Given a ticket for illegal number plate on private property

[falkster]

Hi all - I know I shouldn’t have an illegal plate however a work colleague said there were police at my car in our private work car park. I went out and he’d written me a ticket for illegal spacing and not having the postcode.
My question is, are they allowed to just rock up in my private works car park and issue me a ticket when, at the time, I wasn’t driving it or committing the offence on the road?
Thanks
Chris

[Durzel]

How did the cop get in there to put a ticket on it?

The presumption is that it’s accessible to the public (even if privately owned) and therefore the Road Traffic Act applies.

[Dont like rolls]

falkster said:

Hi all - I know I shouldn’t have an illegal plate however a work colleague said there were police at my car in our private work car park. I went out and he’d written me a ticket for illegal spacing and not having the postcode.
My question is, are they allowed to just rock up in my private works car park and issue me a ticket when, at the time, I wasn’t driving it or committing the offence on the road?
Thanks
Chris

A private car park with public access (like a Supermarket) ?

[Neonblau]

There must be more to this story.

[Hol]

YES, they are allowed to do than.

[falkster]

Dont like rolls said:

A private car park with public access (like a Supermarket) ?

It is a supermarket but it’s the rear where employees park. Not a public car park.

[falkster]

Neonblau said:

There must be more to this story.

There really isn’t

[the cueball]

Did you drive your car on the public highway to get to this private carpark?

[Dont like rolls]

falkster said:

Dont like rolls said:

A private car park with public access (like a Supermarket) ?

It is a supermarket but it’s the rear where employees park. Not a public car park.

Makes no difference in such a case. It is not like a private road/gate to a farm yard with gates with permission needed etc.

[BertBert]

falkster said:

It is a supermarket but it’s the rear where employees park. Not a public car park.

RTA still applies

[agtlaw]

First thing to ascertain is whether the regulation applies “on a road” or “on a road or other public place.”

Then we can talk about farm gates, presumptions, etc.

[Pegscratch]

Pay your dues for having a st plate, and then with some spare change put some legally spaced ones on so as not to end up with repeat fines - or worse, a report to the DVLA for it to be withdrawn. I've heard tales of that resulting in a Q plate, but I've not seen evidence of that.

Either way, play stupid games, win stupid prizes.

[Pegscratch]

Neonblau said:

There must be more to this story.

Educated guess:

Driving like a bit of a tt (as invariably badly spaced numberplate wearing cars are) and been reported to the police for it. Failing that, envy, offensive parking, million cars owned at a house with no driveway or garage... Insert any number of things where the OP could be doing nothing illegal but potentially socially unacceptable.

[Cat]

Number plate offences are not covered by the RTA, the relevant legislation is the Vehicle Excise and Registration Act 1994 along with the The Road Vehicles (Display of Registration Marks) Regulations 2001

Section 42 of that act states:-

"If a registration mark is not fixed on a vehicle as required by virtue of section 23, the relevant person is guilty of an offence."

It makes no mention of driving/using or roads or public places just that it is an offence to not have it fixed to the vehicle as required.

Section 23 of the act states:-

"Where the Secretary of State registers a vehicle under section 21(1) he shall assign to the vehicle a mark (a “registration mark”) indicating the registered number of the vehicle."

and

"The Secretary of State may by regulations provide that the registration mark for the time being assigned to a vehicle shall be fixed, in the manner prescribed by the regulations, on the vehicle, on any other vehicle drawn by the vehicle or on both."

Again there is no mention of driving or using the vehicle nor is there any stipulation about roads/public places etc. simply that the assigned mark needs to be fixed to the vehicle.

In the absence of any case law to the contrary it would appear that the offence is committed by any vehicle not displaying its assigned registration mark in the approved manner regardless of where the vehicle is.

Cat

[Dont like rolls]

Pegscratch said:

Educated guess:

Driving like a bit of a tt (as invariably badly spaced numberplate wearing cars are) and been reported to the police for it.

With the front one inside the screen, "because it fell off"

[Pegscratch]

I would concur, based on experience of a not-quite-friend falling foul of similar and wanting to kick off about how they "came on his land to ticket him, don't they have nothing better to do?"

[Pegscratch]

Dont like rolls said:

With the front one inside the screen, "because it fell off"

Don't recall seeing that on a st plate with bad spacing; they seem to prefer wearing their badge of stupidity with pride.

[Riley Blue]

If the regulations don't apply in the employee's car park, they'll be waiting outside for you to leave - do you feel lucky, punk?

[Monkeylegend]

falkster said:

Hi all - I know I shouldn’t have an illegal plate
Chris

Call it karma

[Reciprocating mass]

Well it saves you being pulled over and issued with the same thing just put the right plate on and stop being a coffee beans about it, your only going to get pulled over if you don’t at some point so why bother you obviously don’t want to deal with the Agro