Car Parking - Parking Charge Notices (PCN) - merged topic / ongoing discussion

[whole diary]

[Chris from Nailsea]

An update, from the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page):

Private parking tickets woman declared bankrupt

A Dundee woman ordered to pay a private parking company £24,500 in unpaid charges has been declared bankrupt.

Carly Mackie had ignored hundreds of parking tickets for leaving her car at Dundee's Waterfront without a permit.

Ms Mackie, 29, who now lives in Paisley, has debts of £37,546 according to Scotland's insolvency service Accountant in Bankruptcy.

Vehicle Control Services (VCS) took her to court last year after she failed to pay £18,500 in private parking notices.

Ms Mackie said that she had a right to park in the area as she was living there at the time and that the charges were unenforceable.

Sheriff George Way said the charges were from a "valid contract" and she was liable for them.

In a written judgement, the sheriff said Ms Mackie had "entirely misdirected herself" on both the law and "the contractual chain" in the case.

He said: "The parking charges flow from a valid contract between the pursuers and the defender and she is liable for them."

[Chris from Nailsea]

An update, from the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page):

'Rogue' parking companies face government crackdown

"Rogue" parking companies will be banned from accessing driver data and issuing charges as part of plans to stop "unscrupulous operators".

The government has confirmed it will support new legislation aimed at raising standards among parking firms.

Sajid Javid, the communities secretary, said the legislation will provide "fair, clear and consistent" regulation of the parking industry.  It comes as firms issue almost 13 times more tickets than a decade ago.

Drivers' growing disquiet about the rules on parking are underlined by figures showing nearly 10,000 people approached the Citizens Advice Bureau for guidance on parking tickets last year.

There are complaints of inconsistent practices, substandard signage, confusing appeals processes and intimidating payment letters, said the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.

Conservative MP^▸ (Member of Parliament, or Mile Post - a method of measuring the railway in miles and chains from a starting point - usually London, depending on context) Sir Greg Knight's Parking (Code of Practice) Bill to tackle rogue parking operators is due for its second reading in the House of Commons on Friday, effectively guaranteeing its passage into law.

Firms which don't obey the rules will be blocked from accessing drivers' DVLA^▸ (Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency) records.  This will prevent the firms from issuing charges, effectively forcing them out of the industry.

Mr Javid said drivers have suffered for too long "at the hands of dodgy parking firms".  He said: "That is why government is putting the brakes on these rogue operators and backing new laws that will put a stop to aggressive behaviour and provide a simpler way for drivers to appeal fines."

The department hopes motoring groups and other experts will help the Communities Secretary to develop the code of practice.

Steve Gooding, director of the RAC Foundation, said the move would bring "some much-needed regulatory rigour to the world of private parking".  He added: "Drivers don't want a parking free-for-all, but they do want a system that is fair to all parties and that's what a code of practice set by government - rather than the industry itself - should bring about."