Silverstone Classic - my car towed!

[andygo]

I'm pretty sure that towing is illegal, which was my main question initially. As you point out, they can be arrogant and unhelpful, but I guess its the type of staff they hire who can often act like failed traffic wardens.

[Dinoboy]

rallycross said:

When you said towed I was thinking of something more like this! (RAC towed me to the track just in time for qualifying after my new tow car blew it's gearbox 5 miles from Castle Combe - well done RAC)

That's brilliant, good on them.

[MB140]

I’m pretty sure in this day and age that if someone parks on YOUR driveway in front of your house. As the landowner you can’t remove the car without authority from the courts.

Wasn’t there a thread/news story recently where some student just parked up on someone else’s drive and knobed off back to China for three months and the owner of the house was told he couldn’t move it as any damage could leave him liable.

Surely this is the same now. Both private land so I would have thought the best they could do was slap the op with a fine (or technically an invoice).

[7795]

andygo said:

Nope, the car wasn’t causing any obstruction or access at all. I have been to Silverstone lots over the years and usually that spot is marked out for competitors, but it was left unallocated , nearest allocation area was for show cars arriving Saturday.

Nevertheless, the question remains insofar as towing is illegal?

OK, so now we have the question, at last!!!!

Was towing your car illegal?

My stance would be that you were on private land, had dubious rights to be there (without seeing the T&C's we have no knowledge if the parking pass you were lent was correct, legitimate, transferable or even valid. ). At a guess, since you provide little factual information for us to work with, yes, it was legal for your car to be removed. Further guessing it was showing some semblance of legality and so you ended up not too far away.

Car parking is at an absolute premium and you found a quiet, random spot out of the way with no cars parked; big clue right here!!

ETA...OP, you're one of few Golf R owners to return to your car to find it gone and it wasn't stolen

[Evanivitch]

MB140 said:

I’m pretty sure in this day and age that if someone parks on YOUR driveway in front of your house. As the landowner you can’t remove the car without authority from the courts.

Isn't the confusion here to do with people confusing access with ownership?

Silverstone has controlled access, I assume a pass was required to even get to the point the car was towed. It's not open to the public.

A supermarket car park has open public access with no limitations on access.

Doesn't that make the difference in clamp/towing legislation?

[Connectors]

andygo said:

unsure if any mechanical damage has been done to rack, tyres steering lock etc. or the haldex 4wd system.

Surely you know now? If there’s no damage, move on.

[red]

Parked on a piece of circuit that is historically used as a parking area for vehicles participating in the Retro Run and/or recovery vehicles when racing is underway.

[BertBert]

Does it matter whether towing is illegal or not?

Presumably what matters is whether they damaged your car?

Is it damaged?

Bert

[TwoStrokeNut]

Haldex is just FWD or RWD with a clutch to bring in the other wheels, so there should be no damage.

Take it as a lesson to park appropriately and move on.

[Burnzyb]

You didn’t see how it was towed so they could of quite easily used a Dollie on the other set of wheels so all four wheel weren’t turning like this... http://www.easternwreckerstore.com/Collins-Dollies...

[4rephill]

The Silverstone car parks are run by Silverstone Circuits Limited (SCL), and in the terms and conditions for pretty much all events, SCL reserve the right to move any vehicle they deem necessary.

For example, this is from the 2018 British Grand Prix for MotoGP ( http://www.silverstone.co.uk/terms-and-conditions/... ):

2018 BRITISH GRAND PRIX (MotoGP) – PUBLIC CAR PARK TICKET TERMS AND CONDITIONS

1. All vehicles (and their contents) parked within any car park operated by Silverstone Circuits Limited (“SCL”) are left at the owners’ sole risk. To the maximum extent permitted by law SCL shall not be liable for any loss or damage suffered by owners arising from their use of any SCL car park (including damage to owners’ vehicles and/or their contents). SCL reserves the right to move any vehicle it deems necessary due to logistical, safety or similar reasons.

Now you could try arguing that your car was not causing any logistical or safety issues, but I'm sure SCL could easily find a reason for moving your vehicle.

andygo: If you genuinely believe they have broken the Law by towing your car, and may have damaged it during the towing process, get yourself a Lawyer, sue Silverstone Circuits Limited, see how you get on, and then report back to us - Then we'll all know the legality of their actions!

