PCN for non display of permit - appeal rejected - opinions?
PCN for non display of permit - appeal rejected - opinions?
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g3org3y

Original Poster:

22,505 posts

221 months

Tuesday 1st March 2016
quotequote all
Would appreciate your advice and opinions please chaps.

I currently rent in a block of flats that have allocated individual parking spaces. These are managed by a private parking company with residential parking permits. My permit is displayed in the tax disc holder of my daily drive BMW.

Unfortunately the BMW had some issues (ruddy bonnet cable snapped & ACT+T light) and as such needed to undergo repairs. Consequently, I borrowed my sister's old Polo on a temporary basis while the BMW was at the mechanics. Lamentably, I forgot to move the permit from the E36 to the Polo. Two days later (when parked in my allocated space) I was stung with a PCN for £100 (£60 if paid within a given timeframe).

I wrote a letter to the appeals department explaining the above and enclosed a copy of my residential parking permit.

This has however been rejected along with a spiel about by parking there one accept the contract etc etc. Enclosed was some paperwork regarding appealing to POPLA.

I understand that the car was 'correctly' ticketed (non display of permit), however I would expect given the situation and reasonable explanation a modicum of common sense would be demonstrated and ticket cancelled. Surely the raison d'être of the private parking enforcement company is to protect residents, not fine them (£100!!!) for a mistake.

I've fought a previous (overstay) ticket via POPLA on account of 'not genuine pre-estimate of loss' however I was under the impression a recent court ruling made this no longer an option. I am also aware of the rule changes from a couple of years ago which meant the RK could be pursued for fines so ignoring is not ideal.

As a matter of principle I'm not giving these clowns £100 for parking in my own allocated space. I'll look into a POPLA appeal, seems to me that they've changed the site to 'streamline' things though it's most likely I'd choose the 'parked in an area you were free to park' and explain the extenuating circumstances.

What are your thoughts chaps? POPLA appeal? Ignore? Letter to tell them to fk off? Suffice to say, I'm not a happy bunny over this. mad

btcc123

1,243 posts

177 months

Tuesday 1st March 2016
quotequote all
I would pay the £60 and put it down to experience because if you leave it for a few more weeks the parking company will pass the debt onto an enforcement agency and you will get a bill for £150 and in the future even more costs.

People will say to ignore the letters or tell them to feck off but is it worth the potential hassle and costs down the line for the sake of £60

jm doc

2,945 posts

262 months

Tuesday 1st March 2016
quotequote all
I would complain to your management company. At the end of the day you pay to park there.

RobinOakapple

2,802 posts

142 months

Wednesday 2nd March 2016
quotequote all
They aren't going to let it go. Your chances of getting away with it are very slim. Pay the £60 and get on with your life.

jet_noise

6,101 posts

212 months

Wednesday 2nd March 2016
quotequote all
Get yourself over to Pepipoo. It's what they do smile

oldnbold

1,280 posts

176 months

Wednesday 2nd March 2016
quotequote all
RobinOakapple said:
They aren't going to let it go. Your chances of getting away with it are very slim. Pay the £60 and get on with your life.
Exactly this. I'm affraid there is no room for reason with these companies, pay the fine, move on and be more carefull in future.

S11Steve

6,389 posts

214 months

Wednesday 2nd March 2016
quotequote all
btcc123 said:
I would pay the £60 and put it down to experience because if you leave it for a few more weeks the parking company will pass the debt onto an enforcement agency and you will get a bill for £150 and in the future even more costs.

People will say to ignore the letters or tell them to feck off but is it worth the potential hassle and costs down the line for the sake of £60
Yes, similarly I prefer not to encourage seagulls by feeding them the occasional chip.

The private parking companies on residential blocks like the OP are not "managing the car park by deterring non-residents" they are earning revenue from penalising those who are legitimaely there. They will try every trick in the book to extort money out of people, and I personally prefer not to give them the satisfaction of earning a penny in revenue from me, or any of the thousands of vehicles that I am responsible for.

I've yet to find a single ticket that has been issued at a "residents permit only" location where there is a valid contract in place with the landowner (not the management company) and that will take precedent over the AST or leasehold that the resident has.

The whole industry is a scam, from top to bottom.

DaveCWK

2,418 posts

204 months

Wednesday 2nd March 2016
quotequote all
Just pay it - are you guys for real?

OP - its YOUR space - get onto the management company, make it clear that you have no idea intention of paying & firmly demand that they contact the parking company they have chosen to employ on your behalf to protect YOUR parking interests & request they rescind the ticket.

DanL

6,589 posts

295 months

Wednesday 2nd March 2016
quotequote all
DaveCWK said:
Just pay it - are you guys for real?

