The Student Room Group

Halls Parking Tickets

So I got a parking ticket for parking at my uni hall. I usually park my car at an non restricted road around a mile away from my hall to avoid this. This time I went grocery shopping and I came back at around 8pm. I wasn't too keen on taking my car back to that road and then walking back to my hall in pitch dark, so I thought, surely they don't check at night, like who would be bothered to do that. Turns out they are a lot more anal about their parking than I thought. I got a ticket, and the time says 3:32am. I hope this person is payed enough for walking around car parks and giving people tickets in the middle of the night.

The whole thing is £100, £50 for not having a permit, and £50 for parking overnight.

I'm not gonna argue my way out of this. There is no point. All I want to know is if I can just ignore it. Its issued by the university itself, and I heard that the only ones you don't ignore are council and police issued tickets. It also says they will make me pay if they have to buy my details from DVLA, and that if I don't pay in 20 days, the ticket will become a debt, whatever that means.
Original post by Sheisun
So I got a parking ticket for parking at my uni hall. I usually park my car at an non restricted road around a mile away from my hall to avoid this. This time I went grocery shopping and I came back at around 8pm. I wasn't too keen on taking my car back to that road and then walking back to my hall in pitch dark, so I thought, surely they don't check at night, like who would be bothered to do that. Turns out they are a lot more anal about their parking than I thought. I got a ticket, and the time says 3:32am. I hope this person is payed enough for walking around car parks and giving people tickets in the middle of the night.

The whole thing is £100, £50 for not having a permit, and £50 for parking overnight.

I'm not gonna argue my way out of this. There is no point. All I want to know is if I can just ignore it. Its issued by the university itself, and I heard that the only ones you don't ignore are council and police issued tickets. It also says they will make me pay if they have to buy my details from DVLA, and that if I don't pay in 20 days, the ticket will become a debt, whatever that means.

Speak to the university directly, some universities won't let people graduate over library fines so i wouldn't completely ignore it.
Reply 2
Original post by Sheisun
So I got a parking ticket for parking at my uni hall. I usually park my car at an non restricted road around a mile away from my hall to avoid this. This time I went grocery shopping and I came back at around 8pm. I wasn't too keen on taking my car back to that road and then walking back to my hall in pitch dark, so I thought, surely they don't check at night, like who would be bothered to do that. Turns out they are a lot more anal about their parking than I thought. I got a ticket, and the time says 3:32am. I hope this person is payed enough for walking around car parks and giving people tickets in the middle of the night.

The whole thing is £100, £50 for not having a permit, and £50 for parking overnight.

I'm not gonna argue my way out of this. There is no point. All I want to know is if I can just ignore it. Its issued by the university itself, and I heard that the only ones you don't ignore are council and police issued tickets. It also says they will make me pay if they have to buy my details from DVLA, and that if I don't pay in 20 days, the ticket will become a debt, whatever that means.


Does it have a reduced rate if you pay it promptly?

It's not issued by the university - it's issued by a private company under contract to the university (or the landowner if that's not the university).

Have a look at: https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/reclaim/private-parking-tickets/
...especially the bit about evidence such as unclear signage.

But, as Claire said, speak to your university asap.
Reply 3
I just read that the university will only not let you graduate if you have a tuition-related debt. A parking picket I assume is not tuition-related.


Also, it is issued by the university, not by another company contracted by them. I know because it literally has the uni's logo, no mention of another company or anything. I know for a fact that its the people from the halls offices handing out these tickets.

I've been advised by my uni friends to appeal, since I've applied for a permit multiple times and instead of getting an answer I always got ignored. They think it gives me a good base for an appeal, especially that I'll be appealing to the same person that I wