Woman Spends Three Years Fighting Private Parking Charges

Birmingham Driver's Three-Year Fight Over Two Parking Fines

Woman Spends Three Years Fighting Private Parking Charges A Birmingham woman has spent three years fighting two private parking charges after she said she was authorised to park at a care home she had visited more than 100 times. Val Price, 70, received two parking charge notices from Smart Parking despite saying her vehicle was on the site's list of approved vehicles. The dispute continued for years and eventually reached the point where a court hearing was approaching. Driver receives dozens of letters over parking charges Price said she had received around 30 letters demanding payment during the dispute. She maintained that she had permission to use the care home's parking and that the charges should never have been issued. Smart Parking disputed that account, saying Price's vehicle was not authorised on the two occasions concerned and that the charges had been issued correctly. The company ultimately dropped its court claim two weeks before the dispute was due to be heard. The case highlights the difficulties motorists can face when a private parking charge is disputed over whether a vehicle was authorised to park. For drivers, the distinction between a council-issued Penalty Charge Notice and a private parking charge is also important. Private parking companies issue charges on private land under the terms displayed at the site. The government's current parking guidance says tickets from private companies, including those issued at supermarket car parks, should be dealt with according to the information provided on the parking ticket. POPLA, the independent appeals service for private parking charges issued by participating operators, says motorists should collect evidence supporting their case before submitting an appeal. That evidence can vary depending on the circumstances and may include records showing permission to park, payment information, photographs of signs or other documents relevant to the dispute. Price's experience also comes as private parking remains a major issue for motorists across the UK, with millions of parking charges issued each year. In July, the Competition and Markets Authority said its research suggested private parking operators issued around 14.4 million parking tickets during 2024/25. The CMA also announced action concerning concerns about private parking appeals and practices. For drivers who receive a private parking charge, keeping evidence and checking the terms of the car park can therefore be important if the circumstances are disputed. EveryonesParking can help drivers plan parking before travelling, reducing the risk of arriving somewhere unfamiliar and being caught out by different parking arrangements.