Check the fine print

A parking fine story with a difference. I have just received a parking ticket from Premier Parking for leaving a car park on foot. I parked in a general car park and visited Staples, which was one of several fronting onto it. As Staples did not have what I wanted I crossed the road to PC World. On my return I found a parking ticket for contravening a clause on the notice, namely that the car park is for use only by customers of the adjacent stores. I was still well within the "free" time and was absent for about 10 minutes. The car park was less than half full so I was not depriving any store of customer parking space. Needless to say, I will not be using Staples again. Advice please. This is taking parking enforcement to a new low.

Asked on 9 October 2011 by ES, Brixham,

Answered by Honest John

Tell them to take you to court. The British Parking Association briefly ran a pilot appeals scheme, but this was abandoned immediately after it became apparent that the government did not requite the BPA to police its members and simply granted it a licence to pursue the registered keepers of vehicles for whatever penalties it saw fit. See: www.parkingforum.co.uk/adjudication_pilot / It states, “This pilot is designed to test the principles behind formalising such a service and may form the basis of a statutory appeals service when the Government legislates to introduce one.”

Tags: parking fines penalty charge notices

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