Civil Enforcement Notice issued at McDonalds/BP Garage - Gatwick South

[Grandpapasmurf]

I have received a Civil Enforcement Notice in the post for £75.00 rising to £125.00 for stopping to have a McDonalds Breakfast at their restaurant just outside Gatwick South (adjacent to BP Garage)

 

I find this totally outrageous, shouldn't parking fines be physically issued at the time of the supposed offence?

 

Shouldn't the restaurant be made to make you aware of the parking situation at this site at the time of purchase?

 

I have never felt the need to check to see if there are parking restrictions at other sites of theirs I visit as you are under the impression they are there for the benefit of their patrons not to the detriment!!

 

I was only there whilst waiting to pick up my son and his partner, but they were delayed in baggage handling hence my time in the restaurant and the car amounting to an hour and 20 minutes.

 

Interested in the current legal position on the legalities of the issue of "Parking Charges" by way of fines.

[Zamzara]

You're certainly not the first. Here's a little 844-post light reading if you want the full story, but the bottom line is don't pay, it's just a [problem].

[Grandpapasmurf]

Top reply!! My first reaction was anger, but then you start to doubt yourself as to whether they may cost you a lorra dough later, not that 75 quid aint!!

[Lilo72]

*REMOVED*

[Zamzara]

.....Any thoughts on whether to bother sending the second letter, or to just leave it and wait?

Many thanks.

 

I would just leave it. Your first letter probably wasn't the best thing to write, but you denied owing the money which is the main thing, so there's nothing much to say. If they pass it to a debt collector write again stating clearly that no debt or or contract exists. I'm not aware of anyone being taken to court by this company; eventually they go away.

[green_and_mean]

.....Any thoughts on whether to bother sending the second letter, or to just leave it and wait?

Many thanks.

 

Tell them to burger off!

[Lilo72]

*removed*

[BigSmudger]

I received a "PCN" for parking in the car park of McDonalds / Gatwick South back in June 07.

 

I regret to say that I paid the "parking charge" of £75 within the 14 days, as required. Initially I was angered at receiving such a charge but knew that I had over stayed my time in the car park - taking a nap after a burger and a coffee and before starting a very long motorway drive back home after a day long business meeting in nearby Horley.

 

Today I received another letter from Civil Enforcement Ltd stating the Parking Charge had not been paid and that £125 was now due within 7 days.

 

Thankfully, I have got Bank statement evidence that the Debit card payment over the phone was made and funds left my bank account to pay those FILTH at Civil Enforcement Ltd.

 

Keep fighting the fight against these jerks. Good luck.

[electron99]

I received a "PCN" for parking in the car park of McDonalds / Gatwick South back in June 07.

 

I regret to say that I paid the "parking charge" of £75 within the 14 days, as required. Initially I was angered at receiving such a charge but knew that I had over stayed my time in the car park - taking a nap after a burger and a coffee and before starting a very long motorway drive back home after a day long business meeting in nearby Horley.

 

Today I received another letter from Civil Enforcement Ltd stating the Parking Charge had not been paid and that £125 was now due within 7 days.

 

Thankfully, I have got Bank statement evidence that the Debit card payment over the phone was made and funds left my bank account to pay those FILTH at Civil Enforcement Ltd.

 

Keep fighting the fight against these jerks. Good luck.

 

Why not issue them with an invoice for you having to sort out their mistake.A sum of around £75 seems fair.

[Lilo72]

*REMOVED*

[RobBarfoot]

I work at this Mcdonalds restaurant and i would like to make it aware that we have many signs informing customers that there is a 75 minute limit in our car park. There is a very large sign right outside the enterance to our store and cannot be missed. If you are waiting to pick people up from Gatwick Airport, there is a pick up point situated outside the terminal building. (1 minute drive from the Mcdonalds drive-through). Our reason for the limit in our car park is placed due to the fact that our store can be extremely busy at some points and we do not want people wasting our spaces waiting for friends and relatives when there are customers wanting to visit the restaurant. If you were to look around you it would have become very clear that there IS a limit, and there is also a pick up point close by. Furthermore may i add that if you have a genuine complaint (e.g. have recieved a fine, although believe you stayed for less than 75 minutes) then please be advised that the car park is not run by Mcdonald's and therefore beyond our control. 75 MINUTES IS MORE THAN ENOUGH TIME TO EAT A BIG MAC.

[Shovel]

Rob - we are not questioning the time limit in the car park, rather the fact that a Private company is in no way entitled to issue fines.

[Al27]

Thanks for the heads up Rob.

 

Surely it would be ok to make it £10,000 then? There are signs after all!

 

You must realise that there are better options for car park management apart from deceiving and threatening customers into paying unenforceable invoices? Should someone actually spend more than 75 mins in there (I understand McDonalds do host children's parties) do you think the car park company would graciously waive their 'fine' and cease their threats?