[chunder27]

Makes me even less likely to go to this overpriced piece of nonsense anyway

67 quid on the day

That is simply pathetic when you consider the quality of the music acts that are planned, a bunch of tribute bands and UB40, are you kidding me?

Sadly, it will be popular as people are so idiotic they think it's good value.

So it goes on

[Red Devil]

4rephill said:

The Silverstone car parks are run by Silverstone Circuits Limited (SCL), and in the terms and conditions for pretty much all events, SCL reserve the right to move any vehicle they deem necessary.

For example, this is from the 2018 British Grand Prix for MotoGP ( http://www.silverstone.co.uk/terms-and-conditions/... ):

2018 BRITISH GRAND PRIX (MotoGP) – PUBLIC CAR PARK TICKET TERMS AND CONDITIONS

1. All vehicles (and their contents) parked within any car park operated by Silverstone Circuits Limited (“SCL”) are left at the owners’ sole risk. To the maximum extent permitted by law SCL shall not be liable for any loss or damage suffered by owners arising from their use of any SCL car park (including damage to owners’ vehicles and/or their contents). SCL reserves the right to move any vehicle it deems necessary due to logistical, safety or similar reasons.

Now you could try arguing that your car was not causing any logistical or safety issues, but I'm sure SCL could easily find a reason for moving your vehicle.

andygo: If you genuinely believe they have broken the Law by towing your car, and may have damaged it during the towing process, get yourself a Lawyer, sue Silverstone Circuits Limited, see how you get on, and then report back to us - Then we'll all know the legality of their actions!

I think the point you have overlooked is that there are two separate elements here, removal and damage.
No issue with doing the former but, AFAIK, the law does not permit them to absolve themselves entirely from causing damage to the vehicle while doing so.
The 'at owner's sole risk' looks shaky to me. Surely there is duty of care involved? Is the UTTCR not engaged here?

[paul1962]

Burnzyb said:

You didn’t see how it was towed so they could of quite easily used a Dollie on the other set of wheels so all four wheel weren’t turning like this... http://www.easternwreckerstore.com/Collins-Dollies...

Saw several cars moved this way at Silverstone today.
They also have trucks which lift the entire car.
They also took photos of the cars before attaching any equipment

Edited by paul1962 on Monday 23 July 00:01

[The Wookie]

I’m amazed you managed to get far inside at all with a parking pass considering it’s often a fight for me, as a driver, with a parking pass, on the far less busy BTCC weekends to get into the right car park.

Usually there’s some officious, rude git in a fluorescent vest trying to put me out in a car park on the opposite side of the track claiming the competitors car park is full when it’s actually a quarter empty with the overflow car park opposite almost deserted

Edited by The Wookie on Monday 23 July 10:30

[surveyor_101]

Raygun said:

.....went to Goodwood FOS a few years ago £4.50 for one of them rubbery hot dogs that seagulls turn their nose up to.

It was no better this year bacon roll £5 and small portion of chips with a battered goldfish was £11, only bonus was free water!

I don't have a Golf R (hot hatch royalty) or a pink/blue etc parking pass so I parked in one of the outer free public car parks ?(dusty field) and get the tractor ride in.

By the sounds of it, the OP abandoned their car, I would have assumed ICE CREAM Van parking was not public parking! Maybe I think a bit too much when parking?

[Nampahc Niloc]

chunder27 said:

Makes me even less likely to go to this overpriced piece of nonsense anyway

67 quid on the day

That is simply pathetic when you consider the quality of the music acts that are planned, a bunch of tribute bands and UB40, are you kidding me?

Sadly, it will be popular as people are so idiotic they think it's good value.

So it goes on

Wow! You are entirely missing the point of the weekend if your biggest gripe is that the music wasn’t good enough.

As for the OP, just because in your opinion you weren’t blocking anything, doesn’t mean it was fine. On a big weekend like the Silverstone classic they need to be very particular about access and egress routes for both emergency vehicles and general business.

Legally you can move someone’s car if it’s on your property; the risk you take is that you are liable for any damage you caused. Since you can not identify any damage, it sounds like they did everything correctly.

Car passes always have limitations on where you can park. If it’s not clear, next time I suggest you ask rather than assume you can just park where you want.

[85Carrera]

DELETED: Comment made by a member who's account has been deleted.

Quite, but apparently you’re a condescending tt for pointing that out

[corozin]

I guess poor old Silverstone just had no idea who the OP was, or how important he is.

[Elderly]

Go to these events in an ice cream van .