Another PCN debacle - I didn't even park at the address

[jonamv8]

I was written to by some shady looking parking company about a ticket i supposedly got in Apirl 2019 for parking somewhere where I needed to be pre-authorised to park. I simply ignored it (wrongly so I admit but I'm busy) and then it was followed up by BW LEGAL in Jan 2020 with some photographic evidence. I did not ignore the follow up!

The contravention location was the Womens Institute - 745 Warwick Road, Solihull, Solihull, B91 3DG

Here it is:

https://www.google.com/maps/place/745+Warwick+Rd,+...

Needless to say I know for a fact that I have never visited the Womens Institute or parked on its property.

I received two photos as evidence, one of a sign on a wall(could have been anywhere) and one of my car showing it's number plate correctly in a car park, I can't make out which one as car parks look very similar and there are no distinguishable features. The sign on the wall of the building looks very different to the sign in the photo they sent as evidence.

I've checked my diary and cannot locate what I was doing on the date in question, being 18 months ago I find it hard to remember but I know categorically that I have not ever visited the property shown on the Google Maps link above. For starts I am male, the only way I would ever have visited the womens institute would have been for work and they are not a client.

BW LEGAL state it was a manual ticket, not an ANPR so issued by a human. It's been 7 months now since they queried it and I just followed up looking to draw a line under it and BW LEGAL are saying it will be rejected and they will take me to court!

I feel like paying the £160 to get it closed off, but that wiull leave a very bitter taste in my mouth as I haven't done anything wrong. If i had I would pay the ticket.

Not been in this situation before but wondered if anyone could offer any advice at this stage?

I will upload the photographic evidence if needed, just need to photoshop my plate out of it :-)

[randlemarcus]

In terms of the ticket, just write back denying it was your car, and you are happy to see them in Court. It at least parks it

If you have Google Maps on your phone, you should be able to look at you Google Timeline view, and find out where your phone was on that day?

[jonamv8]

randlemarcus said:

In terms of the ticket, just write back denying it was your car, and you are happy to see them in Court. It at least parks it

If you have Google Maps on your phone, you should be able to look at you Google Timeline view, and find out where your phone was on that day?

Hi - that's what I have told them verbally back in Jan 2020 and 7 months on still nothing, feel the delay is excessive and they should drop it. Unfortunately my history on Google timeline doesn't show anything for that timeframe but I have had new phones during that time.

[The_Nugget]

You may want them to drop it but they probably won’t and the fact that it has taken some time to this point is more to do with ignoring it originally.

Have they sent you the actual image files? Or will they send them? If so does the Exif data show the location?

Short of any evidence you were somewhere else you could pay then appeal or ask them to take you to court and argue your case...but I haven’t seen any evidence you would use so far.

[jonamv8]

Here is the location and you can see a small red sign on the wall:



Here is the photo of the car, sent on paper so no EXIF data with GPS co-ords




Car looks to be in a multi storey or underground car park. The WI doesn't look large enough to have either but it clearly states contravention address as the WI location shown above.

[zzrman]

Why don't you pop round there and check out their car park and see if you can match the photo to it.

[Scrump]

According to this link the hall is hired out for events.
It also has car parking for event attendees so an underground car park may well exist there (maybe accessed from the rear of the building)
https://www.hallshire.com/halls/view/231/solihull-...

[jonamv8]

zzrman said:

Why don't you pop round there and check out their car park and see if you can match the photo to it.

I did buddy back in January as its 3 mins from my home so I drive past it a lot. The back of the building is much link the front just without a courtyard or any parking. I couldn't see any other signage for an overflow' for the WI. There are various other car parks round there though but none that I could match or even get into as private apartments with gates etc

I've asked BW LEGAL to specify where I parked but they don't seem to be able, all they say is at the contravention address, and there is no car park at this address.

Legally I would expect that the contravention address has to be where I parked??

[CDP]

There isn't a reserved section in a nearby underground carpark shared by many companies is there?

[jonamv8]

Scrump said:

According to this link the hall is hired out for events.
It also has car parking for event attendees so an underground car park may well exist there (maybe accessed from the rear of the building)
https://www.hallshire.com/halls/view/231/solihull-...

I'll get a photo of the back of the address to share as it looks nothing like the photos they have sent me. If I have parked illegally then I am happy to pay but no one seems able to tell me where I parked, surely its not that hard for them to tell me

[jonamv8]

CDP said:

There isn't a reserved section in a nearby underground carpark shared by many companies is there?

Not that I am aware of, no signage and they have not told me that this is the case either. All I am told is that I parked at the Contravention Location which is the address above. There is a multi storey over the road, but its ticket on entry and you cannot get out with a paid ticket. Also its a different address to what they have stated.

[jondude]

Is there any chance someone else was driving your car that day?

Otherwise try to see if there are any marks or details on the car that do not match yours, as the cloning of plates does appear to be your only other defence.

(The actual plate may have it - the small print address on it different, or not even there at all)

[JQ]

There appears to be a large underground car park to the rear of the WI building accessed off Union Road. At the entrance to the car park it states "private car park for Church, Womens Institute and residents only". The car appears to go under Broomfields Hall and the bowling green. Have a look on Google Earth and Streetview.

Could you have been visiting the church or a resident?

[silverfoxcc]

pepipoo is your friend

no charge to ask for assistance

[Boosted LS1]

Haven't they got 6 months in order to issue a summons? I'd write back informing them that the 'driver' was elsewhere on that day and can prove it.

[jonamv8]

jondude said:

Is there any chance someone else was driving your car that day?

Otherwise try to see if there are any marks or details on the car that do not match yours, as the cloning of plates does appear to be your only other defence.

(The actual plate may have it - the small print address on it different, or not even there at all)

No chance, only the missus is insured to drive it and I've spoke to her she would tell me if she had a ticket. She also doesn't go to the WI and has her own car, shes only insured on mine to bring me home from the pub if we bump into an old friend type of scenario

[jonamv8]

JQ said:

There appears to be a large underground car park to the rear of the WI building accessed off Union Road. At the entrance to the car park it states "private car park for Church, Womens Institute and residents only". The car appears to go under Broomfields Hall and the bowling green. Have a look on Google Earth and Streetview.

Could you have been visiting the church or a resident?

Thanks! I've just been round there on Google Street View. The sign is on the entrance to the parking at the back, I cannot see a sign by the entrance of what appears to be a ramp down to underground parking. There is also a barrier and keypad for residents I guess, I'd have no way of getting in there.

Also that is Union Road Solihull, not 745 Warwick Road, would it not state UNION ROAD on the letters I am getting if this was the case?

[blueg33]

Off topic - I built that womens institute building, I knocked down the old one behind and built flats on it - The "ladies" were difficult to negotiate with.

My technical Director has to stand on stage and sing Jerusalem at one meeting and they insisted because they had 25 people in a typical meeting that the lift must hold 25 people

[blueg33]

jonamv8 said:

Here is the location and you can see a small red sign on the wall:



Here is the photo of the car, sent on paper so no EXIF data with GPS co-ords




Car looks to be in a multi storey or underground car park. The WI doesn't look large enough to have either but it clearly states contravention address as the WI location shown above.

That is the car park under the flats behind the WI building. It is for residents and authorised visitors only

[outnumbered]

blueg33 said:

That is the car park under the flats behind the WI building. It is for residents and authorised visitors only

So unless someone has cloned the OP's plate and put it on a similar car, it rather looks like he or his wife has parked there.