Parking Charge Notice

[insanelewis21]

Hello all,

I live in a block of flats, it has a small car park and its close to a local train station so naturally the freeholders have hired a parking firm as a deterrent to stop people parking here then going off up to London.

Now I have lived here for nearly two years and the other day I forgot to display my permit.

I got a ticket, which I have appealed and said im sorry I forgot to display my permit, I am a resident, here Is my permit number blah blah,

they aren't having any of it saying I was parked on private land etc etc.

my argument was that by paying my rent and having a valid contract to live here I have the right to be here and use of the land including the car park regardless of having a permit in my window.

in my mind I have proven to them I have every right to be parked there.

If it was there land I would completely agree I was parked wrongly and just pay. I feel they are taking the piss by saying its their land.

in hindsight what I should of done is just ignored it because they didn't know any of my personal details. Now that I have appealed they know my name, address and contact number.

should I just pay?

thanks

[PurpleMoonlight]

If your Lease states parking on site is included then I agree with you.

Tell them to take you to court if they don't like it.

[silverfoxcc]

Register at pepipoo.com and put the problem on there. These guys are pretty good at getting these quashed without you paying out a penny.
All they ask is you tell the truth, no muddying the waters so to speak

[insanelewis21]

cool thanks I will check that site out.

[caziques]

The loss to the "parking firm" is zero, which is the amount you owe.

You may well need to obtain a POPLA code, at the end of the day you won't be paying.

[herewego]

Maybe you want to offer them a small admin. payment. After all they are keeping the car park clear for you and you have caused them some work.

[mph999]

Is the space you park in 'yours' - part of your deeds ?
I would like to think, if so, they're going to have a hard job charging you for parking on your own 'drive' ...

[Sir Bagalot]

caziques said:

The loss to the "parking firm" is zero, which is the amount you owe.

Well actually it isn't. There was a cost to issuing the ticket. There was a cost to looking at the appeal.

However. Ask on Pepipoo as advised.

[Funk]

It would be terribly simple to have a list of 'allowed' registrations for a given premises for those that own their space and have every right to park there. Upon entering the premises, the company employee should just check off the cars with 'allowed' registrations and check for permits on those who aren't on the list. Anyone else gets a ticket.

I would absolutely refuse to pay a parking charge to a 3rd company once I've proven beyond any shadow of a doubt that I'm one of the residents. In fact, any insistence that I DO pay would result in me sacking them from the job - they need to remember that they work for YOU!

Luckily my block doesn't have any issues with 'outsiders' parking here so we haven't had to go that route.

[velocefica]

Why would you pay it?

You have caused the landlord, housing association or parking company no loss whatsoever because your entitled to park there by paying rent which comes with parking space and permit

I would tell them to take you to court if they can't see that.

Case closed.

[jesta1865]

Sir Bagalot said:

caziques said:

The loss to the "parking firm" is zero, which is the amount you owe.

Well actually it isn't. There was a cost to issuing the ticket. There was a cost to looking at the appeal.

However. Ask on Pepipoo as advised.

ianal but i am sure i read a case record about a guy who parked in (iirc) b&q car park and went to a vets (i think). when the parking enforcement company tried to charge the guy the admin fee for the ticket, looking into it etc, the judge sitting on the case told them they couldn't charge that as it was running costs of the company and could not be recouped under the law. despite him having incurred the ticket and then making the parking company work for the info for the appeal, the judge said the people (ticketing company) would still have been employed and the company would have incurred the costs regardless.

i'm sorry to be so vague and i am not a legal bod, but the running costs part stuck in my head, if not the details.

[slk 32]

I live in a block in London with a mixture of off street parking /garages . Space is limited as there are more flats then spaces as the surrounding streets have become CPZ and we have a doctors opposite we agreed to bring in a private company to police the car park. Each flat gets two permits and any car without a displayed permit gets a ticket , no exception..Regardless of whether they are a resident or not

Why? ..We made it clear that this rule was to stand in the interest of fairness (no I forgot to display , he's mymate / dad / girlfriend etc). As an owner it's incumbent upon me to display the permit.

Don't forget that the company administering the scheme often will not be being paid for it but makes its revenue from the tickets. Once you start making one rule for one then the whole system breaks down