Parking Ticket on private land

[jeremytaylor]

Can anyone tell me of the rules & regs. regarding parking tickets on private land?

Yes, I parked on private land (Business Park), where I have done most days for years when going to the bank and getting lunch, just for 5 mins. Yes, there are signs warning against it. But there is nowhere else to park, and I don't fancy getting the bus carrying £thousands. The bank and sandwich shop I visited are both on the Business Park.

The landlords of the Park have an enforcement company (MET) who send wardens round on mopeds. Previously I have seen the wardens and talked them into letting me park there, and they have been relaxed. But yesterday I got caught.

The ticket has an issue date and a date that the offence occured, but curiously the time is given as 'From 14.35 To 14.35'. I thought they were supposed to witness the offence for 2 or 3 mins?

As I said, I admit the offence but if there is a legal get out, it will save me £50!

 

[recycled]

there is, if they are cowboy clampers, but if they are authorised and you are on private land, then it is tougher.
you can always claim you were making a uturn when you say the signs.
was your car clamped, or did a ticket appear in your post?

 

[st13phil]

Can anyone tell me of the rules & regs. regarding parking tickets on private land?
<< snip >>
As I said, I admit the offence but if there is a legal get out, it will save me £50!

Read the FAQ regarding Private Parking Companies here and then some of the cases on the forums to give you a flavour of the consequences of not paying up. BTW, if you were on private land then you have almost certainly committed no "offence" but if they have used that word in their documents, then they almost certainly have.

Make your own judgement from a moral standpoint whether or not to pay the £50, but almost certainly there are perfectly legal ways to avoid paying it. BTW, if you decide to fight them I wouldn't park in the Business Park again if I were you

 

[jeremytaylor]

Was your car clamped, or did a ticket appear in your post?

Ticket on windscreen.

 

[jeremytaylor]

Read the FAQ regarding Private Parking Companies here

VERY interesting link, thanks.

Needless to say the 'ticket' is called a PCN and so is illegal in itself, according to the link. I feel a (hopefully) well-crafted letter coming on

 

[robert.saunders]

Don't believe everything you read on the internet, but if you must, this is a very good place to start

http://www.britishparking.co.uk/inc...r/files/resources/code_of_practice_part_2.pdf

 

[crockers]

The ticket has an issue date and a date that the offence occured, but curiously the time is given as 'From 14.35 To 14.35'. I thought they were supposed to witness the offence for 2 or 3 mins?

As I said, I admit the offence but if there is a legal get out, it will save me £50!

How can you park for less than one minute?
Is parking allowed if visiting a business on the site?
Have you asked for photographic evidence?
Surely this is a civil matter? (or uncivil... )
What if some kid had taken the ticket off your screen - would you have known it was there?



Edit....after reading the pdf from Robert.....ignore the above......

 

[st13phil]

I feel a (hopefully) well-crafted letter coming on

They don't know who you are at this stage. If you send them a letter, they will

Robert: Thanks for the link to the BPA Code of Practice. I note that it studiously avoids the terms "PCN" and "offence", and specifically mentions "contract" (in the sense of "breach of") with respect to contraventions of properly signed, reasonable, parking conditions. All good stuff, and a great pity all Private Parking Enforcement doesn't follow the excellent advice it contains.

The reality is that there is a good framework for landowners and enforcement contractors to work within that allows them to protect their interests (i.e. discourage people parking parking willy-nilly on their land) and that the person parking would see as fair and reasonable. Unfortunately, many enforcement contractors choose to guild the lilly with phrases like "committed an offence" and deliberately seek to mislead by calling a Parking Ticket (the name used by the BPA, and readily understandable) a "PCN" or some such term in an effort to make the recipient believe that they have received a Penalty Charge Notice under the appropriate law.

 

[C240Sport97]

private parking tickets are a try on .. I wouldn't pay it. They have no legal basis to 'ticket' you as if they were a local authority with public powers

 

[Shude]

private parking tickets are a try on .. I wouldn't pay it. They have no legal basis to 'ticket' you as if they were a local authority with public powers

It reminds me of the car rental company that fined it's customers if they were caught speeding by GPS. It is not their place to "fine" or "punish" someone, the best they could hope to do is send the details to the police.