Parking tickets

[T16]

Originally Posted by neilb740

even barriers can be fooled with a simple biscuit tin lid (or any metal plate).
Simply wait untill some poor sucker pays then throw the lid on the road as they drive away. As long as you hit the spot where the road loop is Its like viagra for barriers, it will stay up as long as you want

Oh wow. I have to try this.

Would a pizza tray suffice??

[neilb740]

Originally Posted by T16

Oh wow. I have to try this.

Would a pizza tray suffice??

Not that I am encoraging illegal behavior (disclaimer) just passing on my knowledge from 20 years of road traffic barrier installing
But yes. Anything metal, preferably steel. Flat plates with a large surface area work best rather than a lump of metal.

There is almost always a coil of cable set into the road surface under the barrier arm. it works in exactly the same way as a hand held metal detector.
If it detects anything under the barrier arm the safety circuits cut in and it wont let it lower.

Another method that i absolutley dont recomend
Most barrier car parks give you the first 10 or 15 minutes free, in case you need to go straight back out if you cant find a space.
If you try and get another ticket on foot when you return to your car the machine wont give you one,,unless you have your handy biscuit tin lid to fool it into thinking you are in a car. you now have 15 mins to get out free.

Remember though, if they see you on the CCTV doing either of these things they probably wont be best pleased, although what exactly they could do about it i dont know.

[scouseeric]

Watch this!

Eric

[Weila]

Having been on the receiving end of an unsolicited invoice from a PPC I did some research, the most helpful sites being Pepipoo (sic), CAG, and Moneysaverexpert. The consensus of opinion on these sites is to ignore any such invoices as the PPC's have no standing in these matters. Yes, they have a legal right to send the registered keeper an invoice, (you have a legal right to send them one if you simply don't like the colour of the company's logo) but there is no legal compunction on the RK to respond.
I followed the advice given on the above sites, and after 4 invitations to pay from the PPC and 4 invitations to pay from a (toothless) debt collection agency I find myself in my present position -- £180 better off, simply by not playing by their rules.

However I currently have an invitation to pay a ridiculous amount from another PPC. This time I have not ignored it. I have informed them, and the company on whose behalf they claim to act, that if they continue to press me for payment then I will sue them in the small claims court for harassment. I think £500 would be very useful to me.

In future I intend similarly to act to any claims from PPC's operating in retail parks, hospitals, universities and colleges, or shop car parks.
Please note I would condemn not paying in a private pay car park, the landowner has a right to charge for parking on the land. What I resent is the huge sums demanded by the PPC's on behalf of the landowner, sums which are tantamount to penalties and which are not allowed under civil law. And of course a free car park is a free car park, no matter how long you exceed the free period.

If anyone is interested in learning more and perhaps seeking revenge on the PPC's I would recommend that you visit the websites mentioned in my first sentence, they really do know what they are talking about and dispense experienced advice.

Penalty Charge Notices issued by a council are quite a different matter.

[rover54]

No they don't have the right to send you an invoice,if you read the link in the first post,

Parking company comes a cropper in court
Back in February 2011, a First Tier Tax Tribunal ruled that Vehicle Control Services, a private parking company which did not have an interest in a car park which it was only managing on behalf of a landowner, was not entitled to sue trespassers as principal.

VCS and their parent company Excel happily continued to issue court claims while they appealed to the Upper Tribunal.

However, in March 2012, the Upper Tier Tribunal agreed with the First Tier Tribunal that VCS had insufficient interest in the car parks to pursue a trespass claim and decided that there was no contract between the motorists and VCS.

This was confirmed on 16th May 2012 when VCS lost their case (VCS v Ronald Ibbotson) at Scunthorpe County Court.

The Judge ruled that only the landowner can take the matter to court and not people acting as their agents (VCS) and that the landowner then has to prove damages.

VCS have also been ordered by the court to explain why they issued a claim when they had no lawful contractual assignment of authority to do so.

ONLY THE LAND OWNER CAN TAKE THE MATTER TO COURT.

oh dear,what are all the ******* parasitical companys,that lurk in supermarket,and mc`donalds car parks
going to do now

[greendriver]

I keep a drawer full of Monopoly money for private fines....

[HarryM1BYT]

Originally Posted by T16

Oh wow. I have to try this.

Would a pizza tray suffice??

Any metal object with enough size will do, I used to carry an 18" diameter coil of insulated copper wire for the (perfectly legitamate in my case) pupose.

[Dragrad]

have been removed

[Weila]

Since the HMRC vs VCS judgment private parking companies cannot take legal action in the courts, only the landowner can.
I agree.
However the PPC's can issue speculative invoices -- they still do.

[COLVERT]

Originally Posted by rover54

No they don't have the right to send you an invoice,if you read the link in the first post,

Parking company comes a cropper in court
Back in February 2011, a First Tier Tax Tribunal ruled that Vehicle Control Services, a private parking company which did not have an interest in a car park which it was only managing on behalf of a landowner, was not entitled to sue trespassers as principal.

VCS and their parent company Excel happily continued to issue court claims while they appealed to the Upper Tribunal.

However, in March 2012, the Upper Tier Tribunal agreed with the First Tier Tribunal that VCS had insufficient interest in the car parks to pursue a trespass claim and decided that there was no contract between the motorists and VCS.

This was confirmed on 16th May 2012 when VCS lost their case (VCS v Ronald Ibbotson) at Scunthorpe County Court.

The Judge ruled that only the landowner can take the matter to court and not people acting as their agents (VCS) and that the landowner then has to prove damages.

VCS have also been ordered by the court to explain why they issued a claim when they had no lawful contractual assignment of authority to do so.

ONLY THE LAND OWNER CAN TAKE THE MATTER TO COURT.

oh dear,what are all the ******* parasitical companys,that lurk in supermarket,and mc`donalds car parks
going to do now

Did they have to pay back all the money they took illegally ???