majik_thighs Posted May 6, 2015 Share Posted May 6, 2015 I used to do a lot of this on other forums and seeing as it`s becoming a wider problem nowadays i`ll post a bit of a heads up here. I`m sure a lot of you know the score but for those who don`t if this helps avoid paying these cockroaches then it`s all well and good. It`s exactly like you or me putting signs up in our road/street and charging people who park outside your house. Private parking firms typically operate in the car parks of supermarkets, NHS hospitals and train stations, and will often let motorists park for free for a certain amount of time, typically around 60 to 120 minutes. If someone overstays, the companies will issue charges ....they are not technically "fines" and cannot be imposed, unlike Penalty Charge Notices issued by local councils these so called charges are disproportionate to the losses the car park incurred by the vehicle having overstayed. If ever you see an un-barriered car park anywhere which is run by a private company you can park completely free....they usually work on the principle of putting signs up saying they have cameras or it`s monitored and that will work for most people, it`s a cheap way of scaring folk into believing they have no alternative to paying up. When you park in a car park the law says you are entering into a contract with the company which provides that parking space, fair enough. If you breach a contract then under contract law that company is only allowed to make a claim for the amount they have actually lost, but because these spaces are usually free to park in........the amount is actually nothing. Even when there is a ticket machine and the motorist stays too long, the "Charge" (it`s not a fine, no one can issue a fine except the police and local councils!) has to be proportionate. Except in Scotland, there is no legislation at all and you can just throw anything you get into the bin! It is normally a condition of the planning permission that parking in retail parks must be free. As such the rateable value of the car park is set at a lower rate than that for a 'pay for' car park/ the local council may be interested in making sure that the correct rates are paid for for the car park as it is revenue generating (as opposed to free) I have my own template letter to send back to them and which more often than not never gets replied to unless it`s to tell you your "charge" has been quashed. Available for free: claretsfan at gmail.com I don`t really want to paste it in a thread ;) Word Doc Info https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B8TFZlCx15kTSE5FalJyVEhkNjQ/view?usp=sharing 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gambit Posted May 6, 2015 Share Posted May 6, 2015 Some good info. My brother lived in some apartment buildings that you needed a permit to park in. They left me a parking ticket I watched them do it from his balcony. Had a few threatening letters even using a crown court logo printed on lol. Ignored them all they've now given up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BoozyDave Posted May 6, 2015 Share Posted May 6, 2015 if they send you a letter, DO NOT REPLY. once you reply, you enter into a contract with them and they will continue until you pay up, with costs going up all the time. if you don't reply, you don't acknowledge or enter into a contract with them Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
majik_thighs Posted May 6, 2015 Author Share Posted May 6, 2015 Some good info. My brother lived in some apartment buildings that you needed a permit to park in. They left me a parking ticket I watched them do it from his balcony. Had a few threatening letters even using a crown court logo printed on lol. Ignored them all they've now given up. Up until a couple of years ago you could just ignore them and throw them in the bin. But these companies went to court to get the law changed and now the advice is not to ignore but to write to the parking company and appeal. Your appeal will then get turned down and they have to give you a POPLA appeals code which you then use to appeal to POPLA and they will uphold any appeal. I have a different method which will stop everything in it`s tracks. if they send you a letter, DO NOT REPLY. once you reply, you enter into a contract with them and they will continue until you pay up, with costs going up all the time. if you don't reply, you don't acknowledge or enter into a contract with them That is not completely true my dear friend.. :) ....I shall endeavour to correct your assumptions.....by any chance did you read that information Did you get this information from some kind of savoury snack receptacle? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tom_gr7 Posted May 6, 2015 Share Posted May 6, 2015 Would this work for the likes of supermarket and aldi car parks? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BoozyDave Posted May 6, 2015 Share Posted May 6, 2015 That is complete rubbish!......and i`m not going to waste my time explaining why. Did you get this info from the back of a crisp packet? why reply like a prick? that's what people have always said and posted as 'useful' posts. what makes your 'useful post' any different to other peoples 'useful posts' that they copy and paste or link from other forums I suppose you are too busy to waste your time explaining why........ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
majik_thighs Posted May 6, 2015 Author Share Posted May 6, 2015 You started it! I've never seen advice like that anywhere. If you ignore them they will send you fake solicitor's letters, fake baliff letters and then the fake court papers now owing £400 upwards. Once of a day you could just bin all these but nowadays you can't. Sent from my Galaxy S 5 using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
