parking mad (bbc1)

[buzzer]

anybody watching this?

Disgusting how councils are dealing with parking tickets.

this is the jist of what happening:

1: guy gets a ticket

2: ticket doesn't get paid

3: council passes debt to private debt collecting company

this is fair enough i suppose , well except that there may be legitamit reasons/errors why the tickets aren't paid.

now this is where it gets silly.

4: private companies set up next to police road blocks with ANPR capability and stop cars who have an outstanding debt against them,
if the driver cant pay, the car get took away.

there is no reasoning at all, no ifs or buts, looks they are always right and the heavy police presence make sure they always get their way.....

the 30quid parking tickets inflate into the hundreds as the private firms charge extornsionate fees...

license to print money really, they have a captive audience.

the police are paid for by the public , how can they justify using constables to make money for these companies??
it can't be right to allow private companies to impound vehicles, for what could be very minor parking violations can it??

surely innocent till proven guilty, failing to pay a fixed penalty notice is not proof of guilt is it?

failing to respond to a notice should not be proof of guilt either (unless they have proof the notice was delivered to the correct person).

shocking.....

 

[Him Her]

Commonly known as bullying and illegal.

 

[MH]

I disagree!

If you park where you should not, you should deal with the consequence.

Match days around us is horrendous, and an accident waiting to happen as is the parking on the school run in the morning. I have to walk the daughter on the ROAD as twats have parked on the pavements!

The rules are there for a reason......

TT

 

[buzzer]

I disagree!

If you park where you should not, you should deal with the consequence.

Match days around us is horrendous, and an accident waiting to happen as is the parking on the school run in the morning. I have to walk the daughter on the ROAD as twats have parked on the pavements!

The rules are there for a reason......

TT

the point i am trying to make is that its not right for these private companies to make a fortune and use the police that are paid by the taxpayer to do their job.

also it is no right to remove a persons property without proof...

mistakes can be made, but these companies remove the car first and ask questions later

 

[Him Her]

I disagree!

If you park where you should not, you should deal with the consequence.

Match days around us is horrendous, and an accident waiting to happen as is the parking on the school run in the morning. I have to walk the daughter on the ROAD as twats have parked on the pavements!

The rules are there for a reason......

TT

Not my point @MH - while I agree with your sentiment, it's illegal to impound a vehicle in the absence of a court order in cases of a civil offence.

 

[buzzer]

thats what i was trying to say, but couldnt word it quite as nice as that

 

[MH]

However as they are bailiffs they are acting on a court order to impound the cars.

TT

 

[Him Her]

However as they are bailiffs they are acting on a court order to impound the cars.

TT

Provided a court has found against you. If you have been stupid enough not to argue your case, well, tough! Agreed @mh

 

[MH]

I think they get around it due to the fact the letters requesting payment do not get adhered to, so guilt is presumed. They did mention it in the first episode a few weeks ago how the bailiffs got their authorisation.

TT

 

[D 8 RCS]

However as they are bailiffs they are acting on a court order to impound the cars.

TT

Only if the Bailiffs are High Court Enforcement Officers and have been instructed by the High Court to enforce an order, which is not the case with 90% of these Bailiffs.
The 2 Particular Bailiffs on this programme have never mentioned anything about being HCEOs, which would indicate that they are not, and as for the Police presence it is because these Bailiffs are just setting up where they know the Police and VOSA (Now called DVSA, Driver & Vehicle Standards Agency) are setting up Check Sites, and although this programme has shown the Police becoming involved they have no powers to become involved because the business the Bailiffs are concerned with is Civil Law and should only become involved if violence occurs, but many Police Officers do not realise this !! Here is the Police Guidance concerning Bailiffs Bailiffs attending with police
Last week these Bailiffs were shown clamping and removing a Driving Instructors car and this was while he had a client on her way to her Driving Test. That was Illegal !! because they cannot take "tools, equipment, books or vehicles used for business or employment". They have also threatened that they would also go round to houses and "collect" goods instead, which they do not have the power to do and by making that statement they have also broken their Code of Conduct.
Also they have continued with their actions when someone has said they have paid the fines, at which point they should try to confirm if that is correct and if it cannot be confirmed straight away they should desist and give the person the benefit of doubt, they know that but they also know that they only get paid on what they collect, so they are not going to let you know that.

 

[MH]

So essentially you are saying its OK to park where you want, and not pay the penalty? As that is essentially my point, I dont care whether the bailiffs do or do not have the right to take someone's car. However unless there is a loophole they must be doing it in accordance of the law, otherwise as you and others have stated its illegal.

 

[Cressi]

My wife got done recently for staying 34 mins over in a free 2.5 hour car park. £100 fine or £60 if paid within 28 days. She was certain that she saw no signs and wanted to fight it. I went to car park 2 days after the event as I was sure there were signs the last time I was there. I stood at the entrance and took some pictures. When I showed the piccies she paid the fine.

24 x 1 metre square individual signs approx 5 metres apart warning of 2.5 hour free limit.. Even Stevie Wonder would have known what was going on................

 

[rawsy]

My wife got done recently for staying 34 mins over in a free 2.5 hour car park. £100 fine or £60 if paid within 28 days. She was certain that she saw no signs and wanted to fight it. I went to car park 2 days after the event as I was sure there were signs the last time I was there. I stood at the entrance and took some pictures. When I showed the piccies she paid the fine.

24 x 1 metre square individual signs approx 5 metres apart warning of 2.5 hour free limit.. Even Stevie Wonder would have known what was going on................

Did the signs have brail ?

Lol sorry

 

[D 8 RCS]

So essentially you are saying its OK to park where you want, and not pay the penalty? As that is essentially my point, I dont care whether the bailiffs do or do not have the right to take someone's car. However unless there is a loophole they must be doing it in accordance of the law, otherwise as you and others have stated its illegal.

No I am not saying it is alright to park where you want and not pay the penalty, but nor should you advocate the collection of fines plus exhorbitant fees by unjust and illegal means !!
As you say those targeted have broken a contract (not the law) and should have to pay the fines imposed, but to be shackled with huge costs on top of that and be made to pay under threat and often by using illegal methods which break the Law.
Many of these Bailiffs rely on fear and the lack of knowledge to bully people into paying up, and surely employing these tactics and actually breaking the Law to collect this money is worse than breaking a contract ?