Parking fine...treating hypo!!!

[deafjohn]

i was the same as parking at Morrison as 20 min late as was in cafe to make sure am well but wrote to Morrison and private parking company as but seem not care and i pay the fine

 

[psignathus]

As previously mentioned. private companies have no legal right to fine you they are simply invoicing you. throw it in the bin along with any follow up letters. think nothing more about it and get on with your life.

 

[noelrose]

Today i received a £70 parking fine from a private company for overstaying by 20 minutes. My reason for overstaying and not moving my car within the time allowed is that I was legally not safe to drive as I was abiding by the DVLA regulations and treating my hypo to raise it to 5mmols and then waiting 45 minutes to ensure the safety of me, my baby and other drivers.

I've not contacted parking company as im waiting on a call back from citizens advice about this however if I don't pay within 8 days they'll increase the charge and take it further....so was I to risk all these lives and break the law???? Confused.....

Do not pay it, they are a private company and it will cost them more to take you to court, the ticket is just to frighten you and then you pay and they laugh. If it's the council then by all means contact them and explain and I guarantee you that the council will rescind the ticket. FYI you are not breaking any law, someone took them the private firm to court and won. I say again do not pay them, let them go and take a running jump into the Thames.

 

[noelrose]

If it's a council car park contact them, they'll probably waive the fine. If it's a private car park ignore the letters. You've had the first letter, you'll get another with the fine doubled. Then cos they're such nice people they'll send another offering to accept some reduced amount or further action will be taken. About 2 weeks later you'll get a letter from some made up debt recovery service. Just a different letterhead but from the same parking company. Do nothing and that will be the last you ever hear from them. At least that's been my experience from quite a few parking mistakes.

That's exactly what I'm talking about!!!

 

[ladybird64]

Maybe this thread has run its course? The OP said she will pay the fine.

 

[ickihun]

If it's a council car park contact them, they'll probably waive the fine. If it's a private car park ignore the letters. You've had the first letter, you'll get another with the fine doubled. Then cos they're such nice people they'll send another offering to accept some reduced amount or further action will be taken. About 2 weeks later you'll get a letter from some made up debt recovery service. Just a different letterhead but from the same parking company. Do nothing and that will be the last you ever hear from them. At least that's been my experience from quite a few parking mistakes.

Where have you been parking? The north pole?
They hound you til its paid. You can take someone to a&e and be fined for being late or not enough fee paid. No sympathy.
I'll eat my hat if OP gets anywhere. Even mps have to pay for parking!

 

[ickihun]

I had a fine waived when one of my children was ill. I wrote to the car park people at the address on the ticket, and explained with proof (told them they could phone the shop who came out to check we were ok) and only had to pay an admin charge.

If you can show you had good reason to overstay, most companies will be sympathetic. As you were clearly back at the car but just couldn't drive, it's not like you were taking advantage to have a quick coffee or something.

Write to them @stellson Be polite, apologise and give as much detail as you can, and then you have a chance of getting it waived or at least paying a lesser amount.

I guess if OP sends enough proof it may get waivered. Contract law not like criminal law. Intent isn't any arguement in civil law.

 

[Bluetit1802]

Maybe this thread has run its course? The OP said she will pay the fine.

Agreed.

 

[Pipp]

Agreed, apart from the one post I think we would all like to see, which is @stellson telling us the outcome.

 

[walnut_face]

I am late to this party, and have not read all the posts, so aplogies if someone has already posted about the difference between a PCN and a PCN

A council can issue a PCN - Penalty Charge Notice for breaches of parking regulation. e.g Non-payment, overstaying etc
A Private car park operator can issue a PCN - Parking Charge Notice. There is a BIG difference, the private operators 'dress' up their communication to look like a Council issued Penalty, but it is nothing of the sort. Yes, you may be in breach of contract, but they cannot enforce a Penalty, they have no legal basis to do so. They can claim damages for any loss they may have incurred by your breach of the contract. So if the private car park charges for time, their loss is for the time you occupied the space without payment, plus a reasonable admin fee. Where no payment is required they may find it harder to prove the fiscal loss they claim to have suffered

To sumarise, they are not fines but invoices

http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/news/protect/2014/08/dont-pay-unfair-private-parking-tickets

 

[AndBreathe]

Ladies and gents, could we please stop going around in circles on this one. The @stellson has had a wide range of views and opinions, which she has read and added further comment of her own.

On Wednesday, in post #121 Stellson was decent enough to come back and share her decision on the issue.

Whether or not you agree with Stellson's decision, please do respect it.

Thanks in anticipation.

 

[Madmaureen]

Of course it is different should be taken into account safety first!!

 

[stellson]

Appeal declined folks!

 

[azure]

Appeal declined folks!

Was any reason given @stellson ?

 

[Jaylee]

Was any reason given @stellson ?

Something "trumped up", I can imagine...

That's bad news @stellson .

 

[ickihun]

I bet yrs gone by a sympathetic administrator would have allowed on appeal. Society is so hard nose now. Consistant I suppose. Consistantly unsympathetic. You could try shaming them?

 

[stellson]

No reason whatsoever given....the letter was very brief and simply stated that after careful consideration the appeal is declined and the fine stands. That's it.

 

[azure]

@ickihun It depends who they are. Local,councils are usually quite amenable to,reason, but some private firms exist solely to make money it seems and just have a selection of letters they fire off without looking at the case the individual is making if they appeal.That's why all those websites exist advising people how not to pay. I've seen a template letter online which was very good.

 

[stellson]

Tomorrow I am going to call them and ask for their justification for declining my appeal and details of how they came to their decision (albeit they have none).

 

[stellson]

TPS....Total Parking Solutions