Thread: Parking tickt from Athena between 3:00 am to 5:00 am

Hi everyone!
This is a great forum and thank for all the help you provide!
I got a letter from Athena ANPR about two weeks ago asking me to pay for a fine because I overstayed (this is between 3:00 am to 5:00 am) at the Lidl car park in Peckham. I sent them the following letter I got from this forum:
" ... I am the registered Keeper of the vehicle XXXXXXX. I am in receipt of communication from your company regarding a parking charge in respect of an alleged infringement on 13th April 2009.

Unfortunately, you have not supplied me with sufficient detail regarding the alleged infringement. Please accept this letter as notification of intention to appeal.

Please provide me with a copy of the regulations pertaining to the car park.

Can you tell me if your company has signed up to the DVLA’s Voluntary Code of Practice for Private Car Parking Enforcement? I understand your firm is obliged to sign up to receive registration information. Specifically, point 3.2 of the code states:
“Notices giving full details of the parking contravention and the proposed course of action to be taken by the enforcer should be placed in a prominent position on the ‘offending’ vehicle without causing it damage. Vehicle keepers should be made aware that their name and address will be requested from the DVLA”.

I can confirm that I was not issued with any parking ticket on the day of the alleged infringement. It appears that your evidence of my stay appears to be wholly based on CCTV evidence which I dispute.

Can you please supply me with a copy of the V888/3 form you sent to DVLA in respect of my vehicle?

I will therefore be writing to DVLA to ascertain whether they were under the mistaken belief that you had complied with their guidelines before seeking to elicit registration information... "

And this is what I received from them:

" ... We are contracted to manage the site at which the alleged offence took place by the owner of the land.
Vehicle XXXXXXX was identified as staying within the car park at Lidl Peckham for a period of 02hr and 22 minutes, which exceeds the free parking time allowed. There is photographic evidence tosupport this claim.
The practice of issuing fines via the use of recorded images without issuing tickets on windscreens is now commonplace.
There is sufficient signsge throughout our client's premises, which clearly indicate the terms of use of the car park and has been in operation for a considerable period.
The DVLAs Code of Practice as illustrated does not apply in this instance as they have advised us that it is out of date and no longer in use.
We comply fully with current DVLA procedures as advised to us by them directly.
As our records are updated electronically we were not supplied with a V888/3 therefore we do not have a copy to give you.
We regret to advise you therefore that your appeal as outlined to us has been unsuccessful and that we consider this matter to now be enforceable. Please pay via ... "

Any help with the next action I shoul take will be greatfully appreciated.
Thanks.

Originally Posted by aman23

Any help with the next action I should take will be greatfully appreciated.
Thanks.

Yep, put their letters in a drawer and close it carefully. Only re-open this drawer to place further rubbish they may (edit - WILL) send you.

As you have discovered, writing to them was a total waste of time and stamp.

Do not write to them any more
Do not telephone them
Do not reply to any of their letters
Do not pay them.

Thanks a lot Crem for this quick response. I will do as you said, just ignore them.

Good point kiptower. If they used "fine" then that will give aman23 total reassurance that Athena won't risk going anywhere near a court with their paperwork.

just ignore the PPC. couple of points, its a V888/2 form that is used and is the BPA Code that they sign up to - and they have signed up to it. see FAQs - PPCs - fighting back. The forces are aligned and http://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk...blems+ppc+face

was this their EXACT wording ??

quote "The practice of issuing fines via the use of recorded images"

Yes Kiptower the actual exact wording!

...and 'offence'.

Worth getting the V888 form. Their reply is incriminating in that they are not demonstrating 'reasonable cause'. Persist with the DVLA and you might get them banned from buying keeper details for a few months.