[Closed] Parking ticket- one of those can I avoid paying threads

Can't say I've ever seen a bike parked up like that and wouldn't want to either, sure one or two at off peak times wouldn't be an issue but if it were allowed and people did it at peak times then it would block quite a bit of walk way and be a nuisance. £60 is a bit steep but I guess just their standard amount, personally I wouldn't bother contesting it unless you had a good argument for being able to park it there.

you might want to be careful with the whole not paying thing the parking enforcers have a new trick up their sleeves

They just obtain a CCJ without telling you anything about it and

The company that runs the parking in meadowhall just did this to a matey of mine ,and it seems to work in that its 125 quid to pay up or 225 quid to challenge the fact THAT YOU WERENT NOTIFIED IN ANY WAY SHAPE OR FORM about even getting the ticket, your word against theirs guv ,so you can try to get it set aside despite not knowing anything about the impending county court claim for non payment but its going to cost you ,

Obviously its cheaper to pay up

Check if its related to parking and shopping at one of the outlets, I recently had one in an Asda carpark (thread is on here somewhere) I went into Asda a few days later with proof I had shopped in store and they were able to cancel.
I think its just an invoice not a proper PCN, although I may be wrong.

2 weeks ago I got another (this one is a formal PCN) when I dropped the daughter at her new home for Uni. Residents permits only, £70 for a permit, I was there 30 mins and got a £70 fine.

Is £60 expensive? Depends how you look at it. If you had managed to upset the local "bobby" he could probably have done you for riding on a place other than a road for that which IIRC has a £100 fixed penalty (and possibly 3pts too).

Right. Loads of advice about this some good some bad. I've been through 2 of these 'PCNs' recently and got off them both.

The forum at Money Saving Expert is the place to go. http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/forumdisplay.php?f=163

Read the stickies at the top of the forum.

DON'T ignore it. DON'T reveal the driver of the vehicle. Whilst you are going through the official appeal procedures also complain to the retailer. Did you buy anything? Try and find out who the landowner is.

Yes it is disproportionate. But that argument will get you nowhere. It's not a fine. It's a speculative invoice at best. There's no magic bullet letter to get them off your back but with a little research you should be OK.

Get over to the forum.

What's the charge? I mean, what's the reason cited for it?

Cheers guys. Even the ones giving me a little telling off 😀

I've just sent off an appeal and I'll check out the link for what to do when that's rejected thanks.

Cougar - Moderator
What's the charge? I mean, what's the reason cited for it?

Not parked entirely within bay....

😀

Some good advice already - though I'd go over to pepipoo as first port of call rather than MSE. However I'd think your most likely dispute for this one will be the exact wording on the signs, given that you're not on the car park at all - the chances are you're outside the jurisdiction of the parking company.

What's the charge? I mean, what's the reason cited for it?

Driving with excessive sense of entitlement ?

Lolz 😆

So I did a bit of research for you.

Park Watch are a member of the BPA AOS which means they offer appeal via POPLA. Should be easy to beat.

You didn't reveal who was driving did you?

Don't go sending any more appeals or correspondence until you've read the stickies at the top of the Money Saving Expert link I posted above.

You might be better off just paying it.
I've just gone through an appeal with POPLA and it was rejected so I had to pay up the higher amount. I looked at the MSE info and used a good copy letter and changed it to meet my needs, I argued that the shop wasn't even open for business when I was in the parking area - early Sunday morning, and that the amount was unjustified as there was no loss to the business (ASDA) but they still rejected it. What does it say about the terms and conditions of parking where you parked, is there any signs?

You can't ignore it but it's not true to say they can just get a ccj without you knowing - it's got to go to court for that to happen and you need to be notified as you may wish to defend yourself.

Can't say I've ever seen a bike parked up like that and wouldn't want to either

I've done it loads. At B&Q in Farnborough there's always 1-2 motorbikes parked in the cycle bays, locked up. I see no reason why not either. I ride any bike, I wouldn't want anyone else's bike being nicked or knocked over, no matter if it had pedals or an engine, it's all the same to me

EDIT
Same at Tesco in Camberley. Motorcycles parked next to bicycles exactly the same as in the OPs pic. He's obstructing nothing, in nobody's way, you've gotta be a dick to complain about that.
I've parked on the pavement outside the shop where I work 5 days a week for 3+ years now.

On what grounds are you looking to appeal/refuse ?

It's clearly not a parking bay, so what's your actual defence ? "It was raining and i wanted to park undercover" ?

As I mentioned up there, I suspect the most obvious grounds for appeal is that not only is it not a parking bay, it's not even the car park, so outside the jurisdiction of the parking company.

it's not even the car park, so outside the jurisdiction of the parking company.

Good point 🙂
Ask the parking company for confirmation of the exact area they are responsible for on behalf of the landowner.

Is £60 expensive? Depends how you look at it. If you had managed to upset the local "bobby" he could probably have done you for riding on a place other than a road for that which IIRC has a £100 fixed penalty (and possibly 3pts too).

Hmm, but car park and associated roads are not public highway?

If you had managed to upset the local "bobby" he could probably have done you for riding on a place other than a road for that which IIRC has a £100 fixed penalty (and possibly 3pts too).

I pushed it up onto there, officer.

