Parking Fine Rownhams Services

[spyinthesky]

I occasionally use the slip road to pop down to Rownhams sevices to buy odds and ends in the shop out of hours

Never stay more than 10 mins but have received a parking fine indicating I had stayed over 4 hours.

Anyone else had a problem there?

[CB Saint]

I occasionally use the slip road to pop down to Rownhams sevices to buy odds and ends in the shop out of hours

Never stay more than 10 mins but have received a parking fine indicating I had stayed over 4 hours.

Anyone else had a problem there?

 

This sounds like one of these parking scams - who is the company behind it? We had a problem with one of our company cars in a morrisons car park.

[Guest Dark Sotonic Mills]

I occasionally use the slip road to pop down to Rownhams sevices to buy odds and ends in the shop out of hours

Never stay more than 10 mins but have received a parking fine indicating I had stayed over 4 hours.

Anyone else had a problem there?

 

Funnily enough, I was just talking about this this morning to my son-in-law. We use Rownhams all the time and the only problem we have had is from the Police asking us if we were authorised to drive there.

However, ask for evidential proof from them showing you were there for over 4 hours. Then, of course, do not pay under any circumstances as it is a Civil penalty and not enforceable anyway. Just make the buggers work.

[Dibden Purlieu Saint]

I wonder if it is that colossal ****** Whites.

 

He is a very bad man running a very questionable business.

[ecuk268]

As DSM has said, only the Police or Local Authorities can issue parking fines. Tell them to bugger off.

[saint si]

Actually, don't even reply. Just ignore it. They'll go away eventually.

[Dimond Geezer]

There's some good advice on here:

 

http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/travel/glovebox-parking-guide

[spyinthesky]

Funnily enough, I was just talking about this this morning to my son-in-law. We use Rownhams all the time and the only problem we have had is from the Police asking us if we were authorised to drive there.

However, ask for evidential proof from them showing you were there for over 4 hours. Then, of course, do not pay under any circumstances as it is a Civil penalty and not enforceable anyway. Just make the buggers work.

 

Chaps

 

Thanks for your replies so far.

Company is CP Plus who have a PO Box address in Borehamwood

Incidentally they state they 'Operate in accordance with the BPA's code of practice (which I think requires a 'proper' address) but doesnt seem to be a member of the BPA

The photo supplied shows me clearly entering the east bound side

There is a very grainy shot 4 hrs 20 mins later just showing a set of headlights.

Where this was taken from is unclear.

What happened was I drove down thro the entrance originally and straight onto the M27.

My wife drove down later in the evening. I guess that journey may have been captured on the exit camera but they have ignored the first one.

As advised i shall ignore but it puts into question using the slip roads as i thoiught the cameras were inactive

[scotty]

Chaps

 

Thanks for your replies so far.

Company is CP Plus who have a PO Box address in Borehamwood

Incidentally they state they 'Operate in accordance with the BPA's code of practice (which I think requires a 'proper' address) but doesnt seem to be a member of the BPA

The photo supplied shows me clearly entering the east bound side

There is a very grainy shot 4 hrs 20 mins later just showing a set of headlights.

Where this was taken from is unclear.

What happened was I drove down thro the entrance originally and straight onto the M27.

My wife drove down later in the evening. I guess that journey may have been captured on the exit camera but they have ignored the first one.

As advised i shall ignore but it puts into question using the slip roads as i thoiught the cameras were inactive

 

There is very good advice as mentioned by Dimond Geezer. Dont pay the "fine"; it is not a fine, it is an invoice from a private company. The advice on money saving expert is to write one letter in reply stating that you do not know who was driving the vehicle at the time it was parked on their client's property, and that as no criminal offence was committed you are aware that you have no legal obligation to find out, and that you decline to pay their invoice. Make it clear that you realise it is an invoice from a company (as opposed to a legally enforceable fine from the police/local authority.) When they write again, reply saying that you will treat any further correspondence as harassment and will forward it to the regulator together with a formal complaint about the company. I had the same thing from a parking company in the midlands a while ago and did just that, no problem since.

[EastleighSoulBoy]

There is very good advice as mentioned by Dimond Geezer. Dont pay the "fine"; it is not a fine, it is an invoice from a private company. The advice on money saving expert is to write one letter in reply stating that you do not know who was driving the vehicle at the time it was parked on their client's property, and that as no criminal offence was committed you are aware that you have no legal obligation to find out, and that you decline to pay their invoice. Make it clear that you realise it is an invoice from a company (as opposed to a legally enforceable fine from the police/local authority.) When they write again, reply saying that you will treat any further correspondence as harassment and will forward it to the regulator together with a formal complaint about the company. I had the same thing from a parking company in the midlands a while ago and did just that, no problem since.

 

Sound advice, they appear to be chancers. In that second photo, if the headlights are 'grainy' then how are they going to prove who was driving or how many visits had occured in that duration of 4 hours?

[CB Saint]

They will escalate the letters and the fine. In the end we told them to put up (ie issue proceedings) or shut up and they mysteriously disappeared.

[Sheaf Saint]

There was something about this on Watchdog recently and IIRC the two important points raised were that in order to comply with BPA regulations, the notice they put up in the car park must have a full postal address rather than a PO box, and they are not allowed to refer to a 'fine' or a 'penalty' as this is a private company and have no power to fine or penalise people.

[JustMike]

send them a letter back saying that you are fining them for causing grief!

[Huffton]

I know its hard not to but don't even reply to them. THe letters will get more and more threatening, but there is absolutely nothing they can do. Eventually they will just go away. If you respond its a bit like fishing for them, they will have a bite and try a bit harder. Ignore them, if you need any more advice, look at the Consumer action Group website, there are loads of cases on there.

[Huffton]

http://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum/forumdisplay.php?88-Parking-Traffic-Offences

[Saints11]

To go off on a tangent somewhat, whats the score with bank charges? Can I argue against them?

[Secret Site Agent]

I have just appealed against CP Plus for being parked in Cherwell Services for 9 hours when I visited there on my way to Birmingham and on my way home. In between I gave a presentation and won an Environmental Award and could have 250 eye witness statements to prove I wasn't parked there. I have appealed and am awaiting their answer, (only sent it on Monday). I beleive they are cowboy ****s trying to rip us off.

[Jimmy Gabriel's Halo]

I have just appealed against CP Plus for being parked in Cherwell Services for 9 hours when I visited there on my way to Birmingham and on my way home. In between I gave a presentation and won an Environmental Award and could have 250 eye witness statements to prove I wasn't parked there. I have appealed and am awaiting their answer, (only sent it on Monday). I beleive they are cowboy ****s trying to rip us off.

 

SSA you need to read the Money saving expert link quickly. They say do not use the word "appeal". Just say you are refusing to pay as they have no power to fine or penalise the public.

[Huffton]

There is nothing to 'appeal', they have no legal power to fine you. All they have sent you is a dressed up speculative invoice. Don't respond, and if you do, tell them to fu ck off. Although if you want to have a bit of fun you could copy their letter but change the words so its you charging them for the time you have to invest in responding to to them. They'll soon get the message.

[angelman]

go to http://www.pepipoo.com/ if in any doubt, but as others say, ignore and don't bother replying. Their favourite tactic is to say your credit rating will be ****ed, but that can only happen if you have a CCJ served against you and you ignore it. As it will likely never get to court, just wipe your harris with it.

[Huffton]

[COMEONYOUREDS]

I got a 'ticket' at west quay, i wrote them a letter back telling them to do one and they cancelled it.. dont pay it whatever you do

[Secret Site Agent]

I have just appealed against CP Plus for being parked in Cherwell Services for 9 hours when I visited there on my way to Birmingham and on my way home. In between I gave a presentation and won an Environmental Award and could have 250 eye witness statements to prove I wasn't parked there. I have appealed and am awaiting their answer, (only sent it on Monday). I beleive they are cowboy ****s trying to rip us off.

