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    • further polished WS using above suggestions and also included couple of more modifications highlighted in orange are those ok to include?   Background   1.1  The Defendant received the Parking Charge Notice (PCN) on the 06th of January 2020 following the vehicle being parked at Arla Old Dairy, South Ruislip on the 05th of December 2019.   Unfair PCN   2.1  On 19th December 2023 the Defendant sent the Claimant's solicitors a CPR request.  As shown in Exhibit 1 (pages 7-13) sent by the solicitors the signage displayed in their evidence clearly shows a £60.00 parking charge notice (which will be reduced to £30 if paid within 14 days of issue).  2.2  Yet the PCN sent by the Claimant is for a £100.00 parking charge notice (reduced to £60 if paid within 30 days of issue).   2.3        The Claimant relies on signage to create a contract.  It is unlawful for the Claimant to write that the charge is £60 on their signs and then send demands for £100.    2.4        The unlawful £100 charge is also the basis for the Claimant's Particulars of Claim.  No Locus Standi  3.1  I do not believe a contract with the landowner, that is provided following the defendant’s CPR request, gives MET Parking Services a right to bring claims in their own name. Definition of “Relevant contract” from the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012, Schedule 4,  2 [1] means a contract Including a contract arising only when the vehicle was parked on the relevant land between the driver and a person who is-   (a) the owner or occupier of the land; or   (b) Authorised, under or by virtue of arrangements made by the owner or occupier of the land, to enter into a contract with the driver requiring the payment of parking charges in respect of the parking of the vehicle on the land. According to https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2006/46/section/44   For a contract to be valid, it requires a director from each company to sign and then two independent witnesses must confirm those signatures.   3.2  The Defendant requested to see such a contract in the CPR request.  The fact that no contract has been produced with the witness signatures present means the contract has not been validly executed. Therefore, there can be no contract established between MET Parking Services and the motorist. Even if “Parking in Electric Bay” could form a contract (which it cannot), it is immaterial. There is no valid contract.  Illegal Conduct – No Contract Formed   4.1 At the time of writing, the Claimant has failed to provide the following, in response to the CPR request from myself.   4.2        The legal contract between the Claimant and the landowner (which in this case is Standard Life Investments UK) to provide evidence that there is an agreement in place with landowner with the necessary authority to issue parking charge notices and to pursue payment by means of litigation.   4.3 Proof of planning permission granted for signage etc under the Town and country Planning Act 1990. Lack of planning permission is a criminal offence under this Act and no contract can be formed where criminality is involved.   4.4        I also do not believe the claimant possesses these documents.   No Keeper Liability   5.1        The defendant was not the driver at the time and date mentioned in the PCN and the claimant has not established keeper liability under schedule 4 of the PoFA 2012. In this matter, the defendant puts it to the claimant to produce strict proof as to who was driving at the time.   5.2 The claimant in their Notice To Keeper also failed to comply with PoFA 2012 Schedule 4 section 9[2][f] while mentioning “the right to recover from the keeper so much of that parking charge as remains unpaid” where they did not include statement “(if all the applicable conditions under this Schedule are met)”.     5.3         The claimant did not mention parking period, times on the photographs are separate from the PCN and in any case are that arrival and departure times not the parking period since their times include driving to and from the parking space as a minimum and can include extra time to allow pedestrians and other vehicles to pass in front.    Protection of Freedoms Act 2012   The notice must -   (a) specify the vehicle, the relevant land on which it was parked and the period of parking to which the notice relates;  22. In the persuasive judgement K4GF167G - Premier Park Ltd v Mr Mathur - Horsham County Court – 5 January 2024 it was on this very point that the judge dismissed this claim.  5.4  A the PCN does not comply with the Act the Defendant as keeper is not liable.  No Breach of Contract   6.1       No breach of contract occurred because the PCN and contract provided as part of the defendant’s CPR request shows different post code, PCN shows HA4 0EY while contract shows HA4 0FY. According to PCN defendant parked on HA4 0EY which does not appear to be subject to the postcode covered by the contract.  