Free Traffic Legal Advice
Live cases legal advice => Private parking tickets => Topic started by: spooky on March 20, 2026, 11:55:05 am
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It is going to be hard to keep this brief so I apologise, but I will keep it as brief as I can.
I parked at a Britannia parking car park August 2025, The car park was busy but we managed to get a space and the machine would not accept coins and rejected my card twice before it eventually went through meaning entered at 15:37 got a ticket 10 minutes later 15:47.
Upon leaving we were blocked in, tried to get another ticket but again the machine did not work, everyone around was paying by app, but I couldn’t download the app, as soon as we got free we left at 16:56 (9 minutes over the expiry).
Thinking there is a 10 minute grace period either side and due to the circumstance we would be ok.
But they sent us a fine, so we appealed and asked them to review the CCTV to prove I attempted to get a ticket and we were blocked in but they rejected it and said they don’t have CCTV, so we appealed to popla they also rejected the appeal which I was surprised at considering we were blocked in and the machine wasn’t working. But they sent evidence in to show other people got tickets during the time we were leaving but they were all on the app.
After rejection of appeal, I told them I could not afford to pay and offered various solutions multiple times. To save them getting debt collectors I could send them goods to the value of the fine. I offered them reduced amounts of £30 & £50 which I thought was fair considering it was 9 minutes over due to being blocked in and unable to obtain a ticket. They kept ignoring all of this and did not even acknowledge it with a no this is not possible or a counter.
I offered to pay £5 monthly which they said they offer a payment plan of £10, I offered £5 again or a discounted settlement from a pay day loan to bring the situation to an end but they just said £10 payment plan again, I eventually I asked how to set up a payment plan they never answered this, in total I asked 3 times and the response I got to one of them is this is the last time we will offer a payment plan because you have not responded.
I unfortunately did get personal, I was having issues with my children & marriage , financials, etc and then this parking charge was becoming the tipping point not just because of the charge itself but the fact that they never answered any questions just kept repeating the same things. So in an email I stated they are pushing me over the edge into depression and dark thoughts because they are not answering or acknowledging any questions and asked them the 2nd time how to set up a payment plan. There response to this was this is the last opportunity to accept a payment plan.
I asked a 3rd time how to set up a payment plan and they told me a payment plan would not be offered anymore because I have not responded an if I don’t pay they will take it further.
So you can see how frustrated I am at this point I have opened up about my mental health I have asked 3 times how to set it up and the response is we are not offering it because you have not responded. So I told them I has spoken to a no win no fee solicitor and they believed I have a good case to sue them for Negligent Infliction of Emotional Distress and loss of earnings due to stress. But I do not want to go down this route so I would like an apology, cancel the parking charge, and make a donation to the charity MIND.
They responded saying they followed BPA code of practice and because I haven’t responded they have sent it to BW legal and its nothing to do with them now.
I am panicking now about what I should do are they going to take me to court? what will the court make me pay if I lose? will I get a CCJ?
Apologies for the long story, I tried to keep it brief, but I can go into more detail if needed like actual quotes from emails.