parking invoice & now court summons

parking invoice & now court summons

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wjwren

Original Poster:

4,484 posts

135 months

Wednesday 23rd October 2019
quotequote all
I parked at the local chinese few months back in the wifes car, only when we left and saw the ticket on the window did I look and try and find any signs to say it was private. There was 1, hidden by a large merc sprinter and another sign with a light above it which the bulb was out. I took photos to prove this. Had 1 letter off the parking company for an invoice of £100. I wrote back saying the signage was very poor and 2 people have access to the vehicle so was unsure who was driving.
Fast forward couple of months later and now my partner has a court date in November. The parking companies solicitors have written to me this week to say they are using the fast track small claims process and that the parking company wont be attending. As a side note they sent me all the proof of my wifes vehicle parked etc (their own pictures show the light above the sign is out). In this evidence letter they have included someone else's details, by accident I guess. It lists someone else's name address and car.

Ive had a couple of these over the years and always ignored them. If it goes to court and we loose, is there a limit to what costs I have to pay of theirs?

xjay1337

15,966 posts

118 months

Wednesday 23rd October 2019
quotequote all
wjwren said:
I parked at the local chinese few months back in the wifes car, only when we left and saw the ticket on the window did I look and try and find any signs to say it was private. There was 1, hidden by a large merc sprinter and another sign with a light above it which the bulb was out. I took photos to prove this. Had 1 letter off the parking company for an invoice of £100. I wrote back saying the signage was very poor and 2 people have access to the vehicle so was unsure who was driving.
Fast forward couple of months later and now my partner has a court date in November. The parking companies solicitors have written to me this week to say they are using the fast track small claims process and that the parking company wont be attending. As a side note they sent me all the proof of my wifes vehicle parked etc (their own pictures show the light above the sign is out). In this evidence letter they have included someone else's details, by accident I guess. It lists someone else's name address and car.

Ive had a couple of these over the years and always ignored them. If it goes to court and we loose, is there a limit to what costs I have to pay of theirs?
I'm no expert on this, but......


Did you use the facilities at which you parked? IE the chinese? If so, best way is to get them to contact the parking company and drop the charges.

Who is the parking company involved?

What letters did you recieve?
You would usually receive one with the initial invoice. Then you are supposed to appeal it.
Did you send an appeal, formally, or just the letter you mention? Did you receive a response to this letter?

I suspect with the lack of lighting (assuming it's dark), and vehicles blocking the parking signs, plus no response to your "appeal", you may win anyway, especially if the parking company don't turn up.

Costs can't be that large, at most it would be the original fine and like £50 or £60 on top. As they can only charge for loss of actual earnings (IE if it's a pay and display the cost of a ticket etc. They can't randomly claim £200 on top, for example)

I would write back and say you sent an appeal which you heard nothing back from.
Ask them to issue a POPLA code, appeal to POPLA, and that you will agree with the POPLA decision.

wjwren

Original Poster:

4,484 posts

135 months

Wednesday 23rd October 2019
quotequote all
yes we used the chinese but it was not their car park, it was a residents for old peoples flats.
The company was europarking.
I sent a letter back to them but it was not an appeal etc.
they have sent me several invoices and threats of court, the amount has gone up and up then down and down trying to get me to pay something which I refused.
They are not attending the court but I believe their solicitor is.

anonymous-user

54 months

Thursday 24th October 2019
quotequote all
Quite apart from the court case, Sending someone else’s details is a nasty data protection breach. I’d ask them to explain what they’re going to do about it and also confirm exactly what’s happened to your personal data - for all you know this other individual may have your details.

If you don’t get any joy from them the ICO will take a look, but you have to have complained to the company first.

Stay in Bed Instead

22,362 posts

157 months

Thursday 24th October 2019
quotequote all
wjwren said:
Ive had a couple of these over the years and always ignored them.
wjwren said:
yes we used the chinese but it was not their car park, it was a residents for old peoples flats.
Perhaps you should stop being part of the problem.

scratchchin

xjay1337

15,966 posts

118 months

Thursday 24th October 2019
quotequote all
Stay in Bed Instead said:
Perhaps you should stop being part of the problem.

scratchchin
Maybe that is true.

But you should expect signs to be lit and visible in a dark car park.
I can't imagine the old peoples home car park is particularly busy

paintman

7,687 posts

190 months

Thursday 24th October 2019
quotequote all
Be an idea to have a look at some of S11Steve's posts as he deals with a lot of these.
It WAS the advice some time ago to ignore them but that's changed & you should have gone through the appeals process.

Drumroll

3,756 posts

120 months

Thursday 24th October 2019
quotequote all
xjay1337 said:
Maybe that is true.

But you should expect signs to be lit and visible in a dark car park.
I can't imagine the old peoples home car park is particularly busy
So you feel it is right to park in a car park that you have no connection with (visiting a freind or relative) then moan that the signs weren't visible.

There is no maybe. You are the reason a lot of places use these companies. I would never think to use a car park that clearly belonged to a buisness I had no current connection with.

But I forget you are one of the entitled ones, who feel they can do what they want without consequences.

Boosted LS1

21,187 posts

260 months

Thursday 24th October 2019
quotequote all

xjay1337

15,966 posts

118 months

Thursday 24th October 2019
quotequote all
Drumroll said:
So you feel it is right to park in a car park that you have no connection with (visiting a freind or relative) then moan that the signs weren't visible.

There is no maybe. You are the reason a lot of places use these companies. I would never think to use a car park that clearly belonged to a buisness I had no current connection with.

But I forget you are one of the entitled ones, who feel they can do what they want without consequences.
Ahh the old ad hominem.

