Free Traffic Legal Advice
Live cases legal advice => Private parking tickets => Topic started by: Sweets on January 12, 2026, 11:37:28 pm
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The second one is out of time for keeper liability.
The first one is questionable for keeper liability since the 'issue date' may not be the date which it was sent.
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Thanks for the advice so far. As requested, here are the links to Smart Parking correspondence.
https://freeimage.host/i/f8zb7xs
https://freeimage.host/i/f8zbRbn
https://freeimage.host/i/f8IIcUN
https://freeimage.host/i/f8IIalp
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One hour seems ludicrously short for such a large site containing multiple retail units.
The parking operator is required to place additional temporary signage (for four months) when there are changes to terms and conditions at the site - can you narrow the dates down to work out if they may have complied with the requirements?
I'd definitely be going back to M&S and having another go with management.
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If the matter is now with debt collectors, it is essentially a case of waiting for a letter of claim. There's little benefit to engaging with Smart in the meantime.
Whilst waiting for a letter of claim, you can do a couple of things to prepare you for any subsequent claim:
- Get some photos demonstrating the poor signage point that you wish to argue. You should get some photos showing a close up of the terms and conditions, and some showing the placement/visibility of the signage - including the entrance, and in relation to where the vehicle was parked
- Try to find out who owns the retail park and contact them. There's a fair chance it isn't M&S who own the site and therefore, despite the rudeness of the manager, it may well be outside of M&S' influence
So that we have a record of them for future advice, it would be useful if you could upload images of both the notices you received from Smart, showing us both pages of each.
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I'd appreciate some help with a couple of Notice to Keeper parking charges I received regarding parking in Cradlebridge Retail Park in Trowbridge.
The site operates ANPR cameras at the entry and exit of the site. They changed the parking period from 3 hours to 1 Hour in the months prior to the parking charges I received. We had no idea they'd made this change, it's also not obvious ANPR cameras are used here. My vehicle overstayed the 1 hour time on site by 11 and 12 mins on two occasions.
I haven't responded to the Notice to Keeper and I am now being chased by Debt Recovery Plus for £170 for each charge. I'm willing to fight the charges on the basis of poor signage and the historical 3 hour free parking period changing to 1 hour.
Advice on what to do next would be appreciated. Should I continue ignore the correspondence and wait for Letters of Claim or should I formulate a response to Smart Parking or Debt recovery plus. I tried speaking to Marks and Spencer who occupy the main retail unit on the site - their manager was rude and unhelpful. Amazing how many people are complicit to these nonsensical charges.