Northampton supercharger - BE WARNED !!

[H.Dickinson]

I got mightily cross when I returned from holiday yesterday to find a Parking Charge Notice for £100 (reduced to £60 if paid by 3rd January) in the post in relation to when I charged at Northampton on 17th December 2019.
For those who have not used them, the superchargers are located in the grounds of the Campanile Hotel. Apparently there are notices saying that all vehicles using the carpark have to go into the hotel and register their car number into a terminal at reception. Having been at a stressful meeting and having other things on my mind I did not clock this fact. I set the charging in motion and went into the hotel for a meal, and was there 1h 19m.
I decided to pay the fine and only having done so did I contact the hotel, and speak to the duty manager. Apparently the hotel is very close to a big Amazon depot and they have had great problems with Amazon staff using their carpark, hence the need to register that folk using the chargers are, in effect, hotel users. He said that, had I contacted him before paying the fine, he could have had it waived and he asked me to publicise this fact.
So, if you use the Northampton chargers always register your vehicle in the hotel reception. If you get fined, take it up with the management.
(I understand that there have been other complaints about Parking Eye for fines at this particular location - Hit by parking charge at Northampton UK supercharger )

 

[Latibes]

This happened to me, I contested it. Still waiting outcome. I informed the hotel, I am definitely not paying!

 

[T.F.S.]

You don’t have to pay they just send letters, it’s a private car park so there’s nothing they can do just ignore it.

 

[UrbanSplash]

Would be useful if the car alerted you to this requirement. Are the signs near the stalls ?

 

[bitmanEV]

This is at most if not all Hotels like Crowne Plaza, Holiday-Inn with Polar Chargers. Just drop in the reception and register you vehicle...

 

[NorfolkMustard]

Would be useful if the car alerted you to this requirement. Are the signs near the stalls ?

next to each stall, yeah

 

[NorfolkMustard]

You don’t have to pay they just send letters, it’s a private car park so there’s nothing they can do just ignore it.

They can take you to the small claims court. They have devious ways of making high charges valid by saying the contract they have with the land owner means your being there without registering costs the parking company ~90% of the fine value.

 

[Mark_T]

Would be useful if the car alerted you to this requirement. Are the signs near the stalls ?

Not only are the signs in the car park large and obvious, the notes on screen in the car if you tap on the map also tell you to register at reception...

Not sure how much clearer it can be...

 

[Not Sure]

Blood suckers.

 

[tsh2]

Simplest solution is for them to exempt Teslas from parking charges. No need to publicise the policy, and there should be no impact on the legitimate purpose of discouraging other businesses' employees using their parking.

 

[Glan gluaisne]

The sign is unlawful, too, as it refers to "fines", so suggesting that an offence has been committed. A fine cannot be levied for parking on private land, it's a civil matter that rests on whether or not there is a reasonable basis for requesting what amounts to a damages payment for a legitimate loss incurred by the land owners or their agents.

My understanding is that the agreement that Tesla have with landowners for Supercharger locations is that there will be no charges levied for parking. As such, it's hard to see how a parking notice could be valid, although the companies that run these extortion schemes are very adept at trying to scare people in to paying up.

 

[SirRob]

I've used that Supercharger and thought the signage was fine if I'm being honest.

Be wary of any advice that claims such penalties are completely impotent and can be ignored, the stress and lost cash that comes with calling their bluff can see you in front of a magistrate are very real, if they decide to go all the way.

 

[Glan gluaisne]

Certainly a charge can be levied for parking on private property, and if not paid then the landowner/agent can take civil action to both recover the unpaid charge and reasonable costs they have incurred.

However, it is not a fine at all. A fine can only be demanded if the law has been broken, as it's a criminal, not civil, penalty. The fact that someone has been fined will be recorded on their criminal record, and this is definitely not the case for a parking infringement that has attracted a penalty charge.

The sign clearly uses the word "fine", yet what has been issued by the landowner/agent is nothing of the sort, it's a civil penalty charge.

 

[JCremonini]

Certainly a charge can be levied for parking on private property, and if not paid then the landowner/agent can take civil action to both recover the unpaid charge and reasonable costs they have incurred.