6.2         The entrance sign does not mention anything about there being other terms inside the car park so does not offer a contract which makes it only an offer to treat,  Interest  7.1  It is unreasonable for the Claimant to delay litigation for  Double Recovery   7.2  The claim is littered with made-up charges.  7.3  As noted above, the Claimant's signs state a £60 charge yet their PCN is for £100.  7.4  As well as the £100 parking charge, the Claimant seeks recovery of an additional £70.  This is simply a poor attempt to circumvent the legal costs cap at small claims.  7.5 Since 2019, many County Courts have considered claims in excess of £100 to be an abuse of process leading to them being struck out ab initio. An example, in the Caernarfon Court in VCS v Davies, case No. FTQZ4W28 on 4th September 2019, District Judge Jones-Evans stated “Upon it being recorded that District Judge Jones- Evans has over a very significant period of time warned advocates (...) in many cases of this nature before this court that their claim for £60 is unenforceable in law and is an abuse of process and is nothing more than a poor attempt to go behind the decision of the Supreme Court v Beavis which inter alia decided that a figure of £160 as a global sum claimed in this case would be a penalty and not a genuine pre-estimate of loss and therefore unenforceable in law and if the practice continued, he would treat all cases as a claim for £160 and therefore a penalty and unenforceable in law it is hereby declared (…) the claim is struck out and declared to be wholly without merit and an abuse of process.”  7.6 In Claim Nos. F0DP806M and F0DP201T, District Judge Taylor echoed earlier General Judgment or Orders of District Judge Grand, stating ''It is ordered that the claim is struck out as an abuse of process. The claim contains a substantial charge additional to the parking charge which it is alleged the Defendant contracted to pay. This additional charge is not recoverabl15e under the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012, Schedule 4 nor with reference to the judgment in Parking Eye v Beavis. It is an abuse of process from the Claimant to issue a knowingly inflated claim for an additional sum which it is not entitled to recover. This order has been made by the court of its own initiative without a hearing pursuant to CPR Rule 3.3(4)) of the Civil Procedure Rules 1998...''  7.7 In the persuasive case of G4QZ465V - Excel Parking Services Ltd v Wilkinson – Bradford County Court -2 July 2020 (Exhibit 4) the judge had decided that Excel had won. However, due to Excel adding on the £60 the Judge dismissed the case.  7.8        The addition of costs not previously specified on signage are also in breach of the Consumer Rights Act 2015, Schedule 2, specifically paras 6, 10 and 14.   7.9        It is the Defendant’s position that the Claimant in this case has knowingly submitted inflated costs and thus the entire claim should be similarly struck out in accordance with Civil Procedure Rule 3.3(4).   In Conclusion   8.1        I invite the court to dismiss the claim.  Statement of Truth  I believe that the facts stated in this witness statement are true. I understand that proceedings for contempt of court may be brought against anyone who makes, or causes to be made, a false statement in a document verified by a statement of truth without an honest belief in its truth.   
    • Well the difference is that in all our other cases It was Kev who was trying to entrap the motorist so sticking two fingers up to him and daring him to try court was from a position of strength. In your case, sorry, you made a mistake so you're not in the position of strength.  I've looked on Google Maps and the signs are few & far between as per Kev's MO, but there is an entrance sign saying "Pay & Display" (and you've admitted in writing that you knew you had to pay) and the signs by the payment machines do say "Sea View Car Park" (and you've admitted in writing you paid the wrong car park ... and maybe outed yourself as the driver). Something I missed in my previous post is that the LoC is only for one ticket, not two. Sorry, but it's impossible to definitively advise what to so. Personally I'd probably gamble on Kev being a serial bottler of court and reply with a snotty letter ridiculing the signage (given you mentioned the signage in your appeal) - but it is a gamble.  
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      The judge's reasoning is very useful and will certainly be helpful in any other cases relating to third-party rights where the customer has contracted with the courier company by using a broker.
      This is generally speaking the problem with using PackLink who are domiciled in Spain and very conveniently out of reach of the British justice system.

