Private company threatening penalty charge notice - on private land!

[my-spirit-soars-free]

That is it, really. The sign is attached to a shopping centre wall, above a bike rack.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I guess saying that someone "may" receive a penalty charge notice is just about legal, even if the company then issues a "parking charge notice" - but I think it is really off!

[dx100uk]

they cant use those words

report them

 

dx

[my-spirit-soars-free]

they cant use those words

report them

 

dx

 

I wondered whether it was OK because they were only saying that you may get a penalty charge notice - ie the council could come and issue one, if they felt like issuing it on private land?

 

Who do I report them to?

[DBC]

Nothing to do with the council, they cannot issue penalty notices on private land.

[Michael Browne]

On the face of it the sign only prohibits motorcycles

[my-spirit-soars-free]

I have not received any sort of charge notice, but I saw the sign, and wondered if that wording is OK. If the company are issuing private "parking charge notices" where they have the sign I feel it is misleading - but is it actually illegal, and if so, who would deal with it?

 

Is it actually illegal for me to have a sign that says "penalty charge notices may be issued to people parking in front of my drive" - relying on the council to come and do so, if they feel like it?

[Old Snowy]

they cant use those words

report them

 

dx

I think what you actually meant is that they can use whatever form of words they like. Whether their chosen format breaches the criminal law, commits some civil wrong or just murders the English language or is completely ambiguous, is a wholly different matter. The fact that the use of the word "penalty" may render any charge unenforceable at court is almost an irrelevance because so few PPC's actually process cases that far.

 

And report them to who?

 

SW Parking Solutions Ltd do not appear to be members of the British Parking Association, nor of their Approved Operator Scheme and as such have not breached their CoP.

 

The company hide behind a PO Box in Cheltenham but their two directors, Messrs Search and Schofield, are also linked to the JS group of facilities management type companies based in Station Mews, Leckhampton. one of those companies, JS Security, is currently one of the sponsors of Gloucester Rugby Club and Mr Search (also a director of SW Parking Solutions Ltd) is to be seen in the photo in the linked article - here.

 

The JS Facilities website may be seen here. Strangely, there is no mention of car parking.

[Scooby Doo69]

Any Penalty Charge Notice is about as enforecable as the sign itself. But, it looks official enough to deter most from parking there and a large majority into paying up I suspect. It's about time the law was changed to deal with these "legal" cowboys.

[dx100uk]

i thought that PPC's were prevented by the courts/council or 'some authority'

from using the words

 

penalty charge notice

 

on signs/tickets

 

as the same they cant use the word

 

fine

either

 

dx

[sailor sam]

I'm not sure anything can be done about what wording they put on a sign if its on private property TBH. But they would certainly not be able to persue a fine or penalty in the civil court system.

[Tony P]

So the Shopping Centre's management have appointed a PPC to deter motorcyclists coming to spend money in their Tenants shops?

 

Unless there is more to this than we know, maybe the shop businesses should be aware and consider if/why their takings are down!