I have tried to follow that sentiment but it's impossible - whether motorway service stations, out of town shopping precincts - they all use these people. (Often the shops are tenants and themselves have little choice I guess.)

If I decide to pay with no challenge I was thinking of sending a cheque but ignoring instruction to put address on back - can they claim that isn't valid payment I wonder ?

Thank you. I can't take that gamble if that could end up costing me up to £1,000 [per the ticket] even if the odds are in my favour. Do I have to reveal my address when paying? Is there any point in discussing it with them?

Thank you for your comments - I'm afraid I don't know what you mean by Mags but if there is no appeal there is no appeal. I don't know how long it would take them to send me a copy of the byelaws - I saw from schedule 20 Transport Act 2000 they are obliged to supply a copy free of charge - and if I had a copy it's not obvious what I would gain. (I'm not a lawyer.) I am getting the impression I shall have to pay but maybe there is no harm in phoning the number and querying on the basis that the ticket says I was parked for an hour and I was entitled to do that. The ticket says that if you pay by cheque the cheque "must be endorsed on the reverse with your name and address". What if I send a cheque without stating my address? (My name is shown on the cheque.) Is that not a valid payment? Why am I obliged to reveal my address? If I pay the £30 without revealing my address can they claim more, or claim I haven't paid by not banking my cheque? Surely not? I am irritated this appears very likely to cost me £30 [not least because it would have cost me £30 even if I hadn't paid the £10.50 day parking fee] but I am very keen it doesn't end up costing me more than that.

If it's real shouldn't there be some appeal procedure explained?

Thank you again. I'll wait for a few days to see if anyone can give me a confident answer between (1) and (2). If the answer is it is a real byelaw 14 then I still don't get how I can challenge the PCN. There is no appeal procedure noted. If the answer is to just ignore it then presumably there is no stage at which I'll raise the validity point.

Thank you. When you say my point about the hour may be worth exploring further what do you have in mind? Also how do I find out if it is a railways bylaw 14 ticket? I guess I have three options: (1) ignore everything, but I am very nervous of that if I could be liable, (2) just pay the £30, or (3) phone up the payment number and query (or write to the payment address). But I suspect (3) is a waste of time and I don't want the cost to increase from £30 to £60 from any delay. Help on my approach will be much appreciated.

Further to my postings on Tuesday and Wednesday here is [redacted] scan of ticket: The reverse of the ticket is blank. I'm not sure this will show but have attached scan too. (I'm not too good with these things.) Please can I be advised whether this ticket is subject to Railway Bylaw 14 so it has to be paid? One aspect I notice is the ticket states the car was parked "at/between between 08.00 hrs and 09.00 hrs". Yet the short stay car park, according to station wesbite, allows stays of up to 1 hour on payment of £1. Here £10.50 had been paid for a day's parking. Another irritation is that it appears from the ticket that the penalty would have been identical if the £10.50 had not been paid. Parking penalty 1.pdf

I'll try to get a scan posted here on Friday. (I'm away from scanner at the moment.) But my posting contained almost everything on the document as shown in quotes. The only bits I missed out were the other "offence" boxes (Not displaying valid parking ticket - Exceeding permitted parking time - Causing an obstruction - Failing to park correctly within marked bay - Parking/waiting on pavement, kerb or verge - Parking/waiting where waiting or loading restricitons apply - Expired Business Package parking ticket, please pay top up at the Travel Centre before removing vehicle to avoid penalty shown below). There are then boxes filled in to show "Issued by" [P Johnson], number [EC9803], date of issue [19/01/10]. The reverse of the small green form is blank. Near the top there are completed boxes for reg number, make, model and colour of car, name of carpark [Parcate Short Stay, Darlington], date, and at/between [08.00 hrs] and [09.00 hrs]. I will scan and post but the above with my earlier posting comprises the complete notice. My earlier posting also noted contents of plastic bag stuck to window advising it is in an offence for anyone other than driver to remove. I am very nervous about ignoring. I can pay £30. But I don't want to pay a lot more. (I live in a remote area so it would cost a lot to send debt collectors.) I have read of people being taken to court.

I am hoping someone can help me. Today I paid £10.50 for a day's parking at Darlington Station. The tickets was clearly displayed. When I returned to my car stuck on the windscreen was a plastic bag sayig "Penalty Charge Notice - Warning - It is an offence for any person other than the driver to remove this notice". Inside is a document headed "Parking Penalty Notice number ECPxxxxxx". It goes on to say "Notice of breach of terms and conditions. This car park is regulated by the terms and conditons displayed. By entering the car park you have agreed and contracted to be legally bound by those terms and conditions". (I never saw any terms or conditions.) The vehicle details are then recorded and it goes on to note "in circumstances which gave reasonable cause to believe that the offence indicated below was beng committed. OFFENCE(S):- Contrary to Railway Byelaw 14 or Terms & Conditions (please tick)..." There are 8 boxes. The seventh is ticked "Improper use of area marked for (specify)" and then written in "short stay only". It appears having paid the full daily rate I chose a bay I shouldn't have used, totally unknowingly. It goes on: "By reason of your breach, you are required to pay the penalty shown below". This shows a standard penalty of £60 and a reduced penalty of £30 for payment within 14 days. It then states: "If payment is not received within thirty (30) days, East Coast Main Line Company Ltd will commence collection procedures (which may include legal action) for the recovery of the sum claimed in this notice along with all costs associated with its recovery." "East Coast Main Line Company Ltd reserve the right to seek recovery for any other sums legally recoverable where the company deems appropriate to recover any losses sustained by them." "Cheques and Postal Orders should be made payable to Revenue Protecton Support Services and must be endorsed on the reverse with your name and address. This notice and payment should be sent to Revenue Protection Support Services, PO Box 89, Portsmouth, PO1 1EG. Alternatively payment can be made using your debit or credit card by calling 02392 778748" "Registered keeper details may be obtained from DVLA" And most worrying "Maximum penalty £1,000 (Railway Byelaw 14 - Traffic Signs, causing obstruction and parking)". It appears I did stupidly park where I shouldn't have. (It was very early morning and I could have chosen an allowed bay. I didn't understand the signs which are new since I last parked at that station.) Is this a private parking charge which can be ignored? The notice gives no details of how to appeal.