If there were no signs saying you couldn't park there, then I would use it without concern.
Sounds like one sign was not lit , so not visible, and the other blocked. Signage is not to the regulation.

Plenty of times I park in a random carpark, as long as there is no signs saying I can't. If it says private etc, then I don't.
I used to park in Sainsburys and walk over into town.
Reason being, Sainsburys is free 2 hour parking and you paid to park in town.

Get off your high horse and get down to reality, you aren't helping the OP, he doesn't want people to berate him, he wants help, and if you want to mug me off feel free to do so directly rather than in this guys thread.

Tyre Smoke

23,018 posts

261 months

Thursday 24th October 2019
quotequote all
Drumroll said:
xjay1337 said:
Maybe that is true.

But you should expect signs to be lit and visible in a dark car park.
I can't imagine the old peoples home car park is particularly busy
So you feel it is right to park in a car park that you have no connection with (visiting a freind or relative) then moan that the signs weren't visible.

There is no maybe. You are the reason a lot of places use these companies. I would never think to use a car park that clearly belonged to a buisness I had no current connection with.

But I forget you are one of the entitled ones, who feel they can do what they want without consequences.
This ^^^

There is reason Eurocarparks are employed to 'police' this car park. Probably because the old dears are fed up with cars constantly coming and going and bumping and scratching their Micras and Jazz.

OP, it was only you and only for ten minutes, right?

Wrong.

wjwren

Original Poster:

4,484 posts

135 months

Thursday 24th October 2019
quotequote all
Yes it was ma lord, I am guilty! It was 11 Minutes.

Dixy

2,921 posts

205 months

Thursday 24th October 2019
quotequote all
xjay1337 said:
Ahh the old ad hominem.

If there were no signs saying you couldn't park there, then I would use it without concern.
Sounds like one sign was not lit , so not visible, and the other blocked. Signage is not to the regulation.

Plenty of times I park in a random carpark, as long as there is no signs saying I can't. If it says private etc, then I don't.
I used to park in Sainsburys and walk over into town.
Reason being, Sainsburys is free 2 hour parking and you paid to park in town.

Get off your high horse and get down to reality, you aren't helping the OP, he doesn't want people to berate him, he wants help, and if you want to mug me off feel free to do so directly rather than in this guys thread.
So when you get home and find someone parked on your drive whilst they have 2 weeks in Majorca that is OK.

xjay1337

15,966 posts

118 months

Thursday 24th October 2019
quotequote all
Dixy said:
xjay1337 said:
Ahh the old ad hominem.

If there were no signs saying you couldn't park there, then I would use it without concern.
Sounds like one sign was not lit , so not visible, and the other blocked. Signage is not to the regulation.

Plenty of times I park in a random carpark, as long as there is no signs saying I can't. If it says private etc, then I don't.
I used to park in Sainsburys and walk over into town.
Reason being, Sainsburys is free 2 hour parking and you paid to park in town.

Get off your high horse and get down to reality, you aren't helping the OP, he doesn't want people to berate him, he wants help, and if you want to mug me off feel free to do so directly rather than in this guys thread.
So when you get home and find someone parked on your drive whilst they have 2 weeks in Majorca that is OK.
That is completely different to seeing a car park in , presumably, a busy town.
And of course, 2 weeks on holiday on your own personal driveway is very different to 11 minutes in what OP had assumed to be a normal town centre car park without any visible signage advising him otherwise.

People park across my drive often (I live one road away from a school)
People block my driveway for 10-15 minutes at a time.
Doesn't bother me, because funnily enough, I'm not directly impacted!

As I said either help the OP or go make another thread he wants help not for it to descend into a PH pissing contest.


Sticks.

8,753 posts

251 months

Thursday 24th October 2019
quotequote all
xjay1337 said:
.....OP had assumed to be a normal town centre car park without any visible signage advising him otherwise.
Did he?

wjwren said:
Ive had a couple of these over the years and always ignored them.

longblackcoat

5,047 posts

183 months

Thursday 24th October 2019
quotequote all
There's every chance you'll lose, in which case you're exposed to way more than £100.

Why not take it on the chin and see if you can settle the amount now for the original £100 (though they may sting you for court filing fees and the like)

pavarotti1980

4,897 posts

84 months

Thursday 24th October 2019
quotequote all
wjwren said:
I parked at the local chinese few months back in the wifes car, only when we left and saw the ticket on the window did I look and try and find any signs to say it was private. There was 1, hidden by a large merc sprinter and another sign with a light above it which the bulb was out. I took photos to prove this. Had 1 letter off the parking company for an invoice of £100. I wrote back saying the signage was very poor and 2 people have access to the vehicle so was unsure who was driving.
Fast forward couple of months later and now my partner has a court date in November. The parking companies solicitors have written to me this week to say they are using the fast track small claims process and that the parking company wont be attending. As a side note they sent me all the proof of my wifes vehicle parked etc (their own pictures show the light above the sign is out). In this evidence letter they have included someone else's details, by accident I guess. It lists someone else's name address and car.

Ive had a couple of these over the years and always ignored them. If it goes to court and we loose, is there a limit to what costs I have to pay of theirs?
Which parking company is it?

And have you received all the official court documentation (and confirmed that it is genuine)

morrisk1

630 posts

243 months

Thursday 24th October 2019
quotequote all
wjwren said:
The company was europarking.
pavarotti1980 said:
Which parking company is it?

pavarotti1980

4,897 posts

84 months

Thursday 24th October 2019
quotequote all
morrisk1 said:
Just spotted it myself. I had only read the OP smile

Escapegoat

5,135 posts

135 months

Thursday 24th October 2019
quotequote all
wjwren said:
It was 11 Minutes.
I imagine that wouldn't go down well with you if someone parked on your driveway while going to see a neighbour?