Author Topic: Parking Charge UK Car Park Management  (Read 3866 times)

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Parking Charge UK Car Park Management
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Hi All,

I received a Parking Charge from UK Car Park Management.

The car park is attached to a sports club.

My daughter attended a club and she thought that the club finished at 8pm. I arrived to pick her up however she then told me that they have not finished yet and they are due to finish at 8.30pm. I therefore sat in the car and waited for her to finish. This was the first time we used the Car Park.

You'll see in the images - I was about to leave the car park after she told me but since I didn't have my phone on me I reversed back into the car park and waited.
1st Image - reversing back into the car park 20:02:37.617
2nd Image - leaving the car park 20:38:23.203

It's a shame if I had left and then came back, it seems this would have been ok.

I have now receieved this Park Charge for £60 at a reduced rate within 14 days or appeal. If I appeal and lose it will be £100.

I will need to revisit the car park to see if there is any signage but as I did not get out of the Car I don't believe I saw any at that time.

I have now looked online and apparantly this changed recently in Dec 2024 where users have to scan a QR code and then parking is waived. It seems they do allow drop off & collections of 30min but I was unaware that there was any charge at all. Since this was 5minutes over I am now being charged the penalty.


This is on their website:

New Process To Ease The Congestion
Frenford and Cranbrook School Car Park New Parking Method from Monday 23rd December 2024:

After parking your car, please head towards Frenford’s main building or Large Astro. You will find a Sippi sign with a beacon in the middle of the sign.

1. Download Sippi Parking App https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/sippi/id6451398275
2. Search for location using code "10870"
3. Bring device close to beacon at Frendord
4. Press "Park here" (IGNORE £20 quoted price)
5. Enter your vehicle details
6. Choose parking duration using slider (select 12 hours)
7. At the bottom - slide to start parking session
8. Add payment details
9. NEW PRICE OF £0.00 WILL NOW SHOW
10. Complete the payment and your parking begins

Warning: Do not attempt to verify parking unless you are within half a metre of the beacon.

FYI - There is a 30 minute ‘grace’ period for drop off & collections.


Other than asking for a gesture of goodwill since it was only 5minutes and my first time using the car park and I did not get out of the car - is there anything else that I can do for a successful appeal?

Thank you in advance.
« Last Edit: August 08, 2025, 11:00:25 am by amuk786 »

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Re: Parking Charge UK Car Park Management
« Reply #1 on: »
Ha!. You won't be paying a penny of you follow the advice. The car park at Cranbrook Primary School, The Drive, Ilford, IG1 3PS, is not considered “relevant land” for the purposes of the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012 (PoFA) Schedule 4.

Under PoFA Schedule 4, “relevant land” excludes:

• Land owned or controlled by a traffic authority, including London borough councils
• Land subject to statutory control, such as schools maintained by local authorities

Cranbrook Primary School is a community school maintained by the London Borough of Redbridge, which means:

• The land is under statutory control
• The council is the traffic authority

Therefore, the land is excluded from PoFA keeper liability provisions. If a private parking company (e.g. UKCPM) issues a Parking Charge Notice (PCN) and attempts to rely on PoFA to pursue the registered keeper, they cannot do so lawfully unless:

• The land is “relevant” under PoFA
• All PoFA conditions are met

Since Cranbrook Primary is not relevant land, keeper liability does not apply. Only the driver can be pursued, and only if identified.

So, an easy one to deal with… as long as the unknown drivers identity is not revealed. There is no legal obligation on the known keeper (the recipient of the Notice to Keeper (NtK)) to reveal the identity of the unknown driver and no inference or assumptions can be made.

The location is not 'relevant land' and, even if it was (it isn't), the NtK is not compliant with all the requirements of the ACT, which means that if the unknown driver is not identified, they cannot transfer liability for the charge from the unknown driver to the known keeper.

Use the following as your appeal. No need to embellish or remove anything from it:

Quote
I am the keeper of the vehicle and I dispute your 'parking charge'. I deny any liability or contractual agreement and I will be making a complaint about your predatory conduct to your client landowner.

As your Notice to Keeper (NtK) does not fully comply with ALL the requirements of PoFA 2012, you are unable to hold the keeper of the vehicle liable for the charge. Partial or even substantial compliance is not sufficient. There will be no admission as to who was driving and no inference or assumptions can be drawn. Horizon has relied on contract law allegations of breach against the driver only.

The registered keeper cannot be presumed or inferred to have been the driver, nor pursued under some twisted interpretation of the law of agency. Your NtK can only hold the driver liable. Horizon have no hope at POPLA, so you are urged to save us both a complete waste of time and cancel the PCN.