majik_thighs Posted May 6, 2015 Author Share Posted May 6, 2015 And yes Tom....any car park controlled by private companies. Sent from my Galaxy S 5 using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gambit Posted May 6, 2015 Share Posted May 6, 2015 Come on chaps let's not fall out with each other, sharing is power!. It was about two years ago when I was getting the letters I even posted on here somewhere a picture of the parking ticket on my windscreen :) But I was under the impression that it was only UKPC car parks that could take you to court and make the fine stick all others are just chancers, hoping you will pay by scaring you with letters, regardless of contact or not. I'd just assume they would harass more with contact mainly because you have replied and they will try up the scare procedure . I've thrown my ticket away now and the letters I think will dig them out if I have them, I'll have a look tomorrow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gambit Posted May 6, 2015 Share Posted May 6, 2015 Found the picture lol ok might have been a bit more than a few years ago now I had stickers on the car :D Crazy how the car looks not at all like it does now :D And I still had my Doctor Stickers on aka Rossi 46 :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
majik_thighs Posted May 6, 2015 Author Share Posted May 6, 2015 Ok Dave. ....I did reply like a knob! No need for that Sent from my Galaxy S 5 using Tapatalk 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
savage bulldogs Posted May 6, 2015 Share Posted May 6, 2015 I parked in my friends parking bay with a note saying what flat i was in if they wanted to check i was legit . I got clamped [emoji35] I asked him nicely to remove it with the owner of the parking bay standing next to me saying I had his permission to park in his space . He pretty much told me to fook off and slammed the door in our faces [emoji35] [emoji36] I made a phone call ten minutes later he was apologising while removing it . I'd like to think it was a shread of human decency that made him change his mind ..... But I think it was the 5 blokes with the oxytetracycline torch that turned up in a transit and threatened to cut the clamp and his car to bits [emoji4] 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gambit Posted May 6, 2015 Share Posted May 6, 2015 I parked in my friends parking bay with a note saying what flat i was in if they wanted to check i was legit . I got clamped [emoji35] I asked him nicely to remove it with the owner of the parking bay standing next to me saying I had his permission to park in his space . He pretty much told me to fook off and slammed the door in our faces [emoji35] [emoji36] I made a phone call ten minutes later he was apologising while removing it . I'd like to think it was a shread of human decency that made him change his mind ..... But I think it was the 5 blokes with the oxytetracycline torch that turned up in a transit and threatened to cut the clamp and his car to bits [emoji4] Now thats what I like to hear faith in humanity restored Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
majik_thighs Posted May 6, 2015 Author Share Posted May 6, 2015 Clamping on private land was made illegal in 2012 so you could have called the rozzers.Sent from my Galaxy S 5 using Tapatalk 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BoozyDave Posted May 7, 2015 Share Posted May 7, 2015 I heard about the 'don't reply ' thing a few years ago. It might have been a load of bull when I heard it, but it stuck in my head. I never heard anything different. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
majik_thighs Posted May 7, 2015 Author Share Posted May 7, 2015 Probably not at the time but not relevant today. I suppose you could try and ignore, chances are you would probably out last them as they don`t like spending their own money, after all....all they want is everyone else`s. But legally that stance has changed. Ignoring is not working for Parking Eye and Civil Enforcement LTD, next they send another speculative threatening invoice and subsequently fake solicitors letter, then the.... "Avoid a CCJ" scam (even though they actually have to go to court for this)..... and then the fake court papers which usually get people to pay. The POPLA stick has worked quite well for now, costs the private parking company time, money, manpower, printing and postage, a good POPLA appeal and win puts the speculative invoice to bed for good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gambit Posted May 7, 2015 Share Posted May 7, 2015 I've added the word docs to the OP let me know if it doesn't work :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tom_gr7 Posted May 7, 2015 Share Posted May 7, 2015 So would this work if you parked in a hospital car park that uses that "parking eye" system? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scoobyghost Posted May 7, 2015 Share Posted May 7, 2015 How does it work with clamps? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
majik_thighs Posted May 7, 2015 Author Share Posted May 7, 2015 How does it work with clamps? Clamping on private land is no more!......it`s been illegal since 2012 so if ever you get clamped on private land you either call the police or cut the ba$tard off! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BoozyDave Posted May 7, 2015 Share Posted May 7, 2015 I'd heard clamping was illegal now, not seen one in ages I'll have a look at POPLA when I have some spare time :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
majik_thighs Posted May 7, 2015 Author Share Posted May 7, 2015 You can still be clamped by the police or local council parking officials but the days of the rogue clampers are long gone! Sent from my Galaxy S 5 using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stants Posted May 7, 2015 Share Posted May 7, 2015 My mate used to clamp for a living, if you forcibly remove it you can be done for criminal damage, some funny tales the front page of the local rag was the best. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scoobyghost Posted May 7, 2015 Share Posted May 7, 2015 Surely the clamper is committing an offence by attaching the clamp in the first place? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
majik_thighs Posted May 7, 2015 Author Share Posted May 7, 2015 Only after the clampers were outlawed scooby. .....before that they could clamp you virtually anywhere Sent from my Galaxy S 5 using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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