[AlfaM]

All,

Just received a £50 parking fine from Euro Car Parks - for exceeding 90 minute parking limit by 23 minutes in an Aldi store. Has anyone *recently* ignored one of these without consequence?

Cheers,

[lobeydosser]

It's maybe 5 years since I ignored one in a Morrison's car park and it eventually went away after a small flurry of threatening letters.

I'm not sure about south of the border, but I think I'm right in saying that there was a court ruling that, in Scots Law, the car park operator had no power to fine you, and was therefore only entitled to reasonable compensation for the time that your car was occupying the space.
For the 23 minutes the cost should be 50p, not £50.

[Chrismac13]

Have a look on http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/rec...arking-tickets
Plenty of info on there

[robbiep]

The courts ruled a couple of years ago that the fines are legal, as long as it is properly signed.

[Slipperyshoe]

Hi. I've ignored probably 15 of these type on various ones, Aldi being one of them. My wife got one recently and wrote to Aldi who removed it (just showed them a receipt).

Had 10's of letters over some of them, threatening to threaten court action (basically if they are actually going to take you to court it will be a formal letter). Hilariously the lawyers was called Wright Hassle Solicitors! There was some sort of ruling last year that upheld private parking fines and many of their letters referred to this. From memory there is a list somewhere (ether mse or pepipoo) that tells you which of the companies will actually take you to court (there is only one that does it every time). If I were you I would check the list and then decide whether to ignore from there. Or, if you actually spent money in Aldi then just ring them and get them to remove.

Or just throw it in the bin and be prepared to perhaps pay £200-300 down the line as settlement!

[bobo13]

Ignore it.

[isleaiw1]

Here's a rash one - how about you pay it? admitting you broke the rule so just take the punishment.

Old fashioned I know...

PS I am presuming that if you were actually shopping in Aldi you would have gone back in at the time to get whatever you needed to get it scrapped?

[Sasquartch]

Aldi are notorious for this
The parking company is fully entitled to enforce the fine and it will be upheld by a court, however many companies don't bother as they just rely on the majority paying without question
First step is definitely complain to the store, make sure this is in writing by recorded delivery.
Next step is Twitter and Facebook, big corporates hate negative publicity on social media. You may well get a result if you post a calmly written observation about how you're a regular customer, blah blah blah
You could ignore it but it might come back to haunt you
Or you could, as controversially suggested, just pay it.

It really annoys me though these sort of parking fine companies - the recent high court ruling means various defences that you used to have no longer apply.

[AlfaM]

Cheers Gents,

Had a look at the various sources suggested above, and for the sake of £50 I'm just going to pay it. I'm moving house next week, so the hassle with letters going to old address etc, and it's the first one I've ever had so I'm probably £1000s in the black when it comes to dodging parking fees.

[creepy coupe]

Does it say fine or penalty?

[AlfaM]

Originally Posted by creepy coupe

Does it say fine or penalty?

They've used the same term as is used on police and council tickets - 'Penalty Charge Notice' (PCN), but in reality it's just an invoice.

[creepy coupe]

Originally Posted by Random75

They've used the same term as is used on police and council tickets - 'Penalty Charge Notice' (PCN), but in reality it's just an invoice.

I think you will find "Penatly charge" is binding and "Parking fine" is only an invoice. The later and you're only liable for the outstanding time spent parked. The forma is official.

[AndyEssex330d]

It's an invoice and not a fine

Two options

1. Ignore it
2.appeal, then go through POPLA or similar when they reject your appeal (which they always do, just shove a picture of the sign and tell you you're blind or retarded via letter)

I have got out of about 5/6 in the last few years by doing both.

[Kal101]

Spunk on it and send it back.

That's what I do

No one ever replies back

[Twenty2Three]

Originally Posted by Kal027

Spunk on it and send it back.

That's what I do

No one ever replies back

Come again?

[Herr Dreier]

Originally Posted by Kal027

Spunk on it and send it back.

That's what I do

No one ever replies back

You sick bastard.

(but quite funny)

[Kal101]

Originally Posted by Herr Dreier

You sick bastard.

(but quite funny)

Also works on cold callers double glazing sales people and Jehovah's witnesses

[GMT234]

I ignored a Morrisons one, I was 12 minutes over 3 hours. Never heard a thing from them. Lucky I guess.

[Blacktemplar]

Depends on where you are - Scotland, ignore it as PoFA only applies to the driver at the time of the alleged offence, and the keeper of the vehicle is not obliged to disclose who that was. Its different in England and Wales, where the keeper of the vehicle is responsible. I would suggest you go back to the store with your shopping receipt and the PCN and get them to cancel it.

http://notomob.co.uk/discussions/index.php?topic=5152.0

[AndyEssex330d]

Originally Posted by Blacktemplar

Depends on where you are - Scotland, ignore it as PoFA only applies to the driver at the time of the alleged offence, and the keeper of the vehicle is not obliged to disclose who that was. Its different in England and Wales, where the keeper of the vehicle is responsible. I would suggest you go back to the store with your shopping receipt and the PCN and get them to cancel it.

http://notomob.co.uk/discussions/index.php?topic=5152.0

Literally that would be he biggest waste of time known to man.

The invoice is from a company contracted by the store. So they will not have a clue.

The company contracted isn't the owner, therefore you have no legal contract with them when parking on the land in question, only with the owner of the private land itself.

So refuse to acknowledge their authority, and simply ignore it.

There is a page on money expert if you wish to look into it further, explains it well.

[AndyEssex330d]

Originally Posted by Kal027

Also works on cold callers double glazing sales people and Jehovah's witnesses

I'm a gay JW who's a double glazing salesman...try it

[Sasquartch]

Originally Posted by AndyEssex330d

Literally that would be he biggest waste of time known to man.

The invoice is from a company contracted by the store. So they will not have a clue.

The company contracted isn't the owner, therefore you have no legal contract with them when parking on the land in question, only with the owner of the private land itself.

So refuse to acknowledge their authority, and simply ignore it.

There is a page on money expert if you wish to look into it further, explains it well.

Pretty sure this is no longer the case since a big court ruling recently