RE: Parking Fine Fight
Monday 8th October 2007
Motorists are being urged to fight unfair parking tickets after new figures showed that Scottish authorities abandon the majority of long-running penalty disputes involving private 'enforcers'.
More than half the cases referred to the Scottish Parking and Traffic Appeals Service are ditched by councils before they are heard.
In Dundee, an astonishing 90% of contested parking tickets issued by private wardens are ditched at the appeal stage.
And even in cases where councils decide to fight on, Scottish drivers have a one-in-three chance of triumphing over private wardens, who operate in many of Scotland's biggest communities and have frequently been accused of issuing tickets unfairly to maximise profits.
Parking tickets cost £60 although many councils cut the fine in half if the driver agrees to pay up immediately. Each year, Edinburgh takes in £7.6m from parking fines, while Glasgow fines drivers £5.5m.
Barrie Segal, the founder of ticket challenge site AppealNow.com, said: "If ever there was a lesson which the Scots gave us, it's try and try again and never give up. Too many motorists think it is not worth their while appealing against parking tickets, but the fact is that they should."
Parking Fine Fight
How to beat menace of parking wardens, possibly.
More than half the cases referred to the Scottish Parking and Traffic Appeals Service are ditched by councils before they are heard.
In Dundee, an astonishing 90% of contested parking tickets issued by private wardens are ditched at the appeal stage.
And even in cases where councils decide to fight on, Scottish drivers have a one-in-three chance of triumphing over private wardens, who operate in many of Scotland's biggest communities and have frequently been accused of issuing tickets unfairly to maximise profits.
Parking tickets cost £60 although many councils cut the fine in half if the driver agrees to pay up immediately. Each year, Edinburgh takes in £7.6m from parking fines, while Glasgow fines drivers £5.5m.
Barrie Segal, the founder of ticket challenge site AppealNow.com, said: "If ever there was a lesson which the Scots gave us, it's try and try again and never give up. Too many motorists think it is not worth their while appealing against parking tickets, but the fact is that they should."
Discussion
Will2425 said:
Don't forget that the £30 if you pay now is still valid if you appeal and lose. the clock is stopped while there is an appeal ongoing, so there is no harm in trying
Really?I got a parking ticket for parking outside my house with a valid permit, but on wrong car.. other was at work and borrowed a car for the weekend. Thought that I had to either fight it and then win, no payment, or lose and pay £60. Or not appeal and pay £30, that is the way it was worded on the ticket!
Right going to stop that clock!
ETA: Right, now I have to get the appeal to them in wording.. quite hard that with postal strikes every second!
Edited by RacingPete on Monday 8th October 12:37
I don't like the idea of challenging a fine, you see people on telly doing this and the council adds £50 every time they write a letter, 6 months later they think you owe them £1200 due to their extra costs pursuing the fine plus interest and they send the bailifs round to take your car, telly, hi-fi, wife, golfclubs etc etc away.
Only parking fine I had was issued in a 3 minute window between my ticket expiring and the carpark becoming free after 6pm. I was hacked off because it was sneaky, but it was technically my fault because I didn't want to pay another 70p for 3 minutes parking which i would probably not need anyway.
10yrs ago the carpark used to put a note on your car, politely telling you that you'd forgotten to pay and would get a fine if you did it again.
Only parking fine I had was issued in a 3 minute window between my ticket expiring and the carpark becoming free after 6pm. I was hacked off because it was sneaky, but it was technically my fault because I didn't want to pay another 70p for 3 minutes parking which i would probably not need anyway.
10yrs ago the carpark used to put a note on your car, politely telling you that you'd forgotten to pay and would get a fine if you did it again.
mk1fan said:
'How to beat the menace of Parking Wardens'?
Well, to start with don't park illegally or contrary to t&c's.
Although, I would like to see how many parking tickets are wrongly issued.
Well, to start with don't park illegally or contrary to t&c's.
Although, I would like to see how many parking tickets are wrongly issued.
It amazes me how many people say things like... I only popped into the shop for a minute, I know I was on double yellows, but it was only for a minute.!!!!!!!
cowellsj said:
I don't like the idea of challenging a fine, you see people on telly doing this and the council adds £50 every time they write a letter,
No they don't. If you appeal within the 2 week 1/2 price period you retain the right to pay the reduced rate even if you eventually lose the appeal.Here's a bit of useful info for you PHers out there. I have used this twice successfully. It refers to the legality of single/double yellow lines. They MUST be as per the diagram below or they are invalid. See the associated case law that I quoted where it says "even to a reasonable man it is obvious....."
cowellsj said:
I don't like the idea of challenging a fine, you see people on telly doing this and the council adds £50 every time they write a letter, 6 months later they think you owe them £1200 due to their extra costs pursuing the fine plus interest and they send the bailifs round to take your car, telly, hi-fi, wife, golfclubs etc etc away.
