An expert says that he often hears parking operators say that the motorist should have read the terms and conditions – but saying these three magic words could save drivers from paying hefty fines
A former judge has divulged a straightforward three-word phrase that could help you wriggle out of paying parking fines when contesting a ticket. “I knew nothing,” are the magic words from ex-judge Stephen Gold, which might just be your golden ticket to dodging the charge.
It appears playing dumb is the way forward, as Gold suggests drivers who believe they were oblivious to the payment specifics stand a good chance at successfully appealing. Chatting with the Daily Mail, he said: “The operator must prove that you agreed to its conditions: if and when you would have to pay, and what would happen if you did not pay.
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“It will be unable to do this unless it can show that the conditions were displayed on one or more notices at the car park which a reasonable motorist would have seen, even if you did not see them because you drive and walk facing the sky.”
One could argue they simply missed the parking signs, particularly if they’re not prominently placed. There’s also a chance that the signage was nowhere to be seen along the path taken by people entering or exiting.
Mr Gold continued: “The car park operator will almost certainly rely on written evidence at the hearing which will include photographs of the signs containing their conditions. But sometimes the photographs will fail to establish where exactly the signs were displayed in relation to where you were parked and the route you would have taken to reach that point.”
Motorists are being alerted to a spate of counterfeit Penalty Charge Notices, or PCNs, cropping up nationwide, reports Birmingham Live. These sham PCNs are equipped with scam QR codes in a worrying new trend dubbed ‘quishing’.
A Peckham local reported: “After examining the ticket closely, it became clear that it was a fake, designed to deceive residents into paying fines to a bogus company.”
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In Islington, a motorist discovered a phoney ticket which claimed he had received a “parking charge notice,” in contrast to the legitimate “penalty charge notice.” The fraudulent notice demands payment of £120 “within the next 14 days” or a “discounted amount” of £60 for “early payments” within seven days.
A Southwark Council spokesperson commented: “We are aware of the issue and will be investigating further alongside informing the police. We would urge residents and visitors to remain vigilant and please report any suspicious parking tickets directly to the council’s parking team to verify by emailing [email protected] or calling 0800 138 9081, Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm.”
It continued: “Anyone who thinks they have been victim of a scam should contact their bank and the police as soon as possible.” The council also noted that “the council has not received any reports of these fake parking tickets.
They explained: “If someone believes that they have been given a fake parking ticket, they can get advice or report it to Trading Standards by contacting Citizens Advice or report it to Action Fraud.”