Be aware that as UKCPM are IPC members, this will progress all the way to a county court claim. However, it is very easily defended with our assistance and will eventually be struck out or discontinued.

So, when the above appeal is rejected, you can submit the following to the kangaroo court that is the IAS. If it is successful, go and buy a lottery ticket, as you have about an equal chance they will accept the appeal as even a minor win on the lottery.

Quote
IAS Appeal – Cranbrook Primary School, The Drive, Ilford, IG1 3PS

I am the registered keeper of the vehicle. I deny any liability for this parking charge and appeal in full.

The parking operator bears the burden of proof. It must establish that a contravention occurred, that a valid contract was formed between the operator and the driver, and that it has lawful authority to operate and issue Parking Charge Notices (PCNs) in its own name. I therefore require the operator to provide the following:

1. Strict proof that the land in question is “relevant land” under Schedule 4 of the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012 (PoFA). Cranbrook Primary School is a community school maintained by the London Borough of Redbridge. As such, the land is under statutory control and excluded from the definition of “relevant land” under PoFA. The operator is therefore barred from pursuing keeper liability. I require strict proof of the land’s legal status, including ownership, statutory designation, and any relevant exclusions under PoFA Schedule 4. If the operator cannot prove that the land is relevant, then any attempt to hold the keeper liable is unlawful.

2. Strict proof of clear, prominent, and adequate signage that was in place on the date in question, at the exact location of the alleged contravention. This must include a detailed site plan showing the placement of each sign and legible images of the signs in situ. The operator must demonstrate that signage was visible, legible, and compliant with the IPC Code of Practice that was valid at the time of the alleged contravention, including requirements relating to font size, positioning, and the communication of key terms.

3. Strict proof of a valid, contemporaneous contract or lease flowing from the landowner that authorises the operator to manage parking, issue PCNs, and pursue legal action in its own name. I refer the operator and the IAS assessor to Section 14 of the PPSCoP (Relationship with Landowner), which clearly sets out mandatory minimum requirements that must be evidenced before any parking charge may be issued on controlled land.

In particular, Section 14.1(a)–(j) requires the operator to have in place written confirmation from the landowner which includes:

- the identity of the landowner,
- a boundary map of the land to be managed,
- applicable byelaws,
- the duration and scope of authority granted,
- detailed parking terms and conditions including any specific permissions or exemptions,
- the means of issuing PCNs,
- responsibility for obtaining planning and advertising consents,
- and the operator’s obligations and appeal procedure under the Code.

These requirements are not optional. They are a condition precedent to issuing a PCN and bringing any associated action. Accordingly, I put the operator to strict proof of compliance with the entirety of Section 14 of the PPSCoP. Any document that contains redactions must not obscure the above conditions. The document must also be dated and signed by identifiable persons, with evidence of their authority to act on behalf of the parties to the agreement. The operator must provide an agreement showing clear authorisation from the landowner for this specific site.

4. Strict proof that the enforcement mechanism (e.g. ANPR or manual patrol) is reliable, synchronised, maintained, and calibrated regularly. The operator must prove the vehicle was present for the full duration alleged and not simply momentarily on site, potentially within a permitted consideration or grace period as defined by the PPSCoP.

5. Strict proof that the NtK was posted in time for it to have been given within the relevant period if the operator is trying to imply Keeper liability (which it cannot). The PPSCoP section 8.1.2(d) Note 2 requires that the operator must retain a record of the date of posting of a notice, not simply of that notice having been generated (e.g. the date that any third-party Mail Consolidator actually put it in the postal system.)

6. The IAS claims that its assessors are “qualified solicitors or barristers.” Yet there is no way to verify this. Decisions are unsigned, anonymised, and unpublished. There is no transparency, no register of assessors, and no way for a motorist to assess the legal credibility of the individual supposedly adjudicating their appeal. If the person reading this really is legally qualified, they will know that without strict proof of landowner authority (VCS v HMRC [2013] EWCA Civ 186), no claim can succeed. They will also know that clear and prominent signage is a prerequisite for contract formation (ParkingEye v Beavis [2015] UKSC 67), and that keeper liability under PoFA is only available where strict statutory conditions are met.

If the assessor chooses to overlook these legal requirements and accept vague assertions or redacted documents from the operator, that will speak for itself—and lend further weight to the growing concern that this appeals service is neither independent nor genuinely legally qualified.

In short, I dispute this charge in its entirety and require full evidence of compliance with the law, industry codes of practice, and basic contractual principles.

