Smart Parking Limited parking fine

[Dan.86]

My mum got hit with one a few years ago. Her fault but I binned the first one and told them to not even contact them. 6 months of the odd letter from various companies and escalations and they’ve stopped. I actually enjoyed reading them because as said the addresses, the language used, the fonts and general look were all the same. Complete farce.

 

[NotKG]

they are enforcable in eng/sco/wls.
i have only got one in boucher at front of sports direct. straight to bin.
iv got 2 redcoat tickets in my life, appealed both and got them dropped.
one was 3 mins over in a control zone timed waiting in 1984.
last one was the my sons blue card fell when i shut the rear ramp access door on a really windy day and the dash cam wasnt unplugged, so caught it on cam (well, the white shadow of it falling that was shining on the windscreen). then 28mins later( paid 2 hrs as it was a car park) as i was loading the wheelchair at the back, it showed the warden walk towards my van, our voices heard on cam, we were oblivious th what was happening at the front putting locking straps on.... and he stood at front and wrote the ticket as we were in the back. the rules say a blue card doesnt have to be displayed unless the vehicle is empty, and a warden can ask to see the card. well the vehicle wasnt empty. he could even be seen glancing in, and knew the rear door was open.
the difficult bit was getting the video to them. they wont upen email videos, you cant upload them to appeal, had to take it to the payment office in person.
not a single "oops, sorry,,, the warden was a bit of a dik."

it got dropped.
jobsworth.

 

[NeilMcG]

I regularly get queries about these tickets and subsequent letters. It is border line harassment. As correctly pointed out earlier this is an English company who are chancing their arm, to enforce they would need to pass to a Solicitor here in Northern Ireland who would issue a small claim to recover the money. Each party in the Small Claims Court bears their own costs. My advice is to ignore.

 

[Daviddunlop83]

I regularly get queries about these tickets and subsequent letters. It is border line harassment. As correctly pointed out earlier this is an English company who are chancing their arm, to enforce they would need to pass to a Solicitor here in Northern Ireland who would issue a small claim to recover the money. Each party in the Small Claims Court bears their own costs. My advice is to ignore.

Thanks for the advice

 

[davey-dimples]

I regularly get queries about these tickets and subsequent letters. It is border line harassment. As correctly pointed out earlier this is an English company who are chancing their arm, to enforce they would need to pass to a Solicitor here in Northern Ireland who would issue a small claim to recover the money. Each party in the Small Claims Court bears their own costs. My advice is to ignore.

Be a laugh if they ended up paying us for a harassment claim wouldn't it lol

 

[Dan.86]

I regularly get queries about these tickets and subsequent letters. It is border line harassment. As correctly pointed out earlier this is an English company who are chancing their arm, to enforce they would need to pass to a Solicitor here in Northern Ireland who would issue a small claim to recover the money. Each party in the Small Claims Court bears their own costs. My advice is to ignore.

I have been told previously that once these companies prove you are the driver (usually by victim contacting then) they can proceed with their claim? Is there any validity in that either?

 

[NeilMcG]

In order to proceed they have to nominate Solicitors in Northern Ireland. The Solicitor will need to be paid by the Company as costs are not recoverable in the Small Claims Court. The Solicitor's fee would greatly outweigh the parking penalty. I have been told that these Companies send copious amounts of letters in the hope that 1/4 of the recipients pay.

 

[Dervhead]

Family friend has now received a solicitors letter from London (saying they are going to issue proceedings), regarding a parking charge in a supermarket car park here.

I think this has dragged on at least a year.

 

[stevieturbo]

New law helps drivers fight back against dodgy parking firms

Drivers across Britain are now better protected against dodgy private parking firms after the passing of a new law. The Parking (Code of Practice) Act 2019 received Royal Assent on March 15 and brings in a series of measures to toughen regulation of the private parking sector. It makes it easier...

www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk

 

[DaddyCC]

Family friend has now received a solicitors letter from London (saying they are going to issue proceedings), regarding a parking charge in a supermarket car park here.

I think this has dragged on at least a year.

What exactly does the letter say? If it is solely to do with issuing proceedings here in NI then they might have to take it more seriously. If its a threat to pay up or face possible Court proceedings thats a bit different.

 

[Dervhead]

What exactly does the letter say? If it is solely to do with issuing proceedings here in NI then they might have to take it more seriously. If its a threat to pay up or face possible Court proceedings thats a bit different.

I haven’t got a clue. Was over the phone and they aren’t the most clear of people to chat to. You know them annoying types, that never explain things properly, yeah one of them. I’ll try to get the exact wording and will update.

 

[Dervhead]

So... letter is from CSB solicitors in London. Says to pay up within 14 days to prevent legal action being instigated.

Seems like a load of toot.

 

[RoniN]

That is a debt collection letter masquerading as a solicitor's letter.
Ignore it !!!

