Euro Car Parks - BP/Londis

[gollum]

Hi,

The keeper received a PCN from Euro Car Parks Ltd in February for an alleged 'overstay' at a petrol station with retail shop attached. The driver, along with another occupant and 2 dogs had just spent a harrowing day at the occupant's father's funeral. Faced with a long drive home the driver and occupant stopped just after 11:30 pm to regroup, and to get coffee and food for themselves and water and food for the dogs before joining the motorway.

Signage
1. No sign is visible at the entrance which is one way entry only. A later visit there revealed that there is an unlit sign at the entrance but it is high up and angled in the opposite direction at traffic entering from the opposite direction rather than the main road from which the driver entered.
2. There is a lit sign positioned over the HGV pumps which is not visible when an HGV is parked there.
3. There is one sign at the far end of the parking bays that run along the front of the petrol station shop. It is partially obscured by foliage, has a lamp in front of it and cannot be seen if a large van is backed in front of it. The keeper was parked at the opposite end.
4. There are two more unlit signs in an adjacent car park that one would pass on the way out. One faces roughly in the direction of vehicles leaving, the other is behind vehicles as they leave. They appear only relevant to those parking in that car park.

'Overstay'
The driver was parked outside the shop for a little under 50 minutes completely unaware of the 30 minute limit.

The driver and occupant went into the shop 3 times and made 3 purchases; 1 x cash, 2 x card.

The keeper received the PCN through the post in mid March but illness prevented them from attending to it so 'threatomatics' are now being sent from Debt Recovery Plus.

The keeper has all documents, video, dashcam footage, photographs and bank receipts to support the above. The original PCN notice is attached but maybe has too much redacted as the dates/times are blanked out. Please advise if a less redacted version is required. Photographs of signs are also attached.

My question is; should/could the keeper appeal to POPLA at this stage?

All advice welcome.

Thanks

[des8]

As no appeal was made to Euro no appeal can be made to POPLA.

Nothing to be done really now until a letter of claim is received.
Debt collectors can be ignored.

A less redacted copy of the NTK, showing dates and times , would be useful
Also could you obtain a photo of the car park sign in which the very small writing in red at the bottom is legible? (it probably contains reference to additional charges or costs and is a point for disputing if the matter ever reaches court)

[gollum]

Thank you Des8.

I've attached a less redacted version of the NTK but don't have a clear version of the red writing on the sign. I've attached what I have but will work on getting a better version in the next few days.

Thanks

[des8]

OK, but no hurry as there is nothing to do until Letter of Claim received.
I can probably work out now what that sign says anyway.

[gollum]

Hi,

I managed to get a clearer version of the red writing on the sign. I have to say that, even in daylight, I couldn't actually read it without a photo to zoom in on. The combination of the red on yellow, text size and sign height make it unreadable.

So now, I suppose, it's waiting time.

Thank you

gollum

[des8]

Noted
Just post back on this thread when you hear anything