When that is rejected, come back and we will advise on what happens next. Remember, if you follow the advice, you won't be paying a penny over this.
Never argue with stupid people. They will drag you down to their level and then beat you with experience” - Mark Twain
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Re: Parking Charge UK Car Park Management
« Reply #2 on: »
Thank you much appreciated!

Will review and come back.

Re: Parking Charge UK Car Park Management
« Reply #3 on: »
I have a question:

The statement mentions Horizon?


Horizon has relied on contract law allegations of breach against the driver only.

Horizon have no hope at POPLA, so you are urged to save us both a complete waste of time and cancel the PCN.

Who are Horizon? Should this be UKCPM UK Car Park Management?

Re: Parking Charge UK Car Park Management
« Reply #4 on: »
My bad. Yes, you are correct. Change references to Horizon to UKCPM.
Never argue with stupid people. They will drag you down to their level and then beat you with experience” - Mark Twain
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Re: Parking Charge UK Car Park Management
« Reply #5 on: »
Thank you for the confirmation.

Appreciate your time on this.

Do you know if there are actual court/tribunal cases online that have used these arguments and won re: relevant land and where the registered keeper did not disclose the identity of the driver - I'd like to understand when going to court the decisions that have been made and past precedence on cases.

I've had a look online and most refer to either not seeing the sign, unfair charges or most commonly offer and acceptance of contract.

Thanks


Re: Parking Charge UK Car Park Management
« Reply #6 on: »
I think you may be conflating council-issued Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs), which are statutory and adjudicated by independent tribunals, with private parking company-issued PCNs, which are nothing more than speculative invoices alleging a breach of contract by the driver. These are civil claims, not criminal offences, and there is no tribunal—only the small claims track of the county court if the matter escalates.

Claims rarely reach a hearing, and those that do are often won by defendants who understand the law. Because small claims decisions are not routinely published, precedents are limited. However, there are persuasive appellate cases that directly support the argument you're exploring:

VCS v Edward (2023) [H0KF6C9C]
Middlesbrough County Court confirmed that the burden of proof lies entirely with the claimant to prove the defendant was the driver. The judge rejected any inference or assumption based on keeper status alone. This is critical: unless the claimant can produce direct evidence of who was driving, the claim fails.

Brennan v Premier Parking Solutions (2023) [H6DP632H]
The court held that unless the Notice to Keeper fully complies with Schedule 4 of the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012, the keeper cannot be held liable. Importantly, the defendant is under no obligation to identify the driver, and silence cannot be construed as admission.

These cases reinforce the principle that keeper liability only arises if strict statutory conditions are met, and driver liability must be proven—not presumed. If the land is not “relevant land” under POFA (e.g. land governed by byelaws), then keeper liability is off the table entirely, and the claimant must prove driver identity to succeed.
Never argue with stupid people. They will drag you down to their level and then beat you with experience” - Mark Twain
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Re: Parking Charge UK Car Park Management
« Reply #7 on: »
Thanks for the detailed information.


Just to clarify as I know that UKCPM read these forums and then rely on them later in court and I am unable to edit the post - I am not the registered keeper [fact] therefore there should be no assumption that the original post in this thread is admitting liability for being the registered keeper and driver and also there can be no assumption on probability that these posts are from the registered keeper.

I'm also attaching the land registry document for UK Car Park Management LTD as this can save a lot of wasted time going through appeals.



I've also been reading up on the legislation and for peace of mind have downloaded the land registry - see attached. It definitely is owned by the London Borough of Redbridge therefore a London council and hence does meet the requirement of not a relevant land as you say and therefore unenforceable:


This Schedule applies where—

(a)the driver of a vehicle is required by virtue of a relevant obligation to pay parking charges in respect of the parking of the vehicle on relevant land; and

(b)those charges have not been paid in full.

(2)It is immaterial for the purposes of this Schedule whether or not the vehicle was permitted to be parked (or to remain parked) on the land.


3(1)In this Schedule “relevant land” means any land (including land above or below ground level) other than—

(a)a highway maintainable at the public expense (within the meaning of section 329(1) of the Highways Act 1980);

(b)a parking place which is provided or controlled by a traffic authority;

(c)any land (not falling within paragraph (a) or (b)) on which the parking of a vehicle is subject to statutory control.

(2)In sub-paragraph (1)(b)—

“parking place” has the meaning given by section 32(4)(b) of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984;
“traffic authority” means each of the following—
(a)
the Secretary of State;

(b)
the Welsh Ministers;

(c)
Transport for London;

(d)
the Common Council of the City of London;

(e)
the council of a county, county borough, London borough or district;


(f)
a parish or community council;

(g)
the Council of the Isles of Scilly.

