Parking? No I'm just living here for half an hour

Flap Gallagher wrote:Parking? No I'm just living here for half an hour

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-2449188/Parking-No-Im-just-living-half-hour.html#ixzz2h7KqqNJp

'This is all particularly hurtful when, at the same time, the Stourbridge Road car park was taken over by a group of travellers who were happily camping on the site.

‘I would be very curious to see what sort of parking fees or fines they have paid.’

Coincidentally, I discovered this letter after reading an email from Mail reader Paul Raybould, a security manager who has lived in Bromsgrove for 20 years.

Paul has become so infuriated with the council’s parking regime that he wrote to his MP, Sajid Javid, making a similar point about the travellers and asking him to investigate.

Why should motorists be fined for overstaying by a few minutes when travellers can occupy a car park for months without having to pay a penny?

This is the reply Mr Javid received from Bromsgrove District Council. It is a minor classic of its kind:

‘There appears to be some confusion regarding the basis upon which the travellers were on the car park in question.

‘The position in respect of any normal user of the car park is that, by entering and parking their vehicle, they are entering into a contract with the Council to pay a sum of money in return for the Council allowing them to leave their vehicle for a specified amount of time.

‘If the vehicle is left for longer than the paid for time, no payment is made, or there is a failure to comply with parking regulations, there is, in effect, a breach of contract which entitles the Council to make a penalty charge.

‘In the case of the travellers, they were on the car park as illegal occupiers and, as such, there was no contract with them as the purpose for which they entered was not permitted.

‘In the circumstances the appropriate course of action was not for “breach of contract” but for “illegal occupation”.’

After that, I lost the will to live. But you get the gist.


so it seems it is far better to not buy a parking ticket because they cannot charge you, but have to evict you, rather than buy a ticket and overrun.