Ok thank you for the advice. As I'm in talks with the MD of the company that owns the land, and he's told me not to pay them - I'm guessing they won't be taking me to court? He even said he has tickets from private companies and he doesn't pay either! He was a really nice guy and was more interested in making sure we felt safe living where we did. He had no interest in money. It's City Permits that are furious with me. Have a clamping / ticketing company ever taken anyone to court over PCNs and won? If not, I will definitely invite them to take me to court.

Hi There have been new revelations since my previous thread (see http://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?339821-held-in-a-private-carpark-against-my-will-by-citypermits). I'm not sure whether to post back in that thread or start a new one. If someone could let me know that would be great. Since the last episode I haven't gone near the car park but nothing was ever done about the clampers. I was chased the other night by them on a public road as they recognised me, and chased me through Leeds for approximately 2 miles. I called 999 but they were no help. Police visited me this morning, and after telling them the story they contacted the head of City Permits. He said that they hadn't chased me, but they were only going home. This is complete rubbish. There are no witnesses to me being chased. I contacted the head of the complex who manage the site and employ City Permits. He said that something obviously needs to be done. I've demanded they either stop the men from being on site or remove City Permits completely. He says 'he'll look into it'. The head of City Permits said that as a repeat offender I should have been clamped. I am now worried they are going to try and recover the debt. I owe them quite a lot of money (probably in the thousands with all the tickets they have given me). The police seemed to take their side regarding me owing money, but said that it needs to go to court. I always thought the tickets weren't worth the paper they were printed on, but the police said I owe them a debt. Would love to hear all of your thoughts. Thanks

Devil - Thanks very much for the advice. I contacted Natwest minutes after the event actually happened, it was the first thing I did. They immediately cancelled the payment and cancelled my card - this is what they then got so angry about! I contacted Braemar Estates again today and asked for an update. They said they have contacted security who have found the footage. They describe me entering the car park at 10:02pm, I am seen on camera doing a u-turn (this is where I was blocked), and then I was seen leaving the car park at 10:17pm. I asked if they saw me blocked in, but she said they are reviewing the footage themselves tomorrow, but that is all the security have reported. I will say though, if they saw me do a u turn, they will have seen me blocked in. They then said they're reviewing the fobs used to gain access to the car park. Apparently this will help them identify who they were. This now makes me worried though, as I don't have a 'legal' fob. It's a fob I kept and never returned from when I used to live there. Hopefully they only check theirs and not mine. Regarding clamping - I am baffled that clamping is legal, yet them charging for tickets isn't. This makes no sense to me. So I guess they could actually have clamped me then, and that would have been legal? Who do I ask for a copy of the CCTV do you think? Also, does the fact I 'owe' them about 20 parking fines mean I'm in the wrong at all? I don't want to go to court if they might swing in their favour because I 'owe' them so much money...

Thanks for discussing this for me. I've not hear anything today. Anytime I hear anything I'll update you. Every time I've called the police I've used the 101 number (non emergency). I get put through to someone who isn't a police officer, and is a civilian. They always say they wouldn't touch it as there was no physical harm. I'm worried that if I report assault, and then they say "did he touch you", and I say no, the same thing will happen again. They were almost treating me as though I was wasting their time... :/

Haha, you had me worried there.

Hi HB. I have edited post #19, however I'm unsure how to delete post 20 and 21. Sorry, what do you mean by 'I expect the guys will be along soon'? To be honest dx, I say I was driving fast, but imagine a winding multistory car park with pillars everywhere, I bet I didn't even exceed 25/30 mph even though I was revving it around. I will record my conversation with the bod (if I can, not sure how yet), and will ask for a copy of the CCTV. I was sad that the police didn't want to know. A cover-up... most likely in my opinion. The last time I needed CCTV I was hit by a bouncer outside a club because I was with my mate who was gay, he was a homophobe. Amazingly, their CCTV wasn't functional on the door for that particular night.