(3)For the purposes of sub-paragraph (1)(c) the parking of a vehicle on land is “subject to statutory control” if any statutory provision imposes a liability (whether criminal or civil, and whether in the form of a fee or charge or a penalty of any kind) in respect of the parking on that land of vehicles generally or of vehicles of a description that includes the vehicle in question.

(4)In sub-paragraph (3) “statutory provision” means any provision (apart from this Schedule) contained in—

(a)any Act (including a local or private Act), whenever passed; or

(b)any subordinate legislation, whenever made,

and for this purpose “subordinate legislation” means an Order in Council or any order, regulations, byelaws or other legislative instrument.




The appeals body is actually IAS therefore I believe the wording will need to change slightly - let me know what you think:


I am the keeper of the vehicle and I dispute your 'parking charge'. I deny any liability or contractual agreement and I will be making a complaint about your predatory conduct to your client landowner.

As your Notice to Keeper (NtK) does not fully comply with ALL the requirements of PoFA 2012, you are unable to hold the keeper of the vehicle liable for the charge. Partial or even substantial compliance is not sufficient. There will be no admission as to who was driving and no inference or assumptions can be drawn. UK Car Park Management LTD has relied on contract law allegations of breach against the driver only.

The registered keeper cannot be presumed or inferred to have been the driver, nor pursued under some twisted interpretation of the law of agency. Your NtK can only hold the driver liable but not if the land is not relevant land as per POFA 2012 and the evidence attached. UK Car Park Management LTD have no hope at the Independant Appeals Service, so you are urged to save us both a complete waste of time and cancel the PCN.
« Last Edit: August 10, 2025, 11:18:20 am by amuk786 »

Re: Parking Charge UK Car Park Management
« Reply #8 on: »
Given that >20,000 PCNs are issued every day, the idea that parking companies read this forum just in case one of their PCNs is being discussed does not make sense. They don’t care if one of their PCNs fails because enough people just pay up on receipt of the remaining 19,999.

Re: Parking Charge UK Car Park Management
« Reply #9 on: »
Just to clarify as I know that UKCPM read these forums and then rely on them later in court and I am unable to edit the post - I am not the registered keeper [fact] therefore there should be no assumption that the original post in this thread is admitting liability for being the registered keeper and driver and also there can be no assumption on probability that these posts are from the registered keeper.

You can take your tin-foil hat off. You are probably imagining this scenario:



What is more interesting is this statement:

"I am not the registered keeper [fact]"

If you're not the RK, then in what capacity are you even trying to deal with this PCN? Consider your opening post...

I received a Parking Charge from UK Car Park Management.

Please don't be wasting our time with conspiracy theories or by trying to pretend that you are not the RK. Unless the PCN is in your name, you cannot deal with it. If it was an NtK, then it is in your name as an NtK is only sent to the RK, hence the name... "Notice to Keeper".

You've been advised how to deal with this and the likely outcome. Trying to overthink it is a waste of our time when you've had it explained already.
Never argue with stupid people. They will drag you down to their level and then beat you with experience” - Mark Twain

Re: Parking Charge UK Car Park Management
« Reply #10 on: »
Apologies if I have offended anyone, that certainly was not my intention and I do not want to waste anyones time. I am merely trying to gain as much knowledge and do my homework, as you say it is likely to go to court. 


just to cover off:

Given that >20,000 PCNs are issued every day, the idea that parking companies read this forum just in case one of their PCNs is being discussed does not make sense. They don’t care if one of their PCNs fails because enough people just pay up on receipt of the remaining 19,999.

- I read this - https://penaltychargenotice.co.uk/private-land-enforcement/court-cases-private-land/court-cases-for-private-parking-tickets/ in which case CPS vs Stephen Thomas it seems like this evidence was used.


If you're not the RK, then in what capacity are you even trying to deal with this PCN? Consider your opening post...

- I am assisting the RK and my bad - I was writing in the first person as they would however I have been given permission to act on their behalf and will be helping them to fight this case. I previously used the website pepipoo however that is no longer online and I found this forum which I thought had individuals who would be as helpful.

Again I apologise, I will not waste your time. I will submit the appeal and take it from there.

Thank you for your help. Much appreciated.
 


Re: Parking Charge UK Car Park Management
« Reply #11 on: »
For heavens sake... That article is from a case almost 18 years ago! Well before PoFA. Well before these bottom-dwelling firms were forced to try and become 'respectable' because they were simply clamping thugs at the time.

A county court case does not set precedent and has no bearing on anything unless it is at least an appellate case, and even then it is not binding, only persuasive. So much has changed since that article, it has zero relevance to anything that we advise on today.