 

Just to give you all an update:

I appealed.

I won.

I have invoiced them for £ 130.00 for preparation of letter, provision of proof, postal costs, photographs, witness statments and preparation of invoice. If they pay within 14 days, i am willing to give them a 50 % discount.

[scotty]

Just to give you all an update:

I appealed.

I won.

I have invoiced them for £ 130.00 for preparation of letter, provision of proof, postal costs, photographs, witness statments and preparation of invoice. If they pay within 14 days, i am willing to give them a 50 % discount.

 

Quality

[saintscottofthenortham]

Just to give you all an update:

I appealed.

I won.

I have invoiced them for £ 130.00 for preparation of letter, provision of proof, postal costs, photographs, witness statments and preparation of invoice. If they pay within 14 days, i am willing to give them a 50 % discount.

 

SSOTN likes this.

[saint hawk]

I used to work for cp plus till they lost there contract at ikea southampton and i'm also in the process of maybe starting with them again runniong there car parks in south coast so any probs give me a shout on here

[Panda]

I know this is an outrageous idea but why not keep to the rules and stop doing what you should not be doing. Maybe then you would not have these sort of problems? Just a thought.

[Dimond Geezer]

Just to give you all an update:

I appealed.

I won.

I have invoiced them for £ 130.00 for preparation of letter, provision of proof, postal costs, photographs, witness statments and preparation of invoice. If they pay within 14 days, i am willing to give them a 50 % discount.

 

Well done, let us know if they cough up.

[Secret Site Agent]

I know this is an outrageous idea but why not keep to the rules and stop doing what you should not be doing. Maybe then you would not have these sort of problems? Just a thought.

 

OK, let me just tell you what happened to me.

 

On the way to Sollihull. Stopped in Cherwell services for 1/2 an hour and left. Came into same services 9 hours later on way home. left within twenty minutes. Car park company used me entry time on 1st visit, and departure time on second visit to charge me £ 150.00. Send them 14 pages of tracker information from company car, affadavits from 10 people, security footage of my car parked in solihull at the same time it was 'supposed' to be in Cherwell, also section of report from average speed camera company for the Association of Chief police officers where it proves that the technology is flawed in so many ways with the Number Plate technology.

 

So, according to your logic, I should never visit a motorway services again. Thanks for that.

[Guest Dark Sotonic Mills]

I know this is an outrageous idea but why not keep to the rules and stop doing what you should not be doing. Maybe then you would not have these sort of problems? Just a thought.

 

Perhaps if you actually read the original problem instead of spouting off half arsed. He wasn't parked for an excessive time. The parking company showed a photo of his car arriving and another of a set of headlights hours later. He wasn't there all that time at all.

[scotty]

OK, let me just tell you what happened to me.

 

On the way to Sollihull. Stopped in Cherwell services for 1/2 an hour and left. Came into same services 9 hours later on way home. left within twenty minutes. Car park company used me entry time on 1st visit, and departure time on second visit to charge me £ 150.00. Send them 14 pages of tracker information from company car, affadavits from 10 people, security footage of my car parked in solihull at the same time it was 'supposed' to be in Cherwell, also section of report from average speed camera company for the Association of Chief police officers where it proves that the technology is flawed in so many ways with the Number Plate technology.

 

So, according to your logic, I should never visit a motorway services again. Thanks for that.

 

Perhaps if you actually read the original problem instead of spouting off half arsed. He wasn't parked for an excessive time. The parking company showed a photo of his car arriving and another of a set of headlights hours later. He wasn't there all that time at all.

 

.....and in any case, you dont need to pay any parking charge from a private company as they are merely unenforceable invoices. Doesnt matter what the circumstances were, you dont need to pay it or justify it, simply write one letter back to them formally disputing it and say you dont intend to pay their invoice, then ignore any further correspondence from them. Simples.

