Fines in the post 😐

[Gingernuts]

Arrived home after 4 weeks abroad in the van and guess what!?
2 x parking fines!!!!!
1 x Tesco in Dover by horizon parking
Done my shopping got fuel then slept in the van 19.17-01.54 waiting for the ferry got a parking charge notice for £70, £40 if paid in 14days.
1x Durham Road chef by group nexus for £100 arrived at 21.49-06.48 both with photos of my van!
Can’t remember the Durham one I was tired that’s why I stopped, didn’t see any signs!
Both were empty car parks what’s the Fiddlesticksin problem!!???

 

[Odd-no-more]

Both were empty car parks what’s the Fiddlesticksin problem!!???

They just want the money

 

[Gingernuts]

Are these legally enforceable?

 

[Oldrat]

Their car park, their rules.

 

[Odd-no-more]

Most likely, as long as the signs are clear. I have challenged a few and won but because you stayed so long it would be difficult to defend. If you can prove the signs are not clear, maybe the text is faded or hidden then there's a chance but you need to get pictures of the signs

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[Gina M]

Cheeky B****ds

 

[Gingernuts]

Most likely, as long as the signs are clear. I have challenged a few and won but because you stayed so long it would be difficult to defend. If you can prove the signs are not clear, maybe the text is faded or hidden then there's a chance but you need to get pictures of the signs

Aye I’m in Scotland (home) now

 

[Odd-no-more]

If you put the exact locations on here maybe a local funster may be able to help pictures

 

[Neil S]

You’d have been cheaper stopping at the Canterbury park and ride £8
At least you wouldn't get fined

 

[Gina M]

Sometimes you are so tired you just need to stop and don't realise where you are

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[andykim]

Working in Manchester before covid a lad parked in a monitored car park and got a ticket every day and for the year I was there he never once paid a penny. It was the old citroen garage by the Henry Royce building.

 

[Rapido925M]

Ask for photos of the sign at the entrance as viewed from the height of your cab and under the lighting conditions prevelant at the time.

As I have commented on a different thread, supermarket carparks are starting to limit access to just a few minutes when the store is closed. Very easy to get caught out

Gordon

 

[Lenny HB]

This country is a flipping joke, in France loads of supermarkets provide a Borne for Motorhomes, in Portugal Lidi have marked out bays for Motorhomes.
Why does this country hate Motorhomes so much.

 

[Gingernuts]

If you put the exact locations on here maybe a local funster may be able to help pictures

Tesco dover and
Roadchef Durham DH6 5NP

 

[Falcon 269]

Your best bet is to write to the respective companies - Tesco and Road Chef - and explain that you stopped after making purchases because you were tired and did not want to drive in that condition. Plead the safety angle and point out that were not aware that you were in breach of their parking restrictions. They can intercede with the firm managing the parking on their behalf but ask them nicely. Threats never to shop in Tesco again etc won't earn a sympathetic response.

The parking firm themselves will give you nothing and won't assist with photos of the signs or any other information. You want to fight this in court, they'll make you do your own defence leg-work. Their business model is to threaten legal action and pressure you into paying before they ramp up the charges (which itself is illegal and actually forms the basis of most successful defences should it ever get to court). Oh, and don't waste your time with the appeals process that the parking firms invite you to pursue - it's a rigged system and you won't get anything out them that way.

You might get lucky and find that Tesco and Road Chef decide to cut you some slack for the sake of customer relations/PR but honestly, you don't really have much of a defence otherwise. If the signs say 'no overnight parking', 'no motorhomes overnight' or similar, you're pretty much screwed.

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[monzer]

I've stopped at Durham services twice. I make the mistake of thinking that because it's called roadchef there might be the chance of getting an actual cooked meal there.

McDonald's and a Krispy Kreme donut it was then.

Big sign on entry unfortunately. First time I paid to stay the night and the 2nd time was yesterday just for a quick stop so no charge.

 

[Neil S]

I've stopped at Durham services twice. I make the mistake of thinking that because it's called roadchef there might be the chance of getting an actual cooked meal there.

McDonald's and a Krispy Kreme donut it was then.

Big sign on entry unfortunately. First TV time I paid to stay the night and the 2nd time was yesterday just for a quick stop so no charge.

View attachment 801235

Well enough signposted , don't see how the OP can wriggle out of not paying
And as I remember Tescos at Folkestone has a No overnight parking sign as you come in
to deter people from using their car park as free overnight stop

 

[Soycd]

This country is a flipping joke, in France loads of supermarkets provide a Borne for Motorhomes, in Portugal Lidi have marked out bays for Motorhomes.
Why does this country hate Motorhomes so much.

And this is why we do very little travelling in UK. It’s much easier in Europe to find somewhere to stay for the night either relatively cheaply or free. I’ve stayed at a few pub car parks in UK but they seem to want you to have a meal which is fair enough but you can only eat/afford so much pub food. If a lot more towns did what Canterbury have done then I might be tempted out a bit more but it’s a chore trying to find somewhere safe to stay for a stopover especially in the wintertime.

 

[MichaelT]

This country is a flipping joke, in France loads of supermarkets provide a Borne for Motorhomes, in Portugal Lidi have marked out bays for Motorhomes.
Why does this country hate Motorhomes so much.

I don't think its motorhome Lenny HB just probably a 3 hour stay rule in general.

 

[Riverbankannie]

Both carpark signs are for all vehicles not just MHs.
The Tesco car park has a sign as you drive in and further ones on each lamppost on the end of the parking rows.

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[Manic]

I wonder if it would have been different if you had asked store manager.

 

[GJH]

Sometimes you are so tired you just need to stop and don't realise where you are

That is why there are different regulations covering wagon drivers. Unlike people taking trips for leisure, where they have every chance to plan so that they don't become overtired, they have less control over their journeys.

 

[The Wino]

Why is it a surprise when people have rules about parking on their private property and penalties if you don't follow those rules? The car parks are provided to serve the buisness and get customers in if it's taken by people stopping for a kip and not spending money it's fair enough to charge them. I wouldn't be very keen on someone just parking on my driveway unasked. The reason companies have started being strict is because some otherwise use it as a free car park to go and do other things or sit there for hours taking up space.

 

[Riverbankannie]

Why is it a surprise when people have rules about parking on their private property and penalties if you don't follow those rules? The car parks are provided to serve the buisness and get customers in if it's taken by people stopping for a kip and not spending money it's fair enough to charge them. I wouldn't be very keen on someone just parking on my driveway unasked. The reason companies have started being strict is because some otherwise use it as a free car park to go and do other things or sit there for hours taking up space.

I agree but the trouble in UK is that there are restrictions in time and height barriers on public car parks too.

 

[Soycd]

My daughter gets ‘fined’ for parking in her work car park. She seldom drives to work, the bus is easier/cheaper but on the odd occasion she does take her car she usually gets a letter demanding money. It gets sorted out but that’s what happens when these parking companies are involved with car parks. It pays to look really carefully at car park signage so there is no confusion.

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[DavidG58]

My dilemma here would be how much to pay? We are not cars and although mine says PHGV on V5 I don’t consider it a lorry

Due to this confusion and no desire to park in these areas I would be somewhere quieter personally

 

[The Wino]

I agree but the trouble in UK is that there are restrictions in time and height barriers on public car parks too.

As long as the time restrictions are clearly indicated I think that's often fair enough. The option would be payment by machine which in effect also limits stay quite often. I'm thinking of free council car parks provided in shopping areas often with a couple of hours stay usually so that the staff and locals don't just park there all day leaving no spaces for shoppers. Public car parks are still owned by someone if locals don't like it they can campaign to have restrictions changed people who aren't locals have the option to use them if possible or go somewhere else.
Yes height barriers are a problem but if all the local builders a few motorhomes and assorted delivery vans park over a few spaces each again it won't be available for shoppers.

 

[chaser]

View attachment 801310

My dilemma here would be how much to pay? We are not cars and although mine says PHGV on V5 I don’t consider it a lorry

Due to this confusion and no desire to park in these areas I would be somewhere quieter personally

If the parking charge is £28 , £100 fine isn't over the top, it's these sort of fines for a pound over your time or something similar that get me.

 

[Dorset Diver]

This country is a flipping joke, in France loads of supermarkets provide a Borne for Motorhomes, in Portugal Lidi have marked out bays for Motorhomes.
Why does this country hate Motorhomes so much.

The don't hate us, they love us. They see us as mobile money mines.

 

[GJH]

My dilemma here would be how much to pay? We are not cars and although mine says PHGV on V5 I don’t consider it a lorry

Easy. Check with the MSA operator as part of journey planning in advance or ask at the management/service office on site.