Parking on land I pay to park on... and got a ticket they won't back down on.

[spj]

I work in a place with very restrictive car parking,

my boss refuses to pay for the car park so staff have to instead.

 

 

I pay a monthly fee through my manager to the owner of the property for the last two years to park there.

 

 

Originally I would get a receipt, but these phased out.

Our verbally agreed parking spaces moved between two car parks (owned by the same company) and we were told if our own space was taken to just park somewhere else..

 

 

. Parking became a pain in the backside because it was unenforced and we bagged the landlord to enforce it as part of our fee, else it made no sense and wasn't fair on legitimate parkers who paid and couldn't park.

 

He did... Millennium parking services.

 

And now I've got a parking charge notice which I don't seem to be able to contest.

Knowing one of the two car parks is locked overnight,

I parked in the other one as I was staying late, and came back to a ticket.

 

 

Following advice on various forums I ignored the ticket but waited for the notice to keeper.

This arrived in 5ish weeks,

 

 

on the same day I went straight to their website and launched an appeal.

 

 

Another month later, I get a Notice of Liability from PCS for £150,

I launched an appeal on the day of arrival through PCS a

nd every time I email them (they are good responders)

I get the repeated reply that I'm out of the 21 days to appeal

and have to face up or go to court.

 

 

The last message back read:

 

 

"The time to challenge the charge has now expired and therefore access to the Independent Appeals Service (if applicable) is no longer available.

 

I have made notes on your file, but it does not alter our position and this parking charge will stand."

 

Now the easy solution is go to the property owner for some kind of evidence,

but in the past he has flat out refused receipts

(with a short 6 month stint of receiving them in the middle) which we only assume is some sort of tax thing.

 

 

He's also generally useless taking over a year to give us CCTV footage when someone drove into the car park and scratched a member of staff's car before leaving, so I don't hold much hope there.

 

So where do I stand?

The signs in both car parks explain that we need to display permits which we have never been issued.

 

 

We do know the owner and people we pay are all legit,

we know the parking company are legit.

I'd welcome a court appearance, but with no evidence my side,

and I assume a photograph theirs, I'm stuck between a rock and a hard place.

 

The auto high lighting on this site has recommended writing to the property owner copying the parking co in.

 

 

That's probably my next course of action so if all else fails,

I have evidence that I'm doing everything to resolve it.

.. that wouldn't stand up in court though surely..?

[silverfox1961]

Hi

As Millenium are part of the IPC, I wouldn't even worry about appealing further. The IPC are on the side of the parking companies, not what is right or fair.

 

I would contact Millenium once more and tell them that you have supremacy of contract and if they want to try their luck, see you in court.

 

You pay for a space therefore this tops any pretend power they have.

 

Also, complain to your boss about their activities.

[armadillo71]

Post up a picture of the signage please.

From what you have said, it probably states permit holders only or words to that effect.

 

This would mean that you would be trespassing, and only the landowner can sue for that.

[spj]

The sign does specify "Permit holders only" - but the landlord is taking my money with a verbal contract and no permits... so the parking co might have a complaint, but the landowner shouldn't.

 

Where do I go then if it is legally decided that I'm tresspassing, but the landlord is taking my money with the promise that I'm not? Is that not an offence in itself?

 

Thanks silverfox, I'll have to attack it that way, I'll build up every bit of evidence I can, even if just a letter from my boss, it's something. At the end of the day, surely the landowner is the one I should be in a contract with by parking there, not PCS just because they're the hired doormen. On that premise, the fact a verbal and financial contract is in place with 18 witnesses is surely something of a defence. Or is my contract really with MPS by parking without the permit the landowner doesn't issue, in which case I shouldn't pay because I'd been conned.

[armadillo71]

How can it be legally decided you are trespassing?

 

The landowner allows you to park on their land for a fee that you pay them...

[ericsbrother]

Your contract trumps Millenium's claim so as long as you can show that you pay somehow they are stuffed.

You can either ignore their begging letters or respond by saying you have a contract that is superior to theirs and any continuation of their claim will be treated as harassment.

As for notice of liability- utter cobblers, just another attempt to mug you for a few more quid.