i have just been fined for parking in a space outside a bar which turns into a taxi rank after 6.30pm everyday. Got a parking ticket at 9.00pm which states unnessersary obstuction code 0213. but luckily i was out with a police friend for the drink! and he told me to take a photo which i did and stated i could contest that as it wasnt causing a highway obstruction as it was off the road in a parking space?

 

Is this true before i take this to court? or should i just pay the £30.:hammer:

i

 

Is this true before i take this to court? or should i just pay the £30.:hammer:

 

What I would ask myself is how much will it cost me to go to court

do i need to pay someone to represent me

Have I also got to take a day of work to go

Do I value my time that I could spend there more than £30

 

what happens if the info given by your police buddy is incorrect you are going to be even more out of pocket

 

Think its your choice buddy but think I know which way I would go

on the back of the ticket will be their contact details. Send of a copy of the photo and a polite enquiry to them. Be nice and just enquire. Get this done before the (two weeks?) payment due day. I think you will be surprised or no worse off.

 

if no luck....Court fees were £60 a couple of years ago and it wont have gone down.then you add the fine... and late payment (normally double the fine)

So what do you wanna do?

i have just been fined for parking in a space outside a bar which turns into a taxi rank after 6.30pm everyday. Got a parking ticket at 9.00pm which states unnessersary obstuction code 0213. but luckily i was out with a police friend for the drink! and he told me to take a photo which i did and stated i could contest that as it wasnt causing a highway obstruction as it was off the road in a parking space?

 

Is this true before i take this to court? or should i just pay the £30.:hammer:

 

If it was a Taxi rank then you are causing an obstruction, I've known of vehicles being towed away because of parking on them.

Who was the ticket issued by?

For £30 i would just pay it. not worth all the hassle :(

As per Sherrgar's reply, you've got nothing to lose.

 

I have had similar tickets and of the 3 I contested with a polite letter, 1 was cleared.

One of the other ones wasn't despite having photo evidence to show there was no parking restriction signs, but at the end of the day it wasn't worth the hassle and expense to fight.

If its some cowboy ticket firm i dont pay them. I got a ticket for parking over 2 hours in an industrial car park as i walked into town from there but they had cameras up to time you so i got a letter and fine. From advise on here i didnt pay it and they chase you for a while but as they cant prove you were driving they cant make you pay for it. Stopped chasing me after 2 letters. There is alot of rogue ticket firms around

it was a local PCSO officer... i think i will just pay the £30 and keep life simples.

 

cheers for all replys guys

You can always try writing a letter, explaining your reasons for the car being there, I have got off with a few tickets by writing a letter, better to try and give a acceptable reason for why it was there or why you couldnt get back to it before 6.30 and quite often they will excersise their discreton and let you off.

 

If its a council or police ticket then you have a chance with mitigation, If its a privatly owned set of legal road pirates then you best to just pay it as these money hungry buggers very rarely back down.

If its some cowboy ticket firm i dont pay them. I got a ticket for parking over 2 hours in an industrial car park as i walked into town from there but they had cameras up to time you so i got a letter and fine. From advise on here i didnt pay it and they chase you for a while but as they cant prove you were driving they cant make you pay for it. Stopped chasing me after 2 letters. There is alot of rogue ticket firms around

 

That's true for private companies that patrol car parks etc - they're not governed by the road traffic act so the offence is a civil matter. In a civil matter you are under no obligation to name the driver (unlike if your car is caught on a speed camera); so in law, the driver of the car entered into a parking "contract" and not the owner. You just deny it was you and there's nothing at all they can do!

 

A taxi rank is on the public road so it should come under the road traffic act. You can always lodge an appeal stating a good reason why you should not be fined - if the appeal is made within the time limit to qualify for any reduction in the penalty (as they often double after 7 or 14 days etc), then you usually get the chance to pay the lower fine if your appeal is rejected.

 

Personally I'd say the fine seems justified - you are aware the bay became a taxi rank. Your mate says you weren't causing an obstruction but actually you were - to any taxis waiting to do business! The photo will most likely prove you were in the wrong......

 

.....but good luck if you do appeal - you never know!

 

Richard:chef: