vehicle clamping/towing away on private property

KLX213

New member
where we live, there is a section that is double yellow lines (apparently owned/controlled by the council) and then at the back of the complex there is a private, gravel car park, with roughly 100 spaces.

now, when we first moved in everyone used to park on the double yellow lines, and we were fine - until just before xmas traffic wardens started coming round and giving people parking tickets, so everyone moved to the back carpark (the private, gravel one).

this car park is intended for people with parking permits only (residents basically).

i think what was happening was people were parking their car there during the day, going to work in the town, then getting their car after work - saves on paying £6-8 a day in parking.

even though some people took the **** a little, there always seems to be enough spaces, even at its busiest, and i certainly have never had trouble finding a space (i am a resident with a permit).

now as of a week ago, new parking enforcement signs have been put up, basically saying "only park her if you have a permit, if you don't you will be clamped, ticketed and maybe towed away" blah blah blah.

these clampers have been sat in the car park for the last 48 hours, just praying on people who are parking there "illegally" and slapping them with a ticket and a clamp.
trouble is, i think there is only one permit per household, regardless of if there are 1 or 4 bedrooms, so in some cases genuine residents are getting shafted.

having thought that private property clamping was illegal, i found out through some searches that it is not illegal. however, this site http://www.adviceguide.org.uk/index/t_wheel-clamping_on_private_land.pdf states that

"in order for your vehicle to be legally clamped:
the landowner does not charge more than a reasonable fee to release your vehicle "
what would you say is a reasonable fee? how much would you say is enough to get the clamp removed/pay off the parking ticket/and pay for the expense of being towed if it comes to that?

i have the price to be unclamped here, but will post them shortly as i just want to see what others think, or what others have paid in the past to remove a clamp.

because quite frankly i think it's disgusting what they are charging. i shouldn't ever be clamped as i have a permit, but now means my frienRAB and family can't come and visit as they will be targetted.

apologies for the long rant.
 
DepenRAB on whether the car park is manned and whether the cars are clamped in-situ or taken away.

I'll assume that the cars are left in-situ but that the clampers are off-site. In which case I reckon between £50 to £75. Not saying I think that is reasonable, but what I think they would easily be able to justify to the authorities.

Cheers,

Nigel
 
the car park is not manned.

it is essentially 2 "new build bocks" of flats. with some allocated parking spaces for residents (they had to pay an extra £10k for these i think) and everyone else is supposed to park at the back of the complex in the private car park.
 
How long's a piece of string?

Personally, I'd say £100 is ample, but I know they go a lot higher than that.
I parked my car at 6pm in Werabley once, thinking I was ok, but the actual time didn't start until 6.30pm and I had to pay £200 to get my car back.
Fortunately I could afford it, but that's a hell of a lot of money for some people.

The rates are disgusting, I agree.
 
also, that advice site i linked also says:

"It is a SIA requirement that a landowner must not clamp your vehicle if:

it displays a valid disabled badge"

i assume a valid disabled badge is a blue badge?

with regarRAB to this piece of information, the signs in our car park say

"all charges below may apply, includes blue badge holders"

so they will clamp and ticket disabled drivers as well, even though they are not meant to?
 
if says 'charges apply', which doesn't necessarily mean clamping will apply.

I saw our local parking-enforcement car driving around this morning - we have a lot of street-parking in our town which is valid from 6pm to 8am - nice little earner driving around at 8:02 (as this morning) and ticketing people who hadn't quite left the house.
 
If its private land, can you ask the management company to arrange for each flat to have more than one permit? Where I lived in London we used to give one permit and a spare for visitors (all the flats were two bedrooms).
 
right then, onto the prices:

clamp release fee - £125 +£35 per day the clamp is on the vehicle (so that is £160 straight away)
parking charge notice - £85 (each car that has been clamped is given a ticket as well)
so far upto £245 if you spot it and get it taken off within one day

and if it is towed away then a further fee of £250 is to be added.

oh, and £5 surcharge if paying by card.

so a minimum of £245
rising to £495 if towed away
plus £35 for each additional day the clamp is left on.

i don't personally think those charges are "reasonable"
 
Get on here mate:

FightBack Forums

Lots of information about private companies clamping people and how to avoid charges...and if you do get charged then pay on Credit Card, take them to small claims court and get the CC company to do a Charge back
 
Excellent.

Parking fines are pointless. Excessive amounts of money given to fat-cats for petty things... You didn't steal, you didn't hit anyone with your car, you didn't endanger the life of anyone. Just stopped your car on some land. Big deal.
 
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