OP - its YOUR space - get onto the management company, make it clear that you have no idea intention of paying & firmly demand that they contact the parking company they have chosen to employ on your behalf to protect YOUR parking interests & request they rescind the ticket.
Most management companies say that they won't get involved with disputes for this very reason... I would imagine that the OP's one is the same, although it might be worth a try.

End of the day, the OP has been correctly ticketed. Could they reverse the ticket? I'm sure they could. Will they? Probably not - tickets are how they make their living, like it or not, and so with something as cut and dried as this you'd have to assume they'll stick to their guns.

Red Devil

13,526 posts

238 months

Wednesday 2nd March 2016
quotequote all
g3org3y said:
Would appreciate your advice and opinions please chaps.

I currently rent in a block of flats that have allocated individual parking spaces. These are managed by a private parking company with residential parking permits. My permit is displayed in the tax disc holder of my daily drive BMW.

Unfortunately the BMW had some issues (ruddy bonnet cable snapped & ACT+T light) and as such needed to undergo repairs. Consequently, I borrowed my sister's old Polo on a temporary basis while the BMW was at the mechanics. Lamentably, I forgot to move the permit from the E36 to the Polo. Two days later (when parked in my allocated space) I was stung with a PCN for £100 (£60 if paid within a given timeframe).

I wrote a letter to the appeals department explaining the above and enclosed a copy of my residential parking permit.

This has however been rejected along with a spiel about by parking there one accept the contract etc etc. Enclosed was some paperwork regarding appealing to POPLA.

I understand that the car was 'correctly' ticketed (non display of permit), however I would expect given the situation and reasonable explanation a modicum of common sense would be demonstrated and ticket cancelled. Surely the raison d'être of the private parking enforcement company is to protect residents, not fine them (£100!!!) for a mistake.

I've fought a previous (overstay) ticket via POPLA on account of 'not genuine pre-estimate of loss' however I was under the impression a recent court ruling made this no longer an option. I am also aware of the rule changes from a couple of years ago which meant the RK could be pursued for fines so ignoring is not ideal.

As a matter of principle I'm not giving these clowns £100 for parking in my own allocated space. I'll look into a POPLA appeal, seems to me that they've changed the site to 'streamline' things though it's most likely I'd choose the 'parked in an area you were free to park' and explain the extenuating circumstances.

What are your thoughts chaps? POPLA appeal? Ignore? Letter to tell them to fk off? Suffice to say, I'm not a happy bunny over this. mad
Another one who has also posted on MSE. Stick with that. You'll get plenty of opinion on here but not much in the way of actual help.
The PPC in your case is a minnow. It has only been in existence for 3 years and 3 months (formed shortly after PoFA 2012 came into effect).
The most recent accounts show the asset value won't even buy a new Ford Mondeo, little cash at bank, a poor debtor/creditor ratio, and negative shareholder equity.

ETA.

The registered address is semi-detached house. The PPC is breaching the law by using a PO Box number (with a different postcode) on its website.
https://www.gov.uk/running-a-limited-company/signs...
https://www.smallfirmsservices.com/news/legal-requ...
http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2008/495/regula...


Edited by Red Devil on Wednesday 2nd March 14:42

PurpleMoonlight

22,362 posts

187 months

Wednesday 2nd March 2016
quotequote all
DanL said:
End of the day, the OP has been correctly ticketed.
Has it though.

Does a third party have the right to impose a parking contract on someone who is legally entitled to park in that space by way of their tenancy agreement?


RobinOakapple

2,802 posts

142 months

Wednesday 2nd March 2016
quotequote all
PurpleMoonlight said:
DanL said:
End of the day, the OP has been correctly ticketed.
Has it though.

Does a third party have the right to impose a parking contract on someone who is legally entitled to park in that space by way of their tenancy agreement?
In the agreement it will probably say something about his having to display a permit to qualify. Checking the agreement would be good.

S11Steve

6,389 posts

214 months

Wednesday 2nd March 2016
quotequote all
DanL said:
ost management companies say that they won't get involved with disputes for this very reason... I would imagine that the OP's one is the same, although it might be worth a try.

End of the day, the OP has been correctly ticketed. Could they reverse the ticket? I'm sure they could. Will they? Probably not - tickets are how they make their living, like it or not, and so with something as cut and dried as this you'd have to assume they'll stick to their guns.
It's almost universal that the management company appoint the parking company, not the landowner, so of course the management company are not interested in helping - they are taking a cut from each ticket issued, and more than likely a brown envelope to appoint the sharks in the first place. I've seen enough POPLA evidence packs to confirm that £20 per ticket is a typical "commission"/bung paid back to management companies.

