Chris x
Member
Registered: 11th Sep 08
Location: Bexhill
User status: Offline
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HELP 
I started my final year at Uni full time in September this year. I previously did my last 2 years part time, whilst my company payed for it and I worked full time. So I have given up my job and decided to complete the course full time.
In the summer we would go for a intense week as there wasnt enough time to teach the entire course day release so the Uni wasnt officially open to students.
We would park in the car park all week and have no problems as I believe it was an ordinary car park back then.
When I started in Sepetember full time I parked in this car park and came back to find a ticket in my window with a fine for £60. They had turned the cark park into a park and ride car park so you needed a permit to park there and had moved the official Uni car park to another place (so I understand). Most people that day got tickets as the sign posts were small and I went in happily thinking I could park there so I wasnt looking out for sign posts, or reasons why I may not be able to park there.
Anyway, I ignored it and thought I had got away with it, or assumed they may have dropped it being a new term and people not realising things had changed, until a weeks ago I recieved a letter from 'ETHICAL PARKING MANAGEMENT' saying that the price had been increased to £80. (cant find this letter now  ). With it being xmas, I left it and thought I would write them a letter in the new year and try and explain my situation and how I didnt think it was fair e.t.c., or to say I hadnt even seen the initial ticket on my screen and ask for proof e.t.c or along those lines.
Last week I recieved another lettter (below: ) from a Debt recovery company, and the price is now £140.
Where do I stand? I thought they cant inforce it as its private land and isnt a council car park or something like that?
Im not sure wether to keep ignoreing them, or write a letter asking for proof, or even saying that I had written them a letter in October and appealing and saying that it must have got lost in the post?
Starting to wish I had just paid the orginial £60 and left it. I REALLY dont want any bailffs going round my parents house.
Could do with some advice and what to do next  . Well pissed off that they have sent me two letters within a week when not hearing anything apart from the original ticket back in September (which I cant find either).
Advice on previous experince or any info/laws e.t.c. with me much appreciated! Hope it all makes sense and the letter is clear.
 
Letter:
[Edited on 03-01-2012 by Chris x]
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7unner172
Member
Registered: 12th Aug 09
Location: newcastle
User status: Offline
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i had one off a private company like this dude
i got letters all the time
4years later i still havnt paid lol 
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nick_sri
Member
Registered: 5th May 09
Location: Crewe , Cheshire
User status: Offline
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id just ignore it
dont think ballifs would be knocking for £140
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shaunmods
Premium Member
Registered: 12th Mar 07
Location: Glascote, Staffordshire
User status: Offline
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Ignore it chris. Have a read of this -
http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/reclaim/private-parking-tickets
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Phil W
Member
Registered: 1st Jul 05
Location: Shropshire Drives : Focus ST
User status: Offline
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Bin it.
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K2 GTi
Member
Registered: 21st Oct 04
User status: Offline
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Use it to wipe your arse
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johnhara1
Member
Registered: 19th Oct 06
Location: Newcastle upon Tyne
User status: Offline
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All they have is scare tactics mate, just ignore it.
Only council parking tickets are enforceable.
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Dave
Member
Registered: 26th Feb 01
Location: Lancs
User status: Offline
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Garbage, bin it and anymore that turn up. It costs next to nothing to send the latter but I bet 1 in 4 get scared and pay up.
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chris_uk
Premium Member
Registered: 8th Jul 03
User status: Offline
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quote:
Originally posted by johnhara1
All they have is scare tactics mate, just ignore it.
Only council parking tickets are enforceable.
along with police and hospital ones.
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GteRedtop
Member
Registered: 13th Jun 07
Location: Your mother's Otter's pocket
User status: Offline
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They will come knocking when they decide to double it, and then triple it if they wanted because you decided to ignore it. I ignored a letter 2 years ago for around the £300 margin and ended up in court 6 weeks ago having to hand over £1150. as yours is only a parking ticket its quite minor compared to what i goit myself into so its in your hands.
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M2RTY
Member
Registered: 25th May 01
User status: Offline
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quote:
Originally posted by GteRedtop
They will come knocking when they decide to double it, and then triple it if they wanted because you decided to ignore it. I ignored a letter 2 years ago for around the £300 margin and ended up in court 6 weeks ago having to hand over £1150. as yours is only a parking ticket its quite minor compared to what i goit myself into so its in your hands.
what rights do they have to "fine" him?
none
keep ahold of it and ignore them all
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M2RTY
Member
Registered: 25th May 01
User status: Offline
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And don't ever think of private parking tickets as "fines". They're not. These companies have no official right to fine you, though they may try and make you think it. All they're doing is sending you a notice for what they deem as a breach of contract.
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nick_sri
Member
Registered: 5th May 09
Location: Crewe , Cheshire
User status: Offline
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quote:
Originally posted by GteRedtop
They will come knocking when they decide to double it, and then triple it if they wanted because you decided to ignore it. I ignored a letter 2 years ago for around the £300 margin and ended up in court 6 weeks ago having to hand over £1150. as yours is only a parking ticket its quite minor compared to what i goit myself into so its in your hands.
fucking hell thats pretty bad
had an insurance company chasing me for £800 a while back, not my fault but wouldnt listen and kept sending me letters , ignored them for a few months and just stopped  robbing cunts
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Mike
Organiser: North West and North Wales
Premium Member
Registered: 20th May 06
Location: nr. Skipton, North Yorkshire
User status: Offline
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 @ 'Ethical' Parking Management.
