Another fine mess – parking tickets on private land

Updated – February 21, 2015

Most of us have at some time or an additional returned to our car to find a parking ticket slapped on the windscreen. It’s annoying and it’s pricey, although if we have broken the rules we normally spend up. But what if the ticket is unjustified? What if you are the victim of an more than-enthusiastic attendant, a straightforward mistake or a technical error?

You very first require to discover out no matter whether the parking ticket was issued by the council, the police or a private company such as a supermarket, railway station or retail park. If the name of the police force or council is not on the ticket, then you are most likely on private land.

The distinction is important because police and councils have diverse powers to private automobile park operators. When you park on private land you enter into a sort of contract with the landowner. If you breach the contract, maybe by staying longer than your allocated time, you ought to anticipate a ticket.

Fine detail

Private vehicle park operators can’;t situation a fine or a penalty charge notice. It is also against the law for a private firm to clamp or tow away your car unless they have the legal authority, which ought to be clearly displayed. You have to watch out, even though, as numerous private firms do their best to make their tickets appear far more official, partly in an try to intimidate drivers.

Ok, so you are confident you are parked on private land. Are you also certain that the parking ticket is unfair? It’s no good huffing and puffing with indignation when you have in truth parked in a bay reserved for disabled badge holders. The car park’s terms and circumstances should be visible and if you did not break any of the rules you have each and every appropriate to make a stand.

Sign of the occasions

Initial, gather any evidence that the ticket is unjustified: perhaps a photo of an unclear sign, or proof that you have paid the correct quantity, as you will have a a lot stronger case if you can rely on much more than your word. You then want to contact the firm that issued the ticket. If you are fortunate, the operator will be one of the 150 or so firms that are members of the Approved Operator Scheme run by the British Parking Association (BPA).

The company need to then abide by the BPA’s code of practice, which signifies it need to have its personal appeals method. You will also have access to the independent Parking on Private Land Appeals (Popla). You can uncover out if your firm is an approved operator by seeking on the BPA’s website at www.britishparking.co.uk.

It is also worth getting in touch with the relevant retailer, train firm or hospital. If, for example, your automobile was parked outside Marks & Spencer, the retailer may take a dim view of any sharp practice by its contractor and could intervene to safeguard its own reputation.

Well-known appeal

You should hear from the auto park operator within 28 days. If your appeal is unsuccessful, the firm will send out a verification code and a type to start off the Popla process. You need to make your case inside 28 days and there are 4 grounds for a Popla appeal:

• The vehicle was not improperly parked


• The charge exceeds the relevant amount


• The vehicle was stolen


• You are not liable for the charge since you sold the automobile prior to, or bought it after, the alleged improper parking.

It is essential to don’;t forget that Popla does not think about mitigating circumstances. So, if you have been late back to your car simply because you fell down a ditch, Popla will throw out your appeal. Nonetheless, it is worth pointing out that drivers have won roughly half of the Popla appeals given that the organisation was set up in 2012.

If you park on private land and the operator is not approved by BPA, you alternatives may be a lot more limited and you will almost definitely not be in a position to appeal to Popla. Nonetheless, you can nonetheless set out your case in writing, like any evidence.

Court in the act

Some drivers pick basically to ignore any unfair parking tickets in the hope that the operator will simply go away. But it can be a risky approach as the parking firm could pursue the vehicle owner to court, generally the modest claims court, to recover any money.

The driver will not end up with a criminal conviction, but it could nevertheless be a time consuming and distressing expertise. Is it actually worth it?

Private parking, public concern

Motoring charity, the RAC Foundation, has recommended that millions of pounds worth of fines issued by private parking firms may possibly have been unlawfully charged.

In the legal opinion of land and house barrister John de Wall QC, working on behalf of the RAC Foundation, fines issued for overstaying in private carparks – which are often £100 or far more – were, at greatest, disproportionate and, at worse, ‘extravagant’ and ‘unconscionable.’

Mr de Wall stated: “Payments at the level that operators presently demand as sanctions are unlikely to count as genuine pre-estimate of loss they must be noticed by the courts as penalties – and this means they are unenforceable.”

The study also highlighted that some parking operators employ a company model which indicates they can only make a profit if members of the public overstay and can be charged an excessive penalty.

Private parking companies produced 2.2 million requests to the DVLA in 2013 for registered car owner details and – in the same year private parking penalties revenues might have reached £100m.

Director of the RAC Foundation, professor Stephen Glaister, referred to as upon the legal argument outlined in the paper to be tested in court so a binding precedent could be set. If the courts agree with the findings, thousands of motorists who have been issued with tickets could be in line for a refund.

The Court of Appeal will hear a test case subsequent week exactly where 2 drivers will claim that they have been unfairly treated by parking organizations and that they need to be reimbursed for the penalties they have paid.

We’ll let you know what happens…

Have you ever had problems from a private parking firm? Unfair ticket? Bully-boy tactics? We’d love to know, so leave a message in the box under

Another fine mess – parking tickets on private land