To correct the other posters stats, currently, unregulated private parking firms issue over 40,000 PCNs a day! In 2024 they issued over 12 million PCNs.

Whilst this may go to a county court claim, the odds of it making it into a courtroom for a hearing are less than 1%. The odds of any claim being struck out or discontinued are greater than 99%.

As I said, take your tin-foil hat off.
« Last Edit: August 10, 2025, 07:56:00 pm by b789 »
Never argue with stupid people. They will drag you down to their level and then beat you with experience” - Mark Twain

Re: Parking Charge UK Car Park Management
« Reply #12 on: »
I have receieved the following from Car Park Management Ltd on September 4th in response to my appeal:



DATE OF PARKING EVENT: 28th July 2025

PAYMENT DUE DATE: 18th September 2025                                                           

TOTAL AMOUNT DUE: £60.00                                                 

Dear XXXXXXXXXXXX,                                               

Thank you for your appeal against the above Parking Charge Notice.

At UK CPM we consider all appeals on a case-by-case basis. We take each appeal very seriously and thoroughly investigate any evidence that has been provided. We appreciate your circumstances and understand this is not a situation anyone would like to find themselves in; however, these parking conditions have been put in place to ensure fair usage for all motorists and support the needs of our client. After careful consideration, it is unfortunate that I am writing to you today to advise that on this occasion, your appeal has been unsuccessful.

The decision to uphold your parking charge notice has been made on the following basis.

Whilst we note the comments and reason for appeal, we can confirm that the vehicle remained on site for 35 minutes with no permit to authorise your stay. We must advise that this car park is run by Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras which take a time and date stamped image of the vehicle on entry and exit, measuring the length of time the vehicle remained on site, this information is then cross-referenced with the data from the permit systems. Due to no permit being found, we can confirm that this PCN has been issued correctly.

Please note, a new notice will automatically be generated and sent to you, as the liability has been transferred into your name. This is for your records only and does not allow you to appeal again internally or transfer liability. You now have 14 days from the date of your new notice to make payment at the reduced fee of £60.00. If payment is not received within 14 days, the fee will increase to the full amount of £100.00.

Either due to the reason for issue and/or the insufficient evidence provided to support the details of your appeal, we have considered this PCN and found that it does not fall under the category of Annex F the Appeals Charter of the Single Code of Practice. Therefore, if no further evidence is provided, we will deem this to be our final decision.

You have now reached the end of our internal appeals procedure and therefore you now have two options; either pay or appeal to the Independent Appeals Service (IAS) - you cannot do both.

To make payment of the total amount due as shown above, please use one of the following payment options;

Online: www.paymyticket.co.uk

Telephone: 0345 463 4040 (24hr)

Post: Payments & Collections, PO Box 3114, Lancing, BN15 5BR

Alternatively, if you do not agree with your internal appeal outcome and you wish to dispute the matter further, as you have complied with our internal appeals procedure you may use, and we will engage with, the IAS Standard Appeals Service providing you lodge an appeal to them within 28 days of this rejection.

The Independent Appeals Service (www.theIAS.org) provides an Alternative Dispute Resolution scheme for disputes of this type. If you decide to appeal to the IAS, you will need to visit their website and use your PCN reference and corresponding vehicle registration. All PCN's will be uploaded to the IAS website by the end of this working day.

If you appeal this charge further then you will lose the ability to pay at the reduced rate (if applicable). In the event that your IAS appeal is unsuccessful, the full amount for the PCN will then be payable. If you lodge an appeal with the IAS and then subsequently pay the charge prior to that appeal being determined, then the appeal will be withdrawn, and you will not be given a further opportunity to contest the charge.

If you do not wish to dispute the matter further and payment is not received within 28 days of the date of this correspondence then additional charges may be incurred, for which you may be liable. If the charge continues to remain outstanding, the matter may be later referred for litigation in the County Court which could result in a County Court Judgment being made against you; this may impact on your ability to obtain credit in the future.

UK Car Park Management Ltd
Switchboard: 0345 463 5050
www.uk-cpm.com
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Re: Parking Charge UK Car Park Management
« Reply #13 on: »
They thoroughly investigated the evidence you provided that the land is not “relevant land” for the purposes of PoFA 2012 by ignoring it completely. Nothing unusual, because if they agree with you they get £0 whereas if they reject your appeal you might pay them.
The IAS will side with them, but the process will cost them money at least.

Re: Parking Charge UK Car Park Management
« Reply #14 on: »
OP, you are assisting the RK who is RK and not simply a hirer or lessee, yes?

So, any ideas what this might mean?

Please note, a new notice will automatically be generated and sent to you, as the liability has been transferred into your name.