if private, ignore

if council etc, pay up

You have something like a 1% chance (or less) of being taken to court over a private ticket. I don't even bother with Popla.

You are allowed a 'reasonable' amount of leeway on overstaying - assume 10mins. so if you were there for less than that they won't pursue to court (or easy win if they do).

If it's a small car park such as a pub, there will probably be some defect in the signage etc. They won't pursue it to court (or easy win if they do).

If it's a larger outfit in a larger car park that gets lots of 'trade' for the parking companies, they will probably be on top of the signage etc - but even then, if it's a one off they are v unlikely to be interested in pursuing it to court (chances of winning depend on nature of the penalty. There's an unhelpful court case that the parking companies like to use to say you have no hope of defending a case, but it's more nuanced than that and its distinguishable on its facts).

You'll get lots and lots of chaser letters. Eventually they stop. The more you engage, the more chasers you get.

Avoid doing it again though - if you amass a number of tickets from the same car park or same parking company you become a bit more interesting to pursue.

The ones that end up in court tend to either be incredibly unlucky, or mugs that engage with the parking company (so you are on their radar and might be seen as easy pickings), or prats that think it's clever to try to argue the toss about it and get all high & mighty. Don't give them any reason to make *you* the one they pick to try to make an example of people.

Posted By: CWC, May 29, 17:23:11