For the purpose of the RTA they count as places with public access. Though he's not on the car park or associated roads, just on an area of private land without any specific legal status - I suspect you'll find the fixed penalty is specifically for riding on the footway (which is an offence - not that it's something which ever seems to be enforced).

I pushed it up onto there, officer.

They check CCTV and the charge is upped to perjury.

Next thing you're a human bike rack for Razors McGee in Strangeways.

weeksy - Member
It's clearly not a parking bay, so what's your actual defence ? "It was raining and i wanted to park undercover" ?

Well yes. It's a motorbike and doesn't have a lid like cars do.

Joking aside, I genuinely didn't know that it wasn't allowed, as I said, I've seen it done in plenty of other locations. I wanted to leave my bike near to the store exit and in the dry as I was worried about leaving it and fancied a dry bum, plus the store was near closure anyway so hardly anyone about.

Anyway, I think partly it's the sheer amount you're asked to pay. Seems a bit out of whack with the 'crime' no?. I'll just pay if that's what I am asked to ultimately, but it's a lot of money to me and if I don't have to pay it, that would be nice.
I've learned an important lesson either way.
One of which is, you will always be flamed on stw 😉

Well yes. It's a motorbike and doesn't have a lid like cars do.

Joking aside, I genuinely didn't know that it wasn't allowed, as I said, I've seen it done in plenty of other locations. I wanted to leave my bike near to the store exit and in the dry as I was worried about leaving it and fancied a dry bum, plus the store was near closure anyway so hardly anyone about.

Anyway, I think partly it's the sheer amount you're asked to pay. Seems a bit out of whack with the 'crime' no?. I'll just pay if that's what I am asked to ultimately, but it's a lot of money to me and if I don't have to pay it, that would be nice.
I've learned an important lesson either way

I'm not arguing with your logic at all... I've done the same on my KTM... But you can also see their point... even if it's unfair

Anyway, I think partly it's the sheer amount you're asked to pay.

I guess that's the deterrent part of it.

I'm not arguing with your logic at all... I've done the same on my KTM... But you can also see their point... even if it's unfair

Oh 100% I can, but it is a bit unfair yes.

I park my motorbike in exactly the same way as above at my local retail park, not because I want to keep it dry, but because locking to a sheffield stand prevents a couple of scrotes with a transit van from making off with it, and the m/c bays don't have any facilities to lock my bike up to.

Jamie - Member
[b]Anyway, I think partly it's the sheer amount you're asked to pay.[/b]

I guess that's the [s]deterrent part of it[/s] license they have to rinse people above and beyond what one might think acceptable.

You can't ignore it but it's not true to say they can just get a ccj without you knowing - it's got to go to court for that to happen and you need to be notified as you may wish to defend yourself.

Under UK law your quite correct ,When he told me I sat thinking someone has figured out a loophole way of getting a guaranteed result and pay out rather than playing them, they moved the rules and threat i suppose to their favour

I genuinely didn't know that it wasn't allowed

Exactly. This is the whole point. I bet the signage was at best, miniscule. If they are happy to take your money then they really should be spending a bit on making the signage clear.

There are loads of technicalities you can appeal on.

To hold the vehicle keeper (you didn't reveal who was driving right?) responsible the liability has to be transferred correctly (the act known as POFA). My bet is they didn't.

The signage will be awful and not up to the BPA's Code of Practice.

They probably don't have a proper contract with the Land OWNER.

I can go on. Get researching on the MSE website.

Ignore all correspondence.

[quote=noltae ]Ignore all correspondence.

Is incredibly bad advice given current laws, and the way to end up like mickmcd's mate.

[quote=noltae]Ignore all correspondence

Ignore noltae.

Seriously. This is rubbish advice.

surely it is in a parking bay, sort of

You can't ignore it but it's not true to say they can just get a ccj without you knowing - it's got to go to court for that to happen and you need to be notified as you may wish to defend yourself.

Well, you can, but if you genuinely didn't know (as opposed to ignoring it) then you can apply to have it set aside and start again. It can happen if someone moves house, for example, and notice is sent to an old address.

Return £60 of goods to Decathlon? as publicly as possible?

Return £60 of goods to Decathlon? as publicly as possible?

Hehe, yeah. That will have the private parking firm, that’s not linked to Decathlon, running for cover I’m sure 😆

I pushed it up onto there, officer.

They check CCTV and the charge is upped to perjury.

Lying to Plod isn't perjury.

[quote=kayak23 ] plus the store was near closure anyway so hardly anyone about I use the same logic with parking bays for the disabled. I mean, if the shop's about to close, they're hardly going to be looking for a spot then running in quickly.

Oh brother 🙄

Never refer to 'appeal'; you are disputing an invoice.
Do not ignore correspondence from them.
Now for what you should do:
- identify the physical boundaries which define the area they 'manage' on behalf of decathlon
- if you parked outside this area, it is not their concern
- find name of decathlon uk md and write to him/her personally, and politely, outlining what happened; state you are regular customer (you are, aren't you?); motorbike taking up little space and parked considerately; not depriving other customer(s) of parking space; the invoice is disproprionate to any economic loss which decathlon may have incurred
- was there a clearly marked and signed motorbike parking area
- the actions of their contracted parking management company have soured your opinion of decathlon; a well liked retailer but this incident will cause you to think carefully about whether you will continue to shop with them.
Be polite and factual.
Good luck.