      Frankly I don't think that is any accident.

      One of the points that the judge made was that the customers contract with the broker specifically refers to the courier – and it is clear that the courier knows that they are acting for a third party. There is no need to name the third party. They just have to be recognisably part of a class of person – such as a sender or a recipient of the parcel.

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Penalty Fare Advice Please - ** RESOLVED **


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Hi.

 

Really appreciate the advice given to others here and hoping for the same please

 

My journey was from Doncaster to the Peak District. I purchased a ticket from Doncaster to Sheffield, with the intention of deciding my onward journey (train, bus or possible lift from friend) on arrival at Sheffield.

 

On arrival in Sheffield and checking departure boards, the best option was to Chesterfield, where I would get a lift from a friend. I therefore crossed from one side of the platform to the other, to board the train to Chesterfield, with the assumption that I could buy a ticket on the train. Once the train departed I was approached by an official and I asked to buy a ticket to Chesterfield. He issued a Penalty Fare of £20. At the time I felt that there should have been some sort of warning notice that this would happen, so did not pay at the time.

 

On further research, I found that SRA Penalty Fare Rules state that an authorised collector must not charge a penalty fare if warning notices are not displayed (Rule 7.3), and that these warning notices must be displayed so that they can be seen by passengers changing onto a penalty fares train from another train (Rule 4.1).

 

There were no warning notices on the platform at Sheffield (I have been back to double-check), so my understanding is that the Authorised Collector should not have charged the penalty fare, as they were not visible to a passenger (me) changing onto the penalty fares train.

 

I appealed to IRCAS on this basis, but received a rejection letter stating that the appeal was not upheld as purchase of a valid ticket had not been made before travelling. The letter appears to use standard paragraphs to state that ‘train companies operating a penalty fare scheme display statutory warning notices…’.

 

I still do not think that the train company has provided the statutory warning notices, so they should not have issued the Penalty Fare. I have written again to IRCAS with the facts above (with the addition of photographs to show that there are no notices on the station platform) asking them to reconsider the appeal and, in the event that they still feel that I should pay the Penalty Fare, provide a clear explanation as to why the Authorised Collector charged a penalty fare when it appears that he should not have done so. I am awaiting a response.

 

 

The purpose of this post is to get realistic feedback from those that have seen a lot of these on:

  • Whether I do actually have valid grounds for appeal, or whether I have misunderstood something
  • What’s likely to happen next if IRCAS still reject the appeal
  • If I don’t hear from them by the payment date, whether just to pay the £20, take the hit and move on, even if I am in the right

Your advice would be much appreciated – many thanks in advance. :-)

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Cross Country Doncaster to Sheffield, East Mids Trains Sheffield to Chesterfield.

 

Thanks for the link - I've already read the SRA Penalty Fare policy and rules documents. I really need to understand whether I've interpreted the rule correctly or missed something.

 

Many thanks

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I've quoted 4.1 of the SRA Penalty Fare Rules document, as opposed to the SRA Penalty Fares Policy document. My understanding is that the 2 work alongside each other and in fact refer to each other.

 

Hope I've got that right

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My understanding is that (paraphrasing):

 

6.1 says that I have to produce a ticket

6.2 says that, if I don't produce a ticket, I may get a penalty fare

 

but that this is over-ridden by:

 

7.3 which says that a penalty fare must not be charged under rule 6.2 if warning notices are not displayed in line with Rule 4.

 

That's the basis of my argument. Hope that makes sense.

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I'm a bit confused now - i suspect that my post and your edit crossed.

 

I think that Rule 7.3 is simply a plain english version of Appendix A, 6.2. In either case it's the 'B' para of this clause which says that a penalty fare must not be charged if warning notices are not displayed in line with Rule 4 - that's the basis of my argument and I'm trying to understand whether it's a valid argument.

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Theoretically I think yes; at least, it's available to use. I don't know the station so will (no offence!!!) have to take your word as to the layout of the PF signage. But I assume IRCAS stated that it's your responsibilty (almost everything on the railwai IS your responsibility I'm afraid) to purchase a ticket prior to boarding, or to attempt to do so? Likewise the responsibility is yours to ascertain the conditions of carriage and local ticket procedures etc. Which, IRCAS probably think you did not; they probably assume you went blithely from one platform to another with yer ear plugs in and sunglassese on :wink: which of course you might've...

 

They give you seven minutes to connect; you may wish to argue that that is not long enough in which to connect and seek out a member of staff for advice; or to find a PF sign. If all their PF signs are outside on the two entrances, you might be able to claim that. If however there are one or two inside the station, they will likely suggest you could've seen them, even if it meant going slightly out of your way.

 

At the end of the day, there's no harming in appealing on those grounds; it must ocassionally work otherwise the now-obsolete SRA would not have felt the need to regulate on the posibility. HOWEVER bearing in mind that EMT have had a PF sceme in place since (I think, not absolutely sure) Jan 2009, and being the only PF operator in a station of pay-train TOC's, this must've happened before and mmaybe they feel on solid ground.

 

As to what to do, that's up to you, but at the moment you owe 'em twenty sheets; that figure cannot go up until you have exhausted the appeals procedure (IPFAS), so if you feel so inclined, barrage them with photos, time and motion studies- it might work... if it don't though, pay the score, 'cos up to that point you still won't have paid the fare required for that journey, and they can forward it for non-payment prosecution.