[Secret Site Agent]

I have just appealed against CP Plus for being parked in Cherwell Services for 9 hours when I visited there on my way to Birmingham and on my way home. In between I gave a presentation and won an Environmental Award and could have 250 eye witness statements to prove I wasn't parked there. I have appealed and am awaiting their answer, (only sent it on Monday). I beleive they are cowboy ****s trying to rip us off.

 

 

Just to give you all an update:

I appealed.

I won.

I have invoiced them for £ 130.00 for preparation of letter, provision of proof, postal costs, photographs, witness statments and preparation of invoice. If they pay within 14 days, i am willing to give them a 50 % discount.

 

Just to give you all another update.

 

As they wanted a break down of costs, I issued an invoice for preparation of information refuting their invoice and billed them for £207.00, for which I included the costs of preparing a break down.

Last Monday at 9.07 am I recieved a letter from them refusing to pay and stating that they do not have to meet an invoiced claim as it is down to me and at my expense to refute the claim.

 

At 12.22 pm I issued a letter to them telling them I was issuing legal action against them for non-payment.

 

Yesterday I filled in a form N1 for the small claims court and sent them a copy asking for payment in full plus additional costs.

 

Watch this space.

Edited 23 August, 2011 by Secret Site Agent

[rallyboy]

nice one!

Don't take any sh)t from these people.

 

Or anyone in fact!

[saint hawk]

I can just picture the main bloke there now ****ting himself (hes a skate **** as well)

[Secret Site Agent]

And here comes the final update.

 

As of this morning they have given me a 'Goodwill' payment, without predujice, for £89.00 to ensure that I now go away. It's the advantage of having a large company with a number of top legal minds on retainer.

 

The downside is that as it is a company car, I don't get a bean, my firm does.

 

I only get the moral victory. Which tastes nice, but you can't spend it down West Quay.

[Special K]

And here comes the final update.

 

As of this morning they have given me a 'Goodwill' payment, without predujice, for £89.00 to ensure that I now go away. It's the advantage of having a large company with a number of top legal minds on retainer.

 

The downside is that as it is a company car, I don't get a bean, my firm does.

 

I only get the moral victory. Which tastes nice, but you can't spend it down West Quay.

 

Nice result.

[Secret Site Agent]

Nice result.

 

Thanks. It does go to show that they don't like it when the boot is on the other foot, so to speak. they go from arrogant bullying sh** heads to grovelling panicky little turds. They prey on the small, ill informed in society and the more people who think 'It's nice of them to let me get away with just paying £30.00' and don't fight it, the more they do it. I have already told them that, being part of the HA framework, we have access to those that make the decisions in the HA in reflect to the services, (as they are dependant on the HA) and that I am going to make it my life's work now to ensure that all car parks are flooded with leaflets pointing out the flaws in their parking schemes, on how when I liaise with the services I will now be less likely to tailor our works around them and why, and that I have now made contact with many experts int he field that are happy to stand up and give evidence as professional witness'.

It's a shame that it takes for us to be directly involved in something before we become martyrs.

[Marsdinho]

Perhaps if you actually read the original problem instead of spouting off half arsed. He wasn't parked for an excessive time. The parking company showed a photo of his car arriving and another of a set of headlights hours later. He wasn't there all that time at all.

 

I think Panda was referring to the fact that the OP uses the slip roads to get into and out of the service station.

[Panda]

I think Panda was referring to the fact that the OP uses the slip roads to get into and out of the service station.

 

I was but hey ho ...

[KK the 2nd]

Interesting story. what I don't understand if you went into the same services on the way back from where you had been would it not be on the other carriageway?

[derry]

Advise the management of services that large internet sites are advising their members to visit service areas only once in a day due to the rip off. That should get their attention.