[crem]

Furthermore may i add that if you have a genuine complaint (e.g. have recieved a fine, although believe you stayed for less than 75 minutes) then please be advised that the car park is not run by Mcdonald's and therefore beyond our control. 75 MINUTES IS MORE THAN ENOUGH TIME TO EAT A BIG MAC.

 

Oh the good old, it's not our car park guv, it's them buggers with the sticky yellow envelopes!

 

Rob, are you claiming MaccyDs no longer own that bit of land, if so how are your customers allowed to tresspass on someone elses land, if MaccyDs do still own it, then any actions taken by the PPC are on behalf of McDs and FULLY WITHIN YOUR CONTROL

[Horsham_Dingle]

Rob - try getting all the taxi drivers parked at your store to use it - it's amazing how many times a full car park means an empty shop!!!!!

[ceebee]

Robb- can you explain you refer to ''your car park'' and then state it is not run by Mcdonalds. Which is it are you saying that its your car park but managed(run) by CE. If it is your car park then you are ultimately responsible and CE are purely your agents.

[Steve__M]

If it's your carpark, put barriers up which charge a quid or two refundable on a purchase.

 

If it's not your carpark then stop complaining - but it sounds like a bit of buck-passing to me. Would McDonalds pass the blame onto your franchise holder if someone was poisoned by one of your horrible burgers in your shop?

[flyingdoc]

The other issue ROB is what about guy who went through the drive through and then - came back for another burger (dumb in itself I know but hey theres no accounting for taste) and got billed £75 for returning to the carpark within the 90 minute no return limit.

 

HOW DUMB IS THAT?? - macdonalds forbidding customers to come back within 90 minutes of last visit

 

Nor is the "the car park is not run by macdonalds!!!" argument valid - if its your carpark you employ the car parking company so they are your agents - your responsiblity.

[sameagle]

Rob, if somebody slipped on a piece of burger left on the car park, and injured themselves, would you recommend them to sue the parking company, or McDonalds?

 

Sam the Eagle

[RobBarfoot]

Mcdonalds is not responsable for the issuing of fines.

 

The car park is owned by Mcdonalds. And YES we have employed another company to issue fines to people abusing the limit. Although we have no control over who recieves a fine and who's fines are cancelled.

 

May i also add that this store does not host childrens parties.

 

The time limit is required because Gatwick can be very busy at times and we want to allow each and every customer to use the car park.

 

 

"Sam the eagle" in response to your question, if somebody was to slip on a burger in the car park, then i do believe Mcdonalds would be responsable. We have staff allocated to different work stations, one of which is the car park. Therefore it is Mcdonalds responsability.

[Shovel]

And YES we have employed another company to issue fines to people abusing the limit.

 

 

You are missing my point. The fact is that NO PRIVATE COMPANY whether McDonalds or anyone else has the right to "fine" anybody.

 

The whole private ticketing scheme was simply designed as a money-making [problem] which relies on people believing that tickets issued are official.

 

As soon as the parking company know that their fake tickets have been rumbled, they will back down.

[lamma]

have you given the PPC landowner rights ?

[RobBarfoot]

You are missing my point. The fact is that NO PRIVATE COMPANY whether McDonalds or anyone else has the right to "fine" anybody.

 

The whole private ticketing scheme was simply designed as a money-making [problem] which relies on people believing that tickets issued are official.

 

As soon as the parking company know that their fake tickets have been rumbled, they will back down.

 

 

And why do you think these are fake tickets? Have you ever worked for this company?

[crem]

Mcdonalds is not responsable for the issuing of fines.

 

The car park is owned by Mcdonalds. And YES we have employed another company to issue fines to people abusing the limit. Although we have no control over who recieves a fine and who's fines are cancelled.

 

May i also add that this store does not host childrens parties.

 

The time limit is required because Gatwick can be very busy at times and we want to allow each and every customer to use the car park.

 

 

"Sam the eagle" in response to your question, if somebody was to slip on a burger in the car park, then i do believe Mcdonalds would be responsable. We have staff allocated to different work stations, one of which is the car park. Therefore it is Mcdonalds responsability.

 

How many times do you want to use the word FINE for these scamvoices when you have been told no private company can FINE an individual!!

 

As you say, McDs are responsible for the car park which is why they allocate staff to it. Just because McDs have chosen to use someone with a different company logo on to issue scamvoices to cars does not remove their responsiblity for this action. ego; anything the PPC do in the car park is done in the name of and on behalf of McDonalds.

[flyingdoc]

Rob you are totally missing the point completely and possibly deliberately.

 

Private parking companies, do not have the legal power to impose a fine on anyone.

 

What they do is place invoices on cars, dressed up to look like official parking tickets (which in itself may be an offence) and try to bully people into paying.

 

Anyone with any legal knowledge at all knows that.

1 These are not fines.

2 The contracts are certainly dubious at best

3 The contracts are almost certainly in breach of UTCCR1999 regs.

4 They are not legally enforceable.

 

also as crem says MET, being employed by McDonalds are acting on their behalf and therefore as an extension of McDonalds.