Only parking fine I had was issued in a 3 minute window between my ticket expiring and the carpark becoming free after 6pm. I was hacked off because it was sneaky, but it was technically my fault because I didn't want to pay another 70p for 3 minutes parking which i would probably not need anyway.
10yrs ago the carpark used to put a note on your car, politely telling you that you'd forgotten to pay and would get a fine if you did it again.
Did you know you could possibly have a 15minute discretionary period?Only parking fine I had was issued in a 3 minute window between my ticket expiring and the carpark becoming free after 6pm. I was hacked off because it was sneaky, but it was technically my fault because I didn't want to pay another 70p for 3 minutes parking which i would probably not need anyway.
10yrs ago the carpark used to put a note on your car, politely telling you that you'd forgotten to pay and would get a fine if you did it again.
They have just changed the rules for our local council in Sussex. It's now private "commission" based, and they go around in pairs. But you can't get a ticket until 15min past your ticket time.
stuartbuckell said:
cowellsj said:
I don't like the idea of challenging a fine, you see people on telly doing this and the council adds £50 every time they write a letter, 6 months later they think you owe them £1200 due to their extra costs pursuing the fine plus interest and they send the bailifs round to take your car, telly, hi-fi, wife, golfclubs etc etc away.
Only parking fine I had was issued in a 3 minute window between my ticket expiring and the carpark becoming free after 6pm. I was hacked off because it was sneaky, but it was technically my fault because I didn't want to pay another 70p for 3 minutes parking which i would probably not need anyway.
10yrs ago the carpark used to put a note on your car, politely telling you that you'd forgotten to pay and would get a fine if you did it again.
Did you know you could possibly have a 15minute discretionary period?Only parking fine I had was issued in a 3 minute window between my ticket expiring and the carpark becoming free after 6pm. I was hacked off because it was sneaky, but it was technically my fault because I didn't want to pay another 70p for 3 minutes parking which i would probably not need anyway.
10yrs ago the carpark used to put a note on your car, politely telling you that you'd forgotten to pay and would get a fine if you did it again.
They have just changed the rules for our local council in Sussex. It's now private "commission" based, and they go around in pairs. But you can't get a ticket until 15min past your ticket time.
mk1fan said:
'How to beat the menace of Parking Wardens'?
Well, to start with don't park illegally or contrary to t&c's.
Although, I would like to see how many parking tickets are wrongly issued.
I got one for breaking down, as did my girlfriends mum, both cases were because we had pushed the vehicle out of the way of traffic (mine was in a taxi bay, hers was a dead end sideroad)Well, to start with don't park illegally or contrary to t&c's.
Although, I would like to see how many parking tickets are wrongly issued.
both were upheld when we appealed.
Another friend got done for not parking completely within a marked bay (had two wheels on the line) at after midnight in the totally empty carpark outside the local asda
Will2425 said:
mk1fan said:
'How to beat the menace of Parking Wardens'?
Well, to start with don't park illegally or contrary to t&c's.
Although, I would like to see how many parking tickets are wrongly issued.
I got one for breaking down, as did my girlfriends mum, both cases were because we had pushed the vehicle out of the way of traffic (mine was in a taxi bay, hers was a dead end sideroad)Well, to start with don't park illegally or contrary to t&c's.
Although, I would like to see how many parking tickets are wrongly issued.
both were upheld when we appealed.
Another friend got done for not parking completely within a marked bay (had two wheels on the line) at after midnight in the totally empty carpark outside the local asda
mk1fan said:
You would be amazed how many road markings are not done accurately / correctly.
Although I avoid having to waste time compiling this by parking legally to begin with.
Agreed, a huge number aren't enforceable and the tickets would be easy to challenge, but i've got better things to do with my time.Although I avoid having to waste time compiling this by parking legally to begin with.
E36GUY said:
cowellsj said:
I don't like the idea of challenging a fine, you see people on telly doing this and the council adds £50 every time they write a letter,
No they don't. If you appeal within the 2 week 1/2 price period you retain the right to pay the reduced rate even if you eventually lose the appeal.Here's a bit of useful info for you PHers out there. I have used this twice successfully. It refers to the legality of single/double yellow lines. They MUST be as per the diagram below or they are invalid. See the associated case law that I quoted where it says "even to a reasonable man it is obvious....."
[snip]
I was given a ticket in Birmingham city centre on a Sunday a couple of years ago. They said I was in a CPZ, but even now I have only seen one, rather well hidden, sign indicating its existence. The council fought and fought until the hearing was due, then caved in a few days before.
Will2425 said:
Another friend got done for not parking completely within a marked bay (had two wheels on the line) at after midnight in the totally empty carpark outside the local asda
Then that's me stuffed, I often park over 2 spaces in Asda due the number of times I've recieved damage there. There seems to be a little area about 1200 miles from the shop where myself and others that care about ur cars park, mostly over 2 spaces. If Asda want to make the spaces bigger or pay for the damage then I'll park in a single space nearer the shop. The day they fine me for it is the day I start shopping at Tesco.... 
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