Fined £260 for parking in a parents' space and leaving kids in the car

Rachel Bailey-Everest mother of three children accused a private parking firm of having 'no humanity' after she was fined £260 for parking in a parents' space and leaving her kids in the car.

Ms Bailey-Everest had used the special parking bay twice within the space four days to use a nearby shop.

She was shocked when she received the fines which were because she left her three children in the car instead of taking them with her to the store on both occasions. She tried to appeal against the fines but was told that she had failed to comply with the parking terms.

Rachel, from Cringleford, Norfolk, said: 'I feel so annoyed. It's just an easy way of making money out of people.

The first ticket was at the East of England Co-op in Norwich, Norfolk on August 24. 'I just saw a parents' space and parked there. I thought that will do, my boy's not well and I need to get in and get home. Her little boy was not very well at the time and he had fallen asleep in the car. She decided to leave three-year-old Benjamin with older sisters Sofia, aged 10, and Amalia, aged seven, while she popped into the shop

Rachel added: 'I thought the space was close to the store so one of the girls could come and see me if they needed to. I think I was in the store for about eight minutes.'

The second ticket was on August 28, using the same space and leaving her three children in the vehicle for around 11 minutes.

A few days later, the stay-at-home mum said she received a parking charge notice (PCN) from National Parking Enforcement (NPE), which manages the car park. It told her she had to pay a fine of £100.

Shortly afterwards, she received another PCN, but did not check the dates on the letters and assumed they were both for the same incident. She appealed against the fine, but it was turned down.

Rachel then received another letter saying she had not paid the second fine, and was being charged an extra £60 for debt recovery agents' fees - totalling £160.

She said: 'I didn't even know it was against the rules to leave your kids in the car in a parents' parking space.

Rachel went back and read the small print on the sign and it did say you've got to be accompanied out of the vehicle by a child under the age of 12. which she admits she didn't see.

Source  dailymail 

What can you do if someone parks on your drive without permission?

"pretty much nothing" - I know thats not what you wanted to hear!

Picture this situation: You've come home from work, only to find some random person has parked on your drive. What do you do?

.....Call the police?
.....The council must be able to do something, right?

Well, it turns out that you may have little or no legal recourse against this antisocial behaviour.

That's what one unfortunate homeowner in Bristol found out when a cheeky driver parked up on their drive - for FIVE DAYS. They said the police or authorities would not, or could not help, reports the Bristol Post .

Nobody knows whether the motor was left in someone else's driveway deliberately or mistakenly. But it was legal, taxed, insured, and had its MOT.

Avon and Somerset Police refused to comment and the city council said that unless a vehicle is blocking a public highway, officers have no power.

“Bristol City Council will investigate abandoned vehicles parked on public land or highway, but not on private land," said a spokeswoman.

"In order to be classified as abandoned the vehicle also needs to be untaxed for at least one month and left in the same location for a significant amount of time. There’s more information on the reporting process on our website.”

The police explained that the moment a car crosses onto your property, technically, trespassing has taken place. But it's a civil offence and holds no bearing in criminal law.
 

So what can you do?

It's a long and annoying process. You'll need to obtain an eviction notice from the courts. A solicitor would be able to get a civil court's permission to find out the identity of the legal owner, and a judge would then have to order its removal.

Now here's the ridiculous part. All this would probably cost you quite a lot of money. The court would process the order for removal, and that'd leave you with legal fees - perhaps thousands of pounds.

Is there an alternative?

You could simply park in front of the car, subsequently blocking in the vehicle in question. But doing this is only possible if you don't live on a main road with double yellow lines, and if your drive's big enough.

A quick solution is to hire a private tow truck (starting at around £100). But if the car gets damaged, you could be liable to pay for damages.

Certain circumstances

In some circumstances the police will be able to remove a vehicle, for example if the vehicle is in a dangerous condition such as:

• leaking petrol 
• contains dangerous items such as gas bottles

Either way, it's best to seek legal advice and alert the relevant authorities. The Citizens Advice Bureau would be the best place to start. Using a third party to have the car towed is not advised by the police.

“Don't damage or clamp the vehicle or have it removed by a third party for destruction or storage without first seeking legal advice," the police spokesman added.

"If you do any of these things, you may commit a criminal offence or the owner may pursue a civil action against you."

 Source:manchestereveningnews

No free parking spaces.... No problem

I cant think of any word other than pure genius to describe the idea here but would parking officers fall for it?

Take My Spot - How Did That Work Out For You?

Source: failking.com

Douchebag Parker

In this super-packed parking lot, I applaud your ability to find not only one spot, but four. You , sir, are envied by all douche bag parkers

Source

Ultimate Parking Fail Compilation 2014

I can promise you 2 things....

1. all of the people in these clips need someone to buy them parking sensors

2. You will at some point in this compilation put your head in your hands!

Thanks for always parking across the path

Thanks for always parking across the path. Itgives me the change to be a movie star and slide across your hood now and then. Try it, its Awesome!

I hit your car

I hit your car, its so shitty I don't think you'll notice. Sorry Dude

Source

Who taught you to park?

Who taught you to park? Stevie Wonder?

Source

Multiple Parking Spaces = Multiple Clamps

Source: reddit.com

What a large motorcycle you have

Source: reddit.com

Smart car parallel park

This is by far the longest I have ever seen anyone to park  smart car, the video has been around since 2012 but somehow passed me by. Thought I would share for those that haven't seen it.

I think our Dolphin parking sensors would have definitely helped this woman get in to the space faster

Princess Parking

Source: reddit.com

The way you pulled in to the space........

Todays Parking Contest Winner

Source: reddit.com

Recommendation for Perpetrator of Parking Fail!

You Park Like an @sshole, please dont reproduce... Classic, what more is there I can say.  So far this is my favorite parking fail note!

Calgary's Worst Driver - Wow She Needs Parking Sensors

If there is ever a person that needed parking sensors its this woman!!

The man in green top is the owner of red car. He helped the driver of silver BMW without knowing that she damaged his car before he arrived. She drove away without saying anything.