[Redondo Saint]

Thanks. It does go to show that they don't like it when the boot is on the other foot, so to speak. they go from arrogant bullying sh** heads to grovelling panicky little turds. They prey on the small, ill informed in society and the more people who think 'It's nice of them to let me get away with just paying £30.00' and don't fight it, the more they do it. I have already told them that, being part of the HA framework, we have access to those that make the decisions in the HA in reflect to the services, (as they are dependant on the HA) and that I am going to make it my life's work now to ensure that all car parks are flooded with leaflets pointing out the flaws in their parking schemes, on how when I liaise with the services I will now be less likely to tailor our works around them and why, and that I have now made contact with many experts int he field that are happy to stand up and give evidence as professional witness'.

It's a shame that it takes for us to be directly involved in something before we become martyrs.

 

Good story but you should probably not make this your like's work and this really does not make you a martyr.

[Golden Balls]

Great result.

[Chopper71]

Interesting story. what I don't understand if you went into the same services on the way back from where you had been would it not be on the other carriageway?

Cherwell Valley Services are on a junction, and therefore the one service area services both carriageways. HTH

[Golden Balls]

After some advice re: Parking charges

 

I live in Plymouth and here we have these vans with cameras on the top which go around taking pictures of cars illigally parked.

 

Now, earlier on today I was stopped at some traffic lights when a car nudged me from behind. Nothing major but enough to move me forward. Both of us pulled over round a corner onto some double yellows to assess the damage an swap numbers. It was towards an enterence of a multistory car park and we were in no way obstructing any traffic.

 

As we were swapping numbers, one of these vans went past. I managed to notice it and jumped in the way of the number plate, then I pulled him over to explain the situation. He didn't say a lot and drove of. 30 seconds later he went past again without me noticing until it was too late. So he got the picture.

 

Do I have rights to appeal?

[saint si]

After some advice re: Parking charges

 

I live in Plymouth and here we have these vans with cameras on the top which go around taking pictures of cars illigally parked.

 

Now, earlier on today I was stopped at some traffic lights when a car nudged me from behind. Nothing major but enough to move me forward. Both of us pulled over round a corner onto some double yellows to assess the damage an swap numbers. It was towards an enterence of a multistory car park and we were in no way obstructing any traffic.

 

As we were swapping numbers, one of these vans went past. I managed to notice it and jumped in the way of the number plate, then I pulled him over to explain the situation. He didn't say a lot and drove of. 30 seconds later he went past again without me noticing until it was too late. So he got the picture.

 

Do I have rights to appeal?

 

You always have the right to appeal... this isn't the football league! :-)

 

Sounds like you'd probably win too, if you can prove you were pulled over because of the accident. Would argue from the safety angle (the need to inspect vehicles to check it is safe to continue) and of course the fact you are legally obliged to stop and exchange details in the event of an RTA.

 

In any case I'd wait to see if you actually get a ticket (from the council) first. You never know, they might exercise discretion!

[Golden Balls]

You always have the right to appeal... this isn't the football league! :-)

 

Sounds like you'd probably win too, if you can prove you were pulled over because of the accident. Would argue from the safety angle (the need to inspect vehicles to check it is safe to continue) and of course the fact you are legally obliged to stop and exchange details in the event of an RTA.

 

In any case I'd wait to see if you actually get a ticket (from the council) first. You never know, they might exercise discretion!

 

Sorry, worded that wrong. I didn't mean 'right to appeal'. Maybe 'grounds to appeal' would have been better. Basically, will I win?

 

The safty and legal route seems the best way to go.

 

Regarding proof, the picture they took should clearly show us both pulled over with phones and pen in hand. We didn't report it to police/insureance though as there was hardly any damage at all.

 

Guess it will be a waiting game.

 

Thanks

[Secret Site Agent]

Interesting story. what I don't understand if you went into the same services on the way back from where you had been would it not be on the other carriageway?

 

No, the services at Cherwell are on the East side of the carriageway but are not directly on the side, you have to access them up a slip road and on top of a hill. Becasue of this they have an access from both sides of the carriageway. If you look on Google eart it's where the A43 intercepts with the M40.

[Secret Site Agent]

I don't intend to, but i will be less inclined to include their wishes in the planning of TM.