A parking PCN every day!
Discussion
Unlike a lot of threads, I'm not seeking advice - just people's opinions. What's going on here?
A gentleman parks his car outside where I work every day. It's a council controlled public car park, run by a contractor on a pay & display basis. Most people either have a season ticket (or at least, they did until Auntie Rona reared her head) or pay using a phone app. Generally it works well.
The gentleman in question is, so far as I can tell, a regular user and appears to park in the same spot every day. At some point during the morning a PCN appears on the windscreen. I have occasionally been glancing out the window and seen the traffic wardens issuing the PCN, but not always by any means. Sometimes the PCN will disappear during the course of a day.
What's going on? Is there a scam? I can't work it out. Is he...
- genuinely stupid / wealthy enough not to care and accepts paying a minimum of £25 / day for his parking (with early payment discount - it's £50 full whack, but only about £3 / day if you buy a ticket).
- claiming it back somehow as a business expense
- ignoring the PCNs in the hope they'll go away
- in possession of a fake / fraudulent PCN that he puts on the car to throw the wardens off the scent (ie before they get to him)
Any thoughts?
A gentleman parks his car outside where I work every day. It's a council controlled public car park, run by a contractor on a pay & display basis. Most people either have a season ticket (or at least, they did until Auntie Rona reared her head) or pay using a phone app. Generally it works well.
The gentleman in question is, so far as I can tell, a regular user and appears to park in the same spot every day. At some point during the morning a PCN appears on the windscreen. I have occasionally been glancing out the window and seen the traffic wardens issuing the PCN, but not always by any means. Sometimes the PCN will disappear during the course of a day.
What's going on? Is there a scam? I can't work it out. Is he...
- genuinely stupid / wealthy enough not to care and accepts paying a minimum of £25 / day for his parking (with early payment discount - it's £50 full whack, but only about £3 / day if you buy a ticket).
- claiming it back somehow as a business expense
- ignoring the PCNs in the hope they'll go away
- in possession of a fake / fraudulent PCN that he puts on the car to throw the wardens off the scent (ie before they get to him)
Any thoughts?
dacouch said:
Car not registered in his name and / or council / bailiffs unable to trace him or enforce the debt.
Ultimately they will clamp the car and demand payment for release but it it's low value car they may not bother or if they do the owner will let them take it
Hadn't thought of that, but seems unlikely as it's there nearly every day. It's a 2013 Volvo Estate, so still has some value I guess. Ultimately they will clamp the car and demand payment for release but it it's low value car they may not bother or if they do the owner will let them take it
Is the car taxed, MOTed and insured? Could be a cloned plate and some poor sod is getting a load of PCNs.
Maybe he's paid using the app and the hapless wardens aren't checking?
Years ago my Dad part-exed his Mercedes and started gettingh PCNs from Congestion Charge London - the new owner probably thought he could drive around for free by not registering the car for a while.
Maybe he's paid using the app and the hapless wardens aren't checking?
Years ago my Dad part-exed his Mercedes and started gettingh PCNs from Congestion Charge London - the new owner probably thought he could drive around for free by not registering the car for a while.
vikingaero said:
Is the car taxed, MOTed and insured? Could be a cloned plate and some poor sod is getting a load of PCNs.
Maybe he's paid using the app and the hapless wardens aren't checking?
Years ago my Dad part-exed his Mercedes and started getting PCNs from Congestion Charge London - the new owner probably thought he could drive around for free by not registering the car for a while.
Car's description matches the reg number and it's MoT'd to September and, although it was 190,000 miles at the last test, appears to be in decent condition. MoT history shows nothing more than wear & tear items commensurate with mileage.Maybe he's paid using the app and the hapless wardens aren't checking?
Years ago my Dad part-exed his Mercedes and started getting PCNs from Congestion Charge London - the new owner probably thought he could drive around for free by not registering the car for a while.
I'm not aware of any instances where the wardens have missed an app payment - they're normally pretty sharp.