Cheers

 

[Daviddunlop83]

Think this is 4th letter now

 

[Wild Thing]

We used to get these with the van hire side of the business, you will get it passed to 3 or 4 debt collection agencies and then they lose interest, we never responded to any of them. There was a program on tv a while ago about them, if they chose to proceed it would cost them on average £1000 in costs per £60 fine to recover, so its all threatning letters. You can imagine the effect this could have on elderly people trying to do their shopping, hospital appointments. These companies really are bottom feeders in the food chain

 

[gav525]

Funny I got one today from that smart parking lot for the Shane retail park.

I'm still unsure as to what they send them out for? Is Shane retail park pay and display or maximum time allowed or what? Can't be good for the businesses there if that is the case.

Either way it has been filed in the burn bin

 

[jshek007]

My misses got a parking charge today, her first one. I've always believe that if these were received then it can be binned. But they put in the front that due to the case parking Eye vs beavis. This is now enforcable. Is this true? Or can I bin it?

I'm not sure how much she did wrong in the first place. She parked at olympia in boucher for 4 hours, then moved the car to Starbucks for another 2. Different car parks but I assumed its run by the same cowboys.

 

[DaddyCC]

The Beavis case was one that happened to go in favour of the parking company, doesn't mean others will and also theres still little power to anything bar sending you letters hoping you admit who was parking to then persue further action.

 

[berrycherry]

I got a parking fine from Abbey Centre. Parked over the 4 hour limit. I already made an appeal on their website as I had receipts to prove that I was genuinely shopping there and made purchases. Is it too late for me to ignore them if my appeal doesn't get accepted? Thanks

 

[Statler]

Guys, ignore these 'speculative invoices' but do keep the letters just in case.

I had two in one night at the Odyssey Area car park in 2011 as we both parked over the white line. I got letters for about a year then it dried up.
You'll know it's coming to an end when the begging letters start reducing again.
Nothing has ever come back to bite me on this and I'm well past the 6 year cut off.

DO NOT enter into any communication with the Parking Company, don't appeal, don't plead unless you are not the registered keeper (see below)
DO approach the retailer, especially if you have receipts for purchases. The Centre Management DO have the capability to cancel these.

There is a good bit of advice here: https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.php?t=4816822

Specifically:

Q - ''I'm in Scotland/NI, so is the advice different?''

A - IF THE EVENT TOOK PLACE IN SCOTLAND OR NI, WE SUGGEST YOU DO (ALWAYS!) COMPLAIN TO STORE MANAGEMENT IF YOUR PCN IS FROM A RETAIL PARK, BUT DO NOT APPEAL, UNLESS YOUR CAR IS A COMPANY/HIRE/LEASED VEHICLE, IN WHICH CASE, APPEAL AS HIRER/LESSEE (SEE * AT THE FOOT OF THIS POST).

IN SCOTLAND/NI, CERTAINLY COMPLAIN TO THE RETAILERS, BUT IGNORE THE PARKING FIRM UNLESS YOU GET A CLAIM.

IN SCOTLAND THIS IS EXCEEDINGLY RARE, AND DEFENDABLE BY A KEEPER, WHO CURRENTLY HAS A FAR MORE PROTECTED POSITION IN LAW THAN AN ADMITTED DRIVER.

WHEN IGNORING IN SCOTLAND/NI, KEEP ALL LETTERS. DO NOT THROW THEM AWAY, FOR 5 YEARS.

 

['96dc2]

Just bin everything and forget about it... nothing more needs done.

 

[Coog]

The wife managed to not log in to Starplans system when parking the car at boucher there last week (despite me specifically saying that she needs to remember to do it before she went) so we've one of these letters sitting.

It's for the lease car so addressed to the lease company.

Would rather they weren't tortured with letters. Not even sure if they charge an admin fee for forwarding letters on.

Any advice?

Call in and speak with Starplan best option? I'm near tempted to let her pay the £60 for not listening, maybe teach her a lesson

 

[Boabybooster]

The wife managed to not log in to Starplans system when parking the car at boucher there last week (despite me specifically saying that she needs to remember to do it before she went) so we've one of these letters sitting.

It's for the lease car so addressed to the lease company.

Would rather they weren't tortured with letters. Not even sure if they charge an admin fee for forwarding letters on.

Any advice?

Call in and speak with Starplan best option? I'm near tempted to let her pay the £60 for not listening, maybe teach her a lesson

Ahahahahahahahahahahahahahahah teach “her” a lesson. Suppose you didn’t want a third child. Fire on sir.

 

[Coog]

Ahahahahahahahahahahahahahahah teach “her” a lesson. Suppose you didn’t want a third child. Fire on sir.

Lol she saw the letter and near had it paid straight away. Was like the PSNI had booted the door up the hall and was going to arrest her there and then if she didn't

 

[Boabybooster]

Lol she saw the letter and near had it paid straight away. Was like the PSNI had booted the door up the hall and was going to arrest her there and then if she didn't

I wouldn’t have paid mine in Edinburgh if it hadn’t been the works car and we didn’t have a season pass for the car park. Couldn’t risk it getting revoked. Expensive lesson.