 

Hope this helps. Sorry slightly wind-bag... :roll:

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I don't know the station so will (no offence!!!) have to take your word as to the layout of the PF signage.

 

None taken. Wasn't sure if I missed PF signs myself so went back to check. Would post image here but can't as I'm a newbie :)

 

But I assume IRCAS stated that it's your responsibilty (almost everything on the railwai IS your responsibility I'm afraid) to purchase a ticket prior to boarding, or to attempt to do so? Likewise the responsibility is yours to ascertain the conditions of carriage and local ticket procedures etc. Which, IRCAS probably think you did not; they probably assume you went blithely from one platform to another with yer ear plugs in and sunglassese on :wink: which of course you might've...

 

If I'm honest there was an element of that. I'm not a frequent train user so hadn't understood the implications of boarding without a ticket. But then I think that's what the PF signs are for - to remind people like me of those implications, and hence the reason that the need for signs is embedded in the rules.

 

At the end of the day, there's no harming in appealing on those grounds; it must ocassionally work otherwise the now-obsolete SRA would not have felt the need to regulate on the posibility. HOWEVER bearing in mind that EMT have had a PF sceme in place since (I think, not absolutely sure) Jan 2009, and being the only PF operator in a station of pay-train TOC's, this must've happened before and mmaybe they feel on solid ground.

 

Understood

 

As to what to do, that's up to you, but at the moment you owe 'em twenty sheets; that figure cannot go up until you have exhausted the appeals procedure (IPFAS).

 

Do I need to keep dealing with IRCAS, or is IFPAS a different procedure? I didn't think IFPAS dealt with East Mids Trains. Also, I'm assuming that I still only have 14 days from their original appeal rejection, and that my letter to them does not reset that clock.

 

Hope this helps. Sorry slightly wind-bag... :roll:

 

No probs - thanks for the input.

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Having been to Sheffield recently, I did notice quite a few PF posters all around the station.

Views expressed in this forum by me are my own personal opinion and you take it on face value! I make any comments to the best of my knowledge but you take my advice at your own risk.

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There is an ongoing argument regarding access at Sheffield Midland Station with EMT wanting to put in barriers because of the 'high fare evasion risk' posed by the current open access to platforms from the footbridge, which includes a public walkway to the tram stop and other parts of the city.

 

Putting barriers in would control the issue of free access, effectively creating a CTA in all but name and Sheffield Council and the Civic Trust amongst other bodies have successfully opposed this so far.

 

DfT have offered £3m toward construction of a new footbridge.

 

The result of the continuing dispute is that there has been a proliferation of signs and posters reminding travellers to purchase tickets and that Penalty Fares do apply on services from Sheffield

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Ah-ha! Well that sort of local knowlededge is what makes the difference, Mr. Sheffield-ite OC :p lol

 

Actually it does. This could be the sort of case where the court pile into taxis and actually go and see for themselves!

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Ah-ha! Well that sort of local knowlededge is what makes the difference, Mr. Sheffield-ite OC :p lol

 

Definitely not a Sheffield-ite, far from it, but I know what you mean. :wink:

 

Just keeping a weather eye on what's happening around the network helps a bit.

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Yes, that's the one. It's a big local news issue around there and has been for quite some time.

 

Tim Shoveller, the former MD of EMT was very much in favour and it appears his successor David Home is just as keen, but there are a great many difficulties to overcome on both sides

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Having been to Sheffield recently, I did notice quite a few PF posters all around the station.

 

The result of the continuing dispute is that there has been a proliferation of signs and posters reminding travellers to purchase tickets and that Penalty Fares do apply on services from Sheffield

 

I went back to Sheffield on Tues to check that I hadn't just walked around with my eyes shut.

 

There were no posters at all on Platform 6/7/8, which was where I transferred.

 

I saw 2 on the route from the entrance to the trains, where I was looking for them.

 

I didn't notice any anywhere else, although I was not actively looking for them then.

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A local need it seems,

but I think it is not one that would prevent EMT from saying that the requirement to display the signs has been complied with because they are also displayed on trains of course.

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None displayed on the train either unfortunately.

 

 

I double-checked that at the time.

 

 

My understanding is that TOCs don't often display PF notices on trains as the rolling stock may be used on non-PF routes.

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