I sold an MG BGT once, to a guy from Paris. He collected it and stopped overnight in London before catching the ferry. I received a PCN from City of Westminster Council, which they eventually overturned after I was able to prove when I'd sold it and to whom.
vikingaero said:
Is the car taxed, MOTed and insured? Could be a cloned plate and some poor sod is getting a load of PCNs.
Maybe he's paid using the app and the hapless wardens aren't checking?
Years ago my Dad part-exed his Mercedes and started gettingh PCNs from Congestion Charge London - the new owner probably thought he could drive around for free by not registering the car for a while.
Must have been a good few years ago, the new owner plays no part in re-registering the car these daysMaybe he's paid using the app and the hapless wardens aren't checking?
Years ago my Dad part-exed his Mercedes and started gettingh PCNs from Congestion Charge London - the new owner probably thought he could drive around for free by not registering the car for a while.
Years ago, and I'm talking 30ish, a friend of mine ran a hair salon in Mayfair just off Shepherd Market and used to park on the yellow lines every day, even back then the car park charges in that part of London were shocking, Some days he would get away with it, others he'd get a ticket but still reckoned he came out in front over a year. Getting towed back then was a rarity unless you were causing an obstruction
He might be chancing it. Each day is a separate ticket so separate matter. Will take a good few months for court and baliffs to come after him. Also they will be looking for his car at the registered address not the car park.
As most of this is automated, it would take a while for a goon to work out its all from the same car and consider maybe sending the baliff to the car park. Probably only after weeks if not longer of them having no success at the RK's address.
Plus remember its value at auction. an 8 year old very high miles volvo probably isnt worth much at auction. Baliffs are not allowed to seize "punatively" so if seizing a car does not reduce the debt due to costs of recovery, auction fees etc, technically they cant take it. I am sure plenty do and give no f
ks while they do it though.
As most of this is automated, it would take a while for a goon to work out its all from the same car and consider maybe sending the baliff to the car park. Probably only after weeks if not longer of them having no success at the RK's address.
Plus remember its value at auction. an 8 year old very high miles volvo probably isnt worth much at auction. Baliffs are not allowed to seize "punatively" so if seizing a car does not reduce the debt due to costs of recovery, auction fees etc, technically they cant take it. I am sure plenty do and give no f
ks while they do it though.martinbiz said:
vikingaero said:
Is the car taxed, MOTed and insured? Could be a cloned plate and some poor sod is getting a load of PCNs.
Maybe he's paid using the app and the hapless wardens aren't checking?
Years ago my Dad part-exed his Mercedes and started gettingh PCNs from Congestion Charge London - the new owner probably thought he could drive around for free by not registering the car for a while.
Must have been a good few years ago, the new owner plays no part in re-registering the car these daysMaybe he's paid using the app and the hapless wardens aren't checking?
Years ago my Dad part-exed his Mercedes and started gettingh PCNs from Congestion Charge London - the new owner probably thought he could drive around for free by not registering the car for a while.
Maybe just pays the parking via enforcement rather than bothering with a machine.
Some people are rich enough that no fine value is high enough to register, and fines can be dealt with by staff.
25 quid a day is normal in some bits of London.
There is a level of freedom in having a relatively old stty car for this sort of thing.
Some people are rich enough that no fine value is high enough to register, and fines can be dealt with by staff.
25 quid a day is normal in some bits of London.
There is a level of freedom in having a relatively old s
tty car for this sort of thing.Maybe he considers it worth his while.
If he’s living a way outside London and commuting you could be looking at £3k + for a train season ticket. Taking into account holidays ,days when he’s not in the office and days when he’s lucky and doesn’t get a ticket (however many that may be) crazy as it may sound it might not work out that much more expensive.
CraigyMc said:
Maybe just pays the parking via enforcement rather than bothering with a machine.
Some people are rich enough that no fine value is high enough to register, and fines can be dealt with by staff.
25 quid a day is normal in some bits of London.
There is a level of freedom in having a relatively old stty car for this sort of thing.
Let me guess... His wealth whispers? Some people are rich enough that no fine value is high enough to register, and fines can be dealt with by staff.
25 quid a day is normal in some bits of London.
There is a level of freedom in having a relatively old s
tty car for this sort of thing.
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