Central Ticketing - Advice needed!

[debrob555]

Hi,

 

I have read a lot of information from various people discussing various ways they were apparently breaking the conditions of the private ticketing companies and I thank you for your comments.

 

I would like to ask some advice on what has happened to me (although I have a strong suspicion about the response I will get).

 

I parked my motorbike in a car park which was controlled by Central Ticketing and in big letters clearly stated 'Maximum stay 2 hours'. There were several shops around the car park. I nipped over the road to the college opposite with the full intention of shopping at the shops afterwards. I had parked outside of a bay because I had to attach my motorbike to a bollard (my last one was stolen!) plus it was infront of a disused shop. When I came back to my bike, I had received a parking ticket. It was for 'abused patron parking' - in other words, I walked away from the car park. It did not mention anything to do with where I was parked.

 

When I came back, I fully read the sign and realised my mistake.

 

So, I sent them a letter asking for an appeal even though I knew I was completely in the wrong. My appeal was declined. So by looking at all these messages saying ignore the letter etc, am I right to pay the £65 fine seeing as I had breached the conditions of the car park?

 

However, a wierd thing has happened! In their reply, they stated 'The signs at this site state "Customer parking only. This car park is to be used whilst in store. Parking whilst off site contravenes these terms". I don't know where they got that from because it didn't say that on the sign!!! The sign is attached - hopefully it has uploaded!

 

So I am not claiming that I am innocent but at the same time, I do not want to pay the fine if legally I do not have to. I hope that makes sense.

 

Thank you in advance!!

[crem]

your only mistake is appealing to them in the first place. Now that you have got past that mistake with the inevitable "appeal declined" you can resume the only useful method of dealing with PPCs

 

1 Ignore

2 Ignore some more

3 Return to 1

[debrob555]

Thanks for the reply! Is there anything I need to back myself up with legally?

[Al27]

You won't need to because 99.9% of these scamsters won't go anywhere near a small claims court. We certainly know Central Ticketing have never ever taken anyone to court - because they'd lose.

 

They are alleging you entered into a contract with them to only park there if you were a customer. Since you left the site you have allegedly broken this contract. The remedy for breach of contract is to put the injured party in the same position as if the breach had not occurred. Since the car park is free and they have suffered no loss, they are owed £0. The £65 is an unenforceable contractual penalty.

 

Private companies cannot issue fines. Remedy for contract breach is in place so that they couldn't put a sign up saying you 'agree' to pay £500 or £10,000. After all, if they had a legal leg to stand on they'd make it a million pounds, take everyone to court and retire.

 

Contract is also about offer and acceptance. Offering to let you park for £65 on the condition that you don't park if you are not a customer isn't an offer. How can you offer parking and forbid it at the same time?

 

There are a few other issues too, but basically this is a mail [problem]. Give out unenforceable invoices, buy the keeper's address from the DVLA and bombard them with threatening junkmail in order to scare them into sending a cheque.

 

This is the kind of junkmail you'll now be ignoring:

 

Euro Car Parks Letterchain

NCP Letterchain

[DBC]

And Central Ticketing are so stupid they even have a "warning" on their tickets which says ""It is an offence for an unauthorised person to remove or interfere with this notice". If one of their cases ever went to court, and the judge was told about that, he would down on them like a ton a bricks for false representation.

Edited May 20, 2010 by DBC

[Al27]

To be honest, I don't think the judge would pay much attention to that really

 

Anyway, Central Ticketing have never done court so it doesn't matter.

[debrob555]

thanks very much for all your posts. You've been really helpful! I'll be ignoring the letters from now on!