[mrjonathanr]

I got done by Excel parking services for parking in a disabled bay.
 

My two penny worth: sounds like you were on private land (?) and therefore have not committed an offence under the highway code. So not really sure what damages they want from you. Did you fail to pay, because I cannot see how they are entitled to any damages otherwise ?

[LucyB]

Sorry to resurrect this thread again.

I have now received a 'Notice of Intended Litigation'. It looks very serious, but is it all still bullshit? It is from Graham White Solicitors as someone mentioned earlier.

From all the responses, though, I can't see that I have actually committed an offence. How exactly can they take me to court if this is true?

Just feeling a bit stressed at the moment anyway, this really isn't helping.....

[Jim]

From Graham White? BTW, they're not a solicitors if you research them..  Nothing since.

don't worry

[LucyB]

Thanks, Jim.

Have also just googled Graham White, found another thread on this where someone has kindly uploaded all the letters in order from all the various parking companies! Hilarious, and I now know when this will end - got 3 more 'final warning' letters to go 

[tomtom]

MrsTT stopped getting letters from Graham white about 2 months ago now... and the heavies havnt been around

Its all a scam.. Theres even people who go in and out of excel parks to get tickets, to bleed ££ from excel..

[SA Chris]

Are hospitals any different from other private companies dishing out fines? As there was no-where to park at all I had to park on the verge when paying the new arrival and co a visit and came back to find a fine on the windscreen. Ignore or pay?

[Grubes]

who issued the ticket? if it is run by the council you will need to pay if its by a private company probably not.

[SA Chris]

Said it was issued by grampian hospital trust?

[Fiend]

BUMP.

Say a driver pulled into a bay in a pay-and-display out-of-town shopping centre carpark (where having to pay to use the fucking shops is an utter disgrace and thus the driver has no qualms whatsoever about not paying to, errr, be a paying customer), did not attempt to buy a ticket, but sat with the engine running, partly because it was bloody cold and partly because he was just waiting for a "quick" purchase by his partner - that turned out the be 41 minutes hence getting a bullshit PCN from Care Parking (they care, honestly they care, about their profits, the cunts). Does he have a case that he was not actually parked but merely loading/unloading?? Or indeed any other case??

And yes, go to pepipoo forums etc etc, the driver has had a good look but it's all a bit incomprehensible and almost all the threads are by people in hire cars or parking in Metrolink parking....

[Andy B]

We’ve had three that we’ve been ignoring for ages. One under very similar circumstances to yours.
Despite multiple threats of “recommendations” of court action, we’ve had none yet, and they’ve been passed between different debt collection firms.
My understanding is that they can theoretically recover the money through the courts, but only a tiny number actually do, so we’re playing the probabilities.

[crzylgs]

Short version: PCN from Private Company = you should never pay this 'threat' of a fine. From a council is a different matter.

This forum is amazingly useful:

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.php?t=4816822

I used the info they provide there to help my mum dispute / not succumb to the threats when she had been a legitimate paying customer, to a similar sounding shopping centre. Subsequently she has been increasingly keen on online shopping... funny that eh?

[Duma]

Whatever else, sitting with the engine running for 40 minutes is a dick thing to do

[Fiend]

Whateve else, off-topic and pointless wanky replies is also a dick thing to do. Sorry that the person did sit there get fucking cold sitting there with their tweaked back stiffening up, but if you don't have anything useful to say, go visit another thread.

Crzylgs and Andy, thanks. Was aiming for an idea before diving in to pepipoo or MSE.

[nik at work]

I'd say ignore the fine and apologise to Duma 

[ashtond6]

careful following accurate advice from a while ago, the law has changed and they can now enforce fines... providing they are registered and it's clearly marked!

[Will Hunt]

but if you don't have anything useful to say, go visit another thread.

Very well.

Is it any wonder that the planet is completely fucked when otherwise mentally competent people will sit in their parked cars, waiting for something, while the engine idles away pumping out toxic fumes into the atmosphere? FFS!

I fucking hate this. Don't accept that they're mentally competent though...

Sorry, I meant that they have mental capacity in the most basic sense. They can wash, dress, eat, etc. Presumably nothing more demanding.

[Fiend]

Mods feel free to close and logpile this.

[Ru]

careful following accurate advice from a while ago, the law has changed and they can now enforce fines... providing they are registered and it's clearly marked!

Strictly, they're not fines because the parking companies don't have the power to levy fines. They are contractual debts formed by "agreement" when you park without payment of the fee. Whether you have in fact entered into the contract is the most common issue and cases seem to revolve around things like whether there was clear signage setting out the terms. Some companies are  very pro-active in terms of enforcing the payments in the small claims courts and they do win them, apparently. The, "I wasn't parking I was loading for 45 mins," argument is unlikely to be the strongest point.

[SA Chris]

I'm curious as to what difference you think the idling car makes? These things record your reg plate when you enter, and when you leave, what you do in between matters little, you could be trying to balance the car on two wheels and do a loop of the car park for all they care. It would be hard to prove someone was in the car and it was idling.

(as an aside I agree with Duma though )

[Will Hunt]

They've got you bang to rights, Fiend. The whole idling thing is not a defence. As Ru says, you'd need to demonstrate that your obligations weren't clear and it sounds like you were quite aware of them.

It's a question of risk now. Do you want to leave it and possibly face incessant threats of legal action that may never come, or pay up and move on?

[Fiend]

Thanks Ru. Reading more threads on MSE etc, I am coming to that conclusion.

[galpinos]

Whateve else, off-topic and pointless wanky replies is also a dick thing to do. Sorry that the person did sit there get fucking cold sitting there with their tweaked back stiffening up, but if you don't have anything useful to say, go visit another thread.

Sitting in an idling car for 40+ minutes is a dick thing to do. Your car is not a coat. Double fine for being a twat imho.

[Nails]

I always used to ignore such PCNs. More recently I've found that they often get followed up with court action and it's very easy to end up with CCJs against you. You end up with big fines and a lot of fucking about to get the CCJs wiped. The easy mistake to make is that because these parking firms are utter wankers and the entire thing is morally bankrupt, you assume the courts will decide in your favour. The law knows no morals, it's just the law. You'd think that taking your daughter into hospital with broken fingers and the car park being full might be considered a mitigating circumstance. But apparently not.

[Will Hunt]

Whateve else, off-topic and pointless wanky replies is also a dick thing to do. Sorry that the person did sit there get fucking cold sitting there with their tweaked back stiffening up, but if you don't have anything useful to say, go visit another thread.

Sitting in an idling car for 40+ minutes is a dick thing to do. Your car is not a coat. Double fine for being a twat imho.

Careful now. You're asking for a punter point, a Facebook defriending, and a Messenger message saying "why don't you fuck off you pointless cunt."

 

[dunnyg]

PM me if u want 2 chat will bbz x x