Merry Hell Private Parking Ticket

[Benson_JV]

Salutations

I had the unfortune to visit Merry Hill last night and I recieved a lovely parking ticket from a company called UK Parking Control LTD.
The scene is I'm parked in a disabled bay as my fiancee is registered disabled and would not have been able to park elsewhere as the nearest other space was in some business estate over yonder (it was packed, day before X-mas eve, of course it was!)
But we had no disabled badge, her last one went out of date and we are yet to recieve the new one. Technically yes, I was wrong as I parked without showing I had proof that someone in the car was disabled.
My question is can this be safely ignored? I knew it could at some point but I believe something has changed recently?

Thank you
Benson
____________________
Willson - "If you go out on that CBR600 in the winter, you're going to do more miles on your side than on your wheels."
Riding: CBR600FW Driving: Audi A6
Previous Bikes: '96 Bandit 600, '96 GPz305

[Matt B]

'Parking Charge Notice' or 'Penalty Charge Notice'?

If it's Parking Charge then I think you can pretty much ignore it. Penalty Charge comes from the police or a government department and can't be ignored. Don't take that as gospel though, things may have changed recently so check some of the legal forums online.
____________________
stinkwheel: He had an animated .gif of a cat performing fellatio. It's not socially acceptable. It can have real life adverse effects on other people.

[Benson_JV]

It is a private company definitely, it is a parking charge and from UK Parking Control LTD.
____________________
Willson - "If you go out on that CBR600 in the winter, you're going to do more miles on your side than on your wheels."
Riding: CBR600FW Driving: Audi A6
Previous Bikes: '96 Bandit 600, '96 GPz305

[angryjonny]

I'm sure Rogerborg will be along shortly to repeat himself from previous threads but if memory serves correctly the old "ignore it and it'll just go away" advice isn't as valid as it once was. The flipside of the clamping ban (or rather the new regulations from which the clamping ban was supposed to distract us) is that private parking companies have been given more power to find out who you are and to chase you up.

What powers they have to drag you through the courts I am unsure about. But I think the answer is that they now have at least *some* powers so you probably want to give some thought to how likely you'd be to win a possible court case before filing the parking-charge-notice with the rest of your recycling.

[tbourner]

Have a look through here:
https://forums.pepipoo.com/index.php?showforum=60

And start a thread if you need to. Generally it depends on the firm who issued the ticket as to whether to appeal or not. Most advice points towards appealing to the company - the strength of your appeal letter will determine if they decide to push for court or not - in your case they almost certainly won't BUT the letter must be written up properly with the right kind of wording.

Pepipoo will help.
____________________
Trev, now a biker?
Looking for first big bike.

[mysterious_rider]

Pretty sure you can just ignore it chap. It's a private firm. It's like me just issuing you a ticket and making you pay it. It won't go to court.

I got one, and i ignored, never heard back from it.
____________________
KAWASAKIIIII

[Tungtvann]

Check the PPC, the one I got a ticket from was notorious for taking people to court and winning.

[benc]

If it does come to disputing it I would also check that it is correctly signed. Ie. does it say disabled only or blue badge holders only. That should give you some leverage I would of thought?
I quite often park in disabled spots (in private car parks) in my girlfriends car when I have forgot my badge, just because you haven't got the badge doesn't mean you are no longer disabled.
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zxr400 - zx7r

[tbourner]

As Ben said what does the "contract" say in the car park? the disabled markings are only a request (in private parking) they're not enforceable I don't think, so it's the same as any PPC notice on a post; that you've gone against the contract you agreed to when you parked there.
____________________
Trev, now a biker?
Looking for first big bike.

[P.addy]

What you mean is you displayed your disabled badge. Go out and place your old one (or wait till your new one arrives) on the front of your windscreen and bang a photo to them, state it was there, now GTFO.

Or keep quiet. Even if they dared to take you to court, the badge fell down when you closed the door, apologetic init.

[tbourner]

[Rogerborg]

[Tungtvann]

[Rogerborg]

I agree, forget mitigation, at least with the parking thugs or POPLA. Appeal on technical grounds. Signage, pre-estimate of loss, no contract. Ask the landowner to cancel the charge.

However...

[Tungtvann]

Yes, but I'd stand to lose a lot more money.

[P.addy]

[Tungtvann]

[Rogerborg]

[Benson_JV]

Thank you all for the information, I have chucked a thread up on peipoo.
____________________
Willson - "If you go out on that CBR600 in the winter, you're going to do more miles on your side than on your wheels."
Riding: CBR600FW Driving: Audi A6
Previous Bikes: '96 Bandit 600, '96 GPz305

[Tungtvann]

[iooi]

[Tungtvann]

[Rogerborg]

[Tungtvann]

The PPC are notorious cunts, pepipoo pretty much told me to bow down.

[Rogerborg]