Rental car parking ticket
Discussion
I've rented about 50 vehicles from a certain well known car rental company in the last year.
On the last rental, I returned it to an unfamiliar location, after-hours. The after-hours return was known to everyone at the time of booking and the return time on my booking sheet was after they were closed. Website offered after-hours returns.
When I turned up after-hours, there was no off street after-hours return location, so I parked it directly in front of their driveway gate (which was locked, so I couldn't open it). There were no non-controlled parking areas anywhere around the return office. There were some single yellow lines, but they would have become controlled parking at the time the rental office reopened.
Car got a council parking ticket prior to the office opening in the morning.
They want me to pay the parking ticket.
Do I need to pay it?
Was I still the keeper of the vehicle after I had dropped it off?
On the last rental, I returned it to an unfamiliar location, after-hours. The after-hours return was known to everyone at the time of booking and the return time on my booking sheet was after they were closed. Website offered after-hours returns.
When I turned up after-hours, there was no off street after-hours return location, so I parked it directly in front of their driveway gate (which was locked, so I couldn't open it). There were no non-controlled parking areas anywhere around the return office. There were some single yellow lines, but they would have become controlled parking at the time the rental office reopened.
Car got a council parking ticket prior to the office opening in the morning.
They want me to pay the parking ticket.
Do I need to pay it?
Was I still the keeper of the vehicle after I had dropped it off?
PurpleMoonlight said:
robdcfc said:
You off hired at 11pm, ticket has a later time on it than that its their problem.
Only if the OP was told to leave the car there.Failing that, it's his responsibility to park it lawfully.
A bit surprising they did not say where to leave it if a late drop was allowed.
PurpleMoonlight said:
robdcfc said:
You off hired at 11pm, ticket has a later time on it than that its their problem.
Only if the OP was told to leave the car there.Failing that, it's his responsibility to park it lawfully.
OP said:
There were some single yellow lines, but they would have become controlled parking at the time the rental office reopened.
It seems that either the ticket was issued early, or the hire company employees ignored a vehicle parked outside their locked gate, and the ticket was issued soon after.Either way, it does not seem that the OP is liable to pay the penalty.
I would take a look at the ticket to see when it was issued and where - did thy perhaps move the car in order to enter the premises? I only ask because I once got a ticket for leaving a hire car in a disabled bay. I hadn't. I left the car outside the premises at 6.00 am when there were plenty of spaces available.
Sure enough, the ticket was issued 6 days after I dropped the vehicle off!
creampuff said:
I've rented about 50 vehicles from a certain well known car rental company in the last year.
On the last rental, I returned it to an unfamiliar location, after-hours. The after-hours return was known to everyone at the time of booking and the return time on my booking sheet was after they were closed. Website offered after-hours returns.
When I turned up after-hours, there was no off street after-hours return location, so I parked it directly in front of their driveway gate (which was locked, so I couldn't open it). There were no non-controlled parking areas anywhere around the return office. There were some single yellow lines, but they would have become controlled parking at the time the rental office reopened.
Car got a council parking ticket prior to the office opening in the morning.
They want me to pay the parking ticket.
Do I need to pay it?
Was I still the keeper of the vehicle after I had dropped it off?
You need to ask to see and examine the notice but without prejudice to your position.On the last rental, I returned it to an unfamiliar location, after-hours. The after-hours return was known to everyone at the time of booking and the return time on my booking sheet was after they were closed. Website offered after-hours returns.
When I turned up after-hours, there was no off street after-hours return location, so I parked it directly in front of their driveway gate (which was locked, so I couldn't open it). There were no non-controlled parking areas anywhere around the return office. There were some single yellow lines, but they would have become controlled parking at the time the rental office reopened.
Car got a council parking ticket prior to the office opening in the morning.
They want me to pay the parking ticket.
Do I need to pay it?
Was I still the keeper of the vehicle after I had dropped it off?
Ok, update. I complained to the rental company and they are paying the ticket instead of sending it on to me.
They also said that the return location is inside a NCP car park nearby. I would never have figured that out by myself!
I checked through all my info and there is nothing anywhere about the return location being away from the rental office.
They also said that the return location is inside a NCP car park nearby. I would never have figured that out by myself!
I checked through all my info and there is nothing anywhere about the return location being away from the rental office.
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