Big jump in private parking problems

Citizens Advice reports surge in number of motorists looking for help with private parking issues.

Citizens Advice has reported the number of people seeking help with private parking fines has nearly tripled.

The number of people searching for advice on the consumer champion's website has risen dramatically from 16,300 to 50,000 people,the equivalent of 137 a day.

The report also revealed an increase of 26% in the number of cases seen by local Citizens Advice bureau involving parking tickets issued on private land.

Citizens Advice monitored 900 calls received between January and March this year and found that the average private parking charge is £83, while some of the biggest fines come in at £300.

Private parking operators requested the details of drivers more than 3 million times, 600,000 more than the year before, according to the DVLA. Private parking firms are within their rights to request details of drivers they believe have broken rules about parking on their land.

Pay and Display car parks sparked the most complaints, followed by supermarkets. Hospitals and airports are also notably problematic.

‘Unreasonable penalties’

Citizens Advice is worried that private parking firms are handing out ‘unreasonable penalties’.

Alarmingly, some motorists have been hit with fines when ticket machines weren’t working, signs were hidden, and when some hadn’t even parked there in the first place.

This research comes amidst a trial where a motorist complained that their £85 penalty was too high, leading to the redress body putting all similar appeals on hold until a decision is reached.

Car parking fines could also push people into debt. Local Citizens Advice have seen a 39% increase in consumer debt cases to do with unpaid parking penalty and congestion charges in the last year.

The charity is calling for more clarity on parking tickets, including a clear definition of the minimum length of the ‘reasonable’ grace period parking firms must give drivers between stopping and parking and at the end of the permitted parking period.

When to challenge a parking fine

It may take a while to process, but your best bet is to write to the issuer to tell them that you think your ticket is unfair.

If you don’t think you broke any rules or the signs weren’t clear you have sufficient grounds to challenge a parking ticket. You can also challenge if you feel the amount you were asked to pay was unfair.

Perhaps the signs on the site were inadequate, the wording was hidden or the rules weren’t clear enough. It may have been be unclear that the contract was between you and the landowner when you parked on their land.

In some exceptional circumstances, you could challenge the ticket if:

• your car broke down. You will need a receipt from your repairer to prove this;
• your car was stolen and not in your possession at the time;
• there is a compassionate reason such as illness, bereavement or another emergency. However, it’s up to the company whether it’ll accept your reason;
• you take longer than others to buy your ticket and return to your car, maybe because you’re older, pregnant or have a very young baby with you. You could oppose the fine on discrimination grounds.

For fines that seem unreasonably high, you could ask how the losses are calculated when you are challenging the payment.

If the amount charged is more than the loss it is as an unenforceable penalty. If the case goes to court you should only be made to pay for actual losses made by the landowner.

And it goes without saying that having evidence is vital when challenging a parking ticket. Depending on your challenge, evidence could include a police crime reference number, a doctor’s note, video evidence or a receipt to show you’ve already paid the parking notice.

In any case, you’ll need the parking ticket and any correspondence you have relating to it.

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