However, it is not a fine at all. A fine can only be demanded if the law has been broken, as it's a criminal, not civil, penalty. The fact that someone has been fined will be recorded on their criminal record, and this is definitely not the case for a parking infringement that has attracted a penalty charge.

The sign clearly uses the word "fine", yet what has been issued by the landowner/agent is nothing of the sort, it's a civil penalty charge.

Indeed - it’s simply an invoice. It’s up to the receiver of that invoice if they believe they have been sent it under reasonable terms.

I would just ignore it. These people work on laws of average. If enough people are just coughing up the charges then they won’t bother going through the process and expense of chasing those who just ignore them. If you do want to reply then simply set out the reason why you are refusing to pay the demand and then ignore any further correspondence.

 

[Glan gluaisne]

I got caught by an ANPR error a few years ago, drove into a car park, didn't over stay my allotted time, and left. ANPR often misreads my numberplate, and in this case I suspect that their system had correctly read my plate coming in, but misread it when I was leaving, so assumed I'd never left the car park at all...

Took me about three months of correspondence with Parking Eye to get them to stop pestering me. I even had dash cam footage, including GPS time and position, showing me driving out of the car park. The level of intimidation these people use is seriously scary. They try every which way into bullying you to pay up. They repeatedly refused to send me the "evidence" they had of my car over-staying the allotted time, presumably because they didn't have any, as I suspect it was just an ANPR error.

In the end I just wrote them a politely worded letter, sent by recorded delivery, requesting that they initiate legal proceedings as soon as possible, whereupon I would produce my evidence and they could produce theirs, and we could find out once and for all who was right. They just didn't reply to that, and I didn't hear anything else from them.

 

[Cowpring]

One thing to note regarding the wording of the sign next to the Tesla bays is that the bays are (?) inside the car park of the establishment, and within the car park and at the entrance are likely signs with parking terms on them that probably state it's a penalty (not a fine) for not adhering to the car park regulations.

The parking regulations are likely defined by these signs, not by these Telsa ones which seem to just be a notification to Tesla drivers, and may have been installed by Tesla themselves (or property owner) rather than the parking firm who manages the car park.

That's not to say that them giving you a ticket is legal, or can't be fought or won/lost on appeal, but basing your argument against the parking firm based solely on that Tesla sign might not work.

I for one hate all the tactics these parking firms employ, it's total extortion. The government should set nationwide fixed maximum penalty charge for all private parking restrictions.

 

[cciebryan]

I have been hit with a fine from there within the first 2 weeks of getting my M3 in September grrrrr so i should have posted something on here earlier.. totally forgot

 

[Cowpring]

Also one more thing - always ask for proof that you overstayed or were parked in violation of the parking terms. Like in Jeremy's case, if they can't prove it, they can't (and wont) try and enforce it.

So always ask, it takes 2 mins, and you don't have to commit to fighting (or paying) it just for asking for evidence.

While some parking firms take photos, some don't. Also if the photo is wrong (i.e. doesn't show a permit, doesn't show your number plate, doesn't show the car in relation to the location of the car park/warning signs), then again they won't bother chasing you as it wouldn't stand up in small claims court.

My friend once was issued a parking ticket by the council, and although he was incorrectly parked and should have been given a ticket, they put the wrong numberplate on the ticket (wrong by one letter, mis-typed by the warden) and the council cancelled the ticket after he appealed.

They are waiting for you to slip up, so follow up on it and catch them out at every opportunity.

 

[tess19]

Is there any other SuC like these? On my last road trip, I sent my kids to plug the car in whilst I started Netflix. They might not have read or understood warning like these so I guess, I will be plugging the charger in the future.

 

[Cowpring]

Is there any other SuC like these? On my last road trip, I sent my kids to plug the car in whilst I started Netflix. They might not have read or understood warning like these so I guess, I will be plugging the charger in the future.

My understanding is that the agreement that Tesla have with landowners for Supercharger locations is that there will be no charges levied for parking.

In regards to both of these posts:

The 12 bay Heathrow Supercharger is in the car park of the Hilton Heathrow Airport. You get 30 mins maximum free parking if you register your reg at reception. Even within the Tesla it says you only get 30 mins free, then beyond that you have to pay. I think if you spend a certain amount of money in the hotel on food & drink they give more time for free though.