I've also got enough POPLA successes to confirm that a tenancy agreement will indeed cancel out any tickets issued, but car owners should not have to jump through so many hoops, and wade through the BS and threats to get to this decision.


Red Devil

13,526 posts

238 months

Wednesday 2nd March 2016
quotequote all
^^This^^

Not just at POPLA. I'm fairly sure there was a court case last year where a judge agreed about the tenancy agreement issue. Can't find the details atm though.

jm doc

2,945 posts

262 months

Wednesday 2nd March 2016
quotequote all
If the management company don't support you then deduct it from their monthly/annual fee. Will cost them more to chase you for that than the cost of the ticket

g3org3y

Original Poster:

22,505 posts

221 months

Wednesday 2nd March 2016
quotequote all
Thank you all for taking the time to reply, very much appreciated. thumbup

Some on here in other threads have shown to have sympathy for private parking companies but I think this is a reasonable example of their 'titude' (y+attitude).

Hopefully tomorrow I'll get a chance to look at the lease and ascertain the situation. Will update with the info.

Note also that the parking company have been extra sneaky in that the appeal rejection lacks a date so I'm not sure how much time I've got left on the POPLA appeal. I believe it has to be done within 28 days of appeal rejection. Postmarked 4/2/16 though. (rolleyes) Unfortunately I've been away on honeymoon so not had the opportunity to deal with this earlier.

Thanks again for all your help chaps smile

g3org3y

Original Poster:

22,505 posts

221 months

Thursday 3rd March 2016
quotequote all
Chaps, an update:

1) I have gone through the tenancy agreement.

The only mention of parking is:

"Where Residential or Permit parking is required it is the tenants full responsibility to obtain the new permit. No responsibility will be taken by the landlord or landlords agent for tenants not obtaining said permit".

There is no mention in the tenancy agreement regarding the obligation to display permits or that they are mandatory. There is no mention of fines for non display of permits.

2) I have a copy of the inventory for the property which states/confirms my allotted parking space.

3) I have discussed the case with the management company who have essentially washed their hands of it. 'Didn't display permit, not our problem'. I am unsurprised.

Here is the signs on display in the car park:

(Sorry if it is displayed incorrectly, photobucket playing up rolleyes)

What do you reckon? Appeal via POPLA with the above information? As mentioned, I sure as fk am not paying these clowns £100 to park in my own space!

Edited by g3org3y on Thursday 3rd March 12:18

speedking31

3,951 posts

166 months

Thursday 3rd March 2016
quotequote all
DanL said:
Most management companies say that they won't get involved with disputes for this very reason... I would imagine that the OP's one is the same, although it might be worth a try.

End of the day, the OP has been correctly ticketed. Could they reverse the ticket? I'm sure they could. Will they? Probably not - tickets are how they make their living, like it or not, and so with something as cut and dried as this you'd have to assume they'll stick to their guns.
But also at the end of the next day the management company has flats becoming available that they want to let or sell. If word is out that residents are regularly getting ticketed for minor transgressions and having to fight through the courts to park in a space that they have already paid for then those flats will be less attractive than others with no such problems.

Just make sure that your issues will surface in a google search for the address of the flats.

PurpleMoonlight

22,362 posts

187 months

Thursday 3rd March 2016
quotequote all
g3org3y said:
Chaps, an update:

1) I have gone through the tenancy agreement.

The only mention of parking is:

"Where Residential or Permit parking is required it is the tenants full responsibility to obtain the new permit. No responsibility will be taken by the landlord or landlords agent for tenants not obtaining said permit".

There is no mention in the tenancy agreement regarding the obligation to display permits or that they are mandatory. There is no mention of fines for non display of permits.

2) I have a copy of the inventory for the property which states/confirms my allotted parking space.

3) I have discussed the case with the management company who have essentially washed their hands of it. 'Didn't display permit, not our problem'. I am unsurprised.

What do you reckon? Appeal via POPLA with the above information? As mentioned, I sure as fk am not paying these clowns £100 to park in my own space!
Your lease clearly states that if a permit is required to park in the space provided then you need to obtain it.

When you did, did you receive any terms and conditions regarding its use and specifically the display and consequences of non display?

If not, then the PPC must rely on the signage, which makes it clear a displayed permit or permission is required to park. You didn't.

If it went to court, I fear you would lose.

surveyor_101

5,069 posts

209 months

Thursday 3rd March 2016
quotequote all
Offer £60 in full an final settlement.

You failed to abide by the terms and conditions by your own admission. Its unfortunate but you rent and don't own and to help all they employ a permit system so people without permits don't use your space.