I have also just contacted West Yorkshire police again. They said that despite what they did being wrong, they do not get involved in civil arguments. This includes wrong doing on private property. I should talk to a solicitor about this. They said if the guy had me by the neck threatening me, then the police would get involved. Not otherwise. They said a solicitor could take them to the small claims court etc. if wrong doing has been done. I'm not sure if this is the kind of thing I should be getting compensation out of though...

Also, there are no speed limit signs in the car park anywhere.

Today's update: I first contacted the property developer (Scotfields; www . scotfield . co . uk). They were shocked and said that is not what City Permits were employed to do. However, they mentioned this is one of the first complaints regarding them they have ever received. I mentioned that it sounds like the company has been taken over recently and that might be why. She then put me in touch with Braemar Estates (www . braemar-estates . com), the propery manager, who actually employs City Permits. I sent the full story by email and then got contacted by their representative who looks after the complex the incident happened in. I was told that they are taking this matter extremely seriously and that Scotfields, Braemar Estates, and City Permits are now in talks to find out what happened. CCTV footage has been sent off for (the car park itself has CCTV), and they are finding out exactly who the wardens were who made the threats. Despite City Permits changing hands recently, it's still the same team that work there. As such, it sounds like they might be employing different wardens. They need to figure out whether the wardens are City Permits' own wardens, or ones employed externally. Once CCTV footage has been found, they will be getting back in touch. I will also be contacted by the head of City Permits (who, by the sounds of it, actually is a guy who promotes the ethical parking business). He is apparently very angry at what happened and wants to work everything out with me (he bloody has to, or his company will obviously be told to leave). That's all for today. I haven't yet managed to send for their own video footage... do you think it's worth it? If so, exactly how do I do it? Do I send that template letter to their PO Box address listed on their website? Should I also complain about them being called PCN's? There are no speed limit signs in the car park anywhere. I have also just contacted West Yorkshire police again. They said that despite what they did being wrong, they do not get involved in civil arguments. This includes wrong doing on private property. I should talk to a solicitor about this. They said if the guy had me by the neck threatening me, then the police would get involved. Not otherwise. They said a solicitor could take them to the small claims court etc. if wrong doing has been done. I'm not sure if this is the kind of thing I should be getting compensation out of though... Cheers everyone.

I also just checked their website and brochure in more detail. The services they provide to the landowner are: 1. Warden patrol 2. Civil notices 3. Ticketing 4. Permits 5. Signage 6. Online payment 7. Reporting and analysis Nowhere does it say they clamp or provide the option of actively clamping. They also say they are 'the only alternative to clamping'. Interesting.

You're all going to love this one. This is their website, check it: www . citypermits . co . uk (sorry it wouldn't let me post the link). Yes that's right. Read that tagline again. "CityPermits is a Yorkshire based parking enforcement agency, providing private landowners with a non-confrontational, lawful, and ethical solution to private parking enforcement." I feel the private land owner will NOT be happy once I report what they did. Especially if the reason they employ them is because they are non-confrontational. I will send off for the video. Meanwhile, I checked the register but City Permits doesn't seem to be listed. What does this mean exactly? I will also contact the police tomorrow and report them for (1) demanding money by menace, and (2) being held to ransom. I honestly feel they should get locked up for this. I'm willing to take them to court. Do you think I should complain about the policeman who said as it's their land they can do what they want? If that's incorrect then he needs telling. I will, of course, keep all you guys updated. LaughingGirl, let me know how your 'non-criminal' empire gets on

Out of interest, what were their illegal activities? Just filming me? They didn't film me on the street, just zooming round the car park...

Thanks for the replies guys. I'm willing to say I want to cause this guy every ounce of pain I can give him. So if you'd like to help me I will do whatever has to be done to do him for something. A few points: 1. The film will show me speeding off away from them at a speed too fast for an underground car park. It will then show them following me until the point he blocks me off. Car blocks an exit, I carry on but hit a dead end. I turn round and he's walking towards me as I drive at him. I did not speed at him, aim my car at him, or use my car as a weapon in any way. 2. The policeman felt that as the clampers company name was up on the posters plastered on every frigging wall, that it says on the posters that by parking there I abide to their rules, they are entitled to clamp me or fine me. Are you 100% certain he is incorrect in saying this? 3. The 'street' conversation was actually done with us standing in the entrance of the car park. There is a metal shutter that must be opened to enter. If this conversation was strictly on their land (just off the street by about a meter on a side road towards the metal shutter), can I still make a complaint about them demanding money by menace? 4. Is demanding money by menace illegal? If so, can I do them for it? Who should I first contact? 5. What benefit would sending the video to the police have? Cheers!!!

Hi everyone, have a bizarre story from last night involving clampers. Would love some advice. Here goes. My partner lives in an apartment block with underground private parking. There are numbered bays that you must hold a permit for. My gf has a space that she keeps her car in, do when I come to visit there is nowhere for me to park. I've been parking in a bay I know nobody uses when I go to visit for the night. I've had 2 parking tickets in 2 months. Ignored them both. They haven't sent any threat letters to my address. According to them, it's £80 per ticket. Last night I popped in to pick some stuff up from my partners flat. I saw the cowboy ticketers going round (10pm) and so decided it was best not to park. Upon turning round, they chased me (both of us in cars) round the car park. They eventually blocked me off so I couldn't move. Guy storms up to me filming me on camera demanding money, and that the clampers were on their way. Please bare in mind I hadn't even parked. I was scared, and quite rightly so. He demanded my previous payments before they let me go (£160). He also says he has me on film speeding around at them which won't look good for me. After explaining everything, he said he'd do me a deal. If I paid them £120 on the spot, he'd ignore my car in the future whenever it was parked there. I agreed. He called up his payment office and put me on the phone. I gave details of my credit card (to someone I didn't know), and they unblocked me. I drove off and left. Immediately I called the bank, blocked the payment and cancelled my card. I visited site security and complained, who were outraged, but said the parking cowboys have nothing to do with them, the complex owners hire them. I then called the local police who asked me if there were signs up clearly stating private property with fines implicated. I said there were. The policeman then said they can do what they like as it is there land and I was in the wrong. I'm not sure about this and I don't know my rights. I felt exploited and abused. I parked on a local side street free after 6pm. Upon returning from the flat, the cowboys found me. He went BERSERK because the payment got blocked. He said he was going to clamp my car on the street (council land) and then clamp my partners car if I didn't pay. He took my credit card off me (this was all done on a side street at 10:30 at night) and called his office back up to check I hadn't lied about the card details. He kept trying to put the payment through, but of course I'd blocked my card by this point so it wouldn't work. I asked if I could get security involved because I wasn't comfortable doing it on the street, he refused. He then gave me an ultimatum... Pay them on their website or they'll clamp my partners car. I said I would. I haven't. I went home shaking for the rest of the night. I feel what happened to me should be illegal, I feel completely exploited, yet when I contacted the police they were completely in his favour. I'm now worried that if my gf goes to her car on her own and they see her, they'll threaten her. I've contacted the estate agents who run the complex today. They assured me they can't clamp my gf's car and made a note of her bay number. But they said I really need to get in touch with the complex owners as it's them who employ the cowboys. They promote a safe living environment and they said they probably won't like the sound of what happened. I can't do this until Monday. FYI, I took the guys phone number. He asked for mine but I refused. He went crazy when I refused saying WELL THERE'S NO WAY YOU'RE GOING TO BLOODY PAY IS THERE?! I found this an odd reaction. He also told me he got in deep trouble with his boss for letting me go without payment being confirmed. We're now one day on and I haven't done anything. I'm worried about visiting again, parking again, I'm worried for my partners safety. Please if anybody has any advice here I'd love to hear it. I'm really shook up and don't know what to do. Thanks in advance and apologies for such a long post.

It's from 'The Leeds Teaching Hospitals, NHS Trust'