After how long and how many letters and what 'footprints' would all the other side's actions leave?" Not my field though so I offer no comment as to the likely outcome of any case based upon if it is enforceable or not.

I know these signs are up in almost every similar car park and have the receipts from Stop 24 near the Chunnel from the times I have left cars there and paid RingGo for the parking time (in advance as set out).

I ask as to me £50 isn't 5p but I would pay it for the following reasons:-

1. I Flucked up and even if I could weasel my way out of the charge I shouldn't be able to - If you have parked in the NCP near Leicester Square £50 for 10.3 hours is peanuts! Yes this isn't there but then it is not a Car Park where people are expected to stay for hours and hours. 2 hours tops is the usual but most are there and gone inside 1 hour.

2. I don't like to be reminded when I have Flucked up for months and months afterwards. Every time another letter arrived it would remind me that I flucked up, even if I morally think that I am in the right (which I wouldn't in this case but that's subjective!)

3. I always like to be as clean and leave as little st in my wake as possible. In this day and age you never know what databases are going to be bought and sold and how bad companies are at keeping within the DPA, etc. You never know what might crop up in the future.

[R33dk]

I received one of these after making a stop to grab some shut eye as I had driven 400 miles and could feel myself nodding off.
2:40 mins I was out cold for, not intentional but obviously needed it.
(Been at a wedding the night before , then a track day during the day, driving home throughout the night)

Got a letter with very similar fees.

Ignored it.

Threatened with court action and all sorts for a while afterwards.

Still ignored it.

2 years later and I haven't had any further communication with them.

IMO ... Bin it and any others you receive. Whatever you do don't reply, they will only hound you further.

Dk

[anonymous-user]

SnailTrail said:

sjg said:

Looks like pretty clear signs to me:

https://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=M74,+Larkhall+ML9...

I've been to the place 3 times and each time had to slow right down and concentrate on trying to squeeze through the smallest car park entrance known to man without hitting my car off of the lovely concrete barriers, averting my attention somewhat form the sign.

So you've missed the sign 3 times ??
http://www.specsavers.co.uk/stores/select-a-store/...

[SnailTrail]

speedyguy said:

So you've missed the sign 3 times ??
http://www.specsavers.co.uk/stores/select-a-store/...

If you actually go there, you'll see what I mean with regards to the tiny gap. And thank you for the link but I already use them, they must not be any good!

[Lost soul]

I know all about CP-Plus , sold a car back in May to a guy who lives in Jersey then received a ticket demand from them he had parked over night in moto chef near Portsmouth , gave them all the info of the new owner and got an email saying they accepted this and no further action would be taken

Fast forward to last week and a debt collection agency onto me for payment + added costs , phoned them and the muppet then checked CP-plus website and saw they had made a mistake , received email once again telling me how sorry they are for the mistake , now I await a CCJ through the post

[Red Devil]

mehball said:

Do not ignore it! This used to work but companies now follow these through with new legislation that gives them more powers to request vehicle details from the DVLA.

D'oh! What you (and possibly everyone else) has failed to take into account is that Bothwell is in Scotland.
OP's profile says Glasgow. PoFA 2012 only applies to E&W. No RK liability north of the border.
CP Plus can only pursue the driver. They don't know and the OP doesn't have to tell them.

If he doesn't engage then what are they going to do? Taking him to court would be a gamble.
http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.php...
Don't bin the bumf though (in the unlikely event that CP Plus does take a brave pill).
http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.php...

OP, you might find these interesting (different PPC).
http://parking-prankster.blogspot.co.uk/2014/10/uk...
http://parking-prankster.blogspot.co.uk/2014/11/uk...

I very much doubt CP Plus will even try. Stay under the radar.

[ging84]

Rude-boy said:

1. I Flucked up and even if I could weasel my way out of the charge I shouldn't be able to - If you have parked in the NCP near Leicester Square £50 for 10.3 hours is peanuts! Yes this isn't there but then it is not a Car Park where people are expected to stay for hours and hours. 2 hours tops is the usual but most are there and gone inside 1 hour.

If you went into tesco, or Fortnum & Mason for that matter, and you came across a few stands with the words free samples on them, and there were lots of things to try, so you decided to try a few things off of a few of them. Then as you were about to leave, maybe having spent a lot of money in the store, maybe having not spent a penny you were stopped by an assistant who said they've been watching you on cctv and they noticed that you helped yourself to 4 free samples, and pointed to the sign on the door saying maximum of 2 free samples per customer. Would you feel you'd fked up and feel morally obliged to pay for the additional free samples you ate if they are asking for a fair price? Would you still feel morally obliged if they were asking for a massively inflated price which is 5-10x what they charge for a much bigger portions in the cafe ?

[SnailTrail]

Thanks guys,

From the helpful replies on here including the links to Money Saving Expert, and my own research I'm going to ignore them. They have no legal power in Scotland.

I don't really fancy funding a company which it would appear is actually turning a profit by extorting money from charges which they have no legal right to enforce.

I'll write from jail.

[final_edition]

You do realise it would've been more prudent to drive all the way there and back? Rather than making extra journey's in two cars

[Black_S3]

Hate to sound like the boring scare monger but for the sake of £50 I'd just pay it. I imagine the company that has the contract for this service station also has the contract for others. While there may be fk all they can do to collect this £50 from you they may well have a policy along the lines of on the spot towing of cars with outstanding debts to them from any of the service stations they manage. If the worst was to happen you can guarantee it wouldn't be at a convenient time.

[mehball]

Granted the entrance is small but come on. How on earth can you miss that!