As has been said, the 'fine' is unenforceable, it's an invoice that they'd like you to pay. They could take you to court but only for the amount that they lost by you parking without paying, so that's whatever fee you should've paid for the length of time you were parked there, which I would guess is under £10 and therefore not worth the effort. Instead they go down the unethical (despite the name) route of trying to scare people into paying 'fines' with talk of bailiffs, court, ccjs etc.
Unless a ticket is on behalf of a council then that's the way it works. My brother had one a while back after we didn't realise he was supposed to give his registration at a Travelodge at motorway services. Four threatening letters and over a year on, everything's dandy.
If you're ever unsure about a parking ticket, put the company name into Google. If it's not on behalf of a council there'll usually be various links to forums giving the above advise.
These obviously aren't working for any council http://www.ethicsgroup.co.uk/index.html
[Edited on 03-01-2012 by Mike]
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John
Member
Registered: 30th Jun 03
User status: Offline
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quote:
Originally posted by nick_sri
id just ignore it
dont think ballifs would be knocking for £140
For a proper debt, yes they would, they would for much less.
quote:
Originally posted by GteRedtop
They will come knocking when they decide to double it, and then triple it if they wanted because you decided to ignore it. I ignored a letter 2 years ago for around the £300 margin and ended up in court 6 weeks ago having to hand over £1150. as yours is only a parking ticket its quite minor compared to what i goit myself into so its in your hands.
Bet that wasn't one of these.
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nick_sri
Member
Registered: 5th May 09
Location: Crewe , Cheshire
User status: Offline
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quote:
Originally posted by John
quote:
Originally posted by nick_sri
id just ignore it
dont think ballifs would be knocking for £140
For a proper debt, yes they would, they would for much less.
Bet that wasn't one of these.
a proper debt?
this obviosuly isnt one
[Edited on 03-01-2012 by nick_sri]
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VegasPhil
Premium Member
Registered: 16th Jan 05
Location: Fareham, Hants Drives: Octavia VRS
User status: Offline
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Write back advising them to suck your banger.
Corsa 2.0 16v Vegas - Sold
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M2RTY
Member
Registered: 25th May 01
User status: Offline
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dont write back as it opens up legal complications
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John
Member
Registered: 30th Jun 03
User status: Offline
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quote:
Originally posted by nick_sri
a proper debt?
this obviosuly isnt one
[Edited on 03-01-2012 by nick_sri]
If he actually owed someone £140 they would come for it.
These parking tickets are an exception.
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Geddes6866
Member
Registered: 27th Sep 10
Location: Errol, Perth and Kinross
User status: Offline
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ive had one from the same people mate .. i got it at 3am when i only turned in the car park ... its a fake company mate just ignore them
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Chris x
Member
Registered: 11th Sep 08
Location: Bexhill
User status: Offline
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Cheers for the help guys, backs up what I thought.
Thanks for the link Shaun, its a good read, although it suggests about replying and saying you dont know who the driver was. Might be worth a shot if they keep sending shit.
Good find there Mike, cant believe some of the shit on there website:
STOP! Unwanted parking immediately
Ethical provides a further unique service which costs you nothing and can actually recompense you for your trouble.
Erect our warning signs around your car park and then should anyone unauthorised park there, simply take a photo of the car near a sign, email to our control room and we'll do the rest. Ethical will find the owners address from the DVLA and send them a parking charge notice.
When they pay, we send you £10 for your trouble.
Cunts!
Will post up any other shit I recieve from them...
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Welsh Dan
Member
Registered: 23rd Mar 00
User status: Offline
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Just to clarify, have you sent them a letter, or not?
Don't waste your time replying.
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Graham88
Member
Registered: 16th Apr 07
Location: South East Kent Drives: E46 M3
User status: Offline
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quote:
Originally posted by Chris x
Erect our warning signs around your car park and then should anyone unauthorised park there, simply take a photo of the car near a sign, email to our control room and we'll do the rest. Ethical will find the owners address from the DVLA and send them a parking charge notice.
When they pay, we send you £10 for your trouble.
WTF
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shaned12345
Member
Registered: 28th Sep 10
Location: Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire
User status: Offline
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Ignore, i got one from aldi 2 years ago and it just went away.
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Ian
Site Administrator
Registered: 28th Aug 99
Location: Liverpool
User status: Offline
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Its not a fine, its an invoice for your parking there.
They can only invoice you if they had a contract with you - which they only had if you entered one.
You only entered one if you saw and accepted the signs.
Even if you did see the signs, they can't identify you from DVLA records as these only show keeper of the car. They've no legal power to have you disclose the driver on the day and this could be anyone driving third party on their own policy so they've not even got a short list of people.
Writing back just confirms you know things and will give them a lead. They are better ignored.
Root of the matter is that the fine was never a fine at all, hence why you don't owe it, hence why the nasty letters are largely pointless. If anyone got nasty letters for different reasons and ended up in court, I would suspect they are for different reasons and not parking fines. If they are then you've been unlucky in having identified yourself as being in a contract, they're normally not that clear.
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