Car Park Management used to be performed by the use of Wheel clamping on private land but this was made a criminal offence on 1 October 2012, through the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012.
Wheel clamping was outlawed to stop rogue operators from maximizing profits on vehicles through alleged manpower, time, and hardware costs. This change has also impacted how we perform effective car park management now the simple way is to private parking tickets to vehicles that are parked without permission.
With clamping no longer an option for most private locations (with the exception of some railway stations, airports and local authority housing under local by-laws, as well as public bodies including the police and DVLA) – landowners were left trying to figure out how they would be able to perform effective car park management to stop people parking on their land.
There is still a need for landowners and private car park operators to be able to control those who park, but the enforcement must be fair and reasonable when a need arises to private parking tickets on private land.
The laws of contract still allow for landowners or their parking enforcement contractors in order to perform effective car park management to issue private parking tickets on private land to people who park on private land, provided there are clear private parking signs in place and to ensure that private parking tickets are issued clearly and legitimately.
The International Parking Community (IPC) have a new code of practice which stipulates the process that members need to comply with in order to perform car park management and issue private parking tickets and as a result gain access to keeper records at the date of event from DVLA so we can enforce keeper liability under Schedule 4, Protection of Freedoms Act 2012.
The change in the law allowed landowners the opportunity to perform effective car park management and issue parking tickets with the legal backing to enforce unpaid charges – This was later confirmed by the Supreme Court in the case of Parking Eye -v- Beavis in which they rules parking charges were not unlawful penalties and instantly closed down old arguments used by many that private parking tickets were unlawful and unenforceable – All courts in the UK are bound by this decision.
The IPC & BPA have devised a strong system of control over how companies and individuals can perform effective car park management and how and when parking tickets on private land can be issued, such regulations require their approved members to issue notices that provide options for credit or debit card payments, as well as fair and clear means for appeal if the person who has received a private parking ticket wants to challenge it.
The IPC code of practice states the normal maximum sum its members are allowed to charge for a ticket is £100, which must be discounted by up to 40 per cent for prompt payment.
Any amount in excess of this must be fully justified by the parking enforcement company and then approved by the IPC or BPA, for example, if the parking has caused substantial consequential losses.
Combined Parking Solutions offers landowners (and any person authorised to manage private land) a solution for car park management and preventing unauthorised parking on their property and the ability to issue private parking tickets on private land in the event of non payment by the driver (or registered keeper if conditions stipulated under the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012) enforce them via the courts.
Clients then take pictures of any offending vehicle, in accordance with strict guidelines set out by Combined Parking Solutions, they upload them to their account and the contravening vehicle is sent a private parking ticket in the post. Combined Parking Solutions, as a member of the IPC approved operator scheme is able to obtain the details of owners and keepers of cars from the DVLA to enforce unpaid charges.
We operate 100% in accordance with The IPC code of practice and each charge issued is £100, reduced to £60 if full payment is received within 14days.
We offer a full appeals system if a driver feels the charge has been unlawfully issued and whilst this is taking place any charge will be placed on hold – A driver must appeal within 28days of issue and if they are unhappy with the outcome of an appeal to ourselves they can appeal to the Independent Appeals Service.
Combined Parking Solutions believe you should not be tied into long term contracts to use any service we offer to enable landowners to issue private parking tickets on your land , although we would like you to be a customer for as long as you have a need.
We do not tie customers into contracts for our car park management services and should you be unhappy with our service you can simply give us 7 days notice.
If you require custom made signage then this is charged at cost price or you can make your own signs based on the approved template and there is no cost from ourselves to set you up.
The IPC require all self ticketers who issue parking tickets on private land to be approved and they make a charge of £30 for a 2yr approval – this is a cost for ALL car park management companies who offer ticketing services in the UK and is outside our control.
With our system all your car park management issues will be resolved and should you need to issue a ticket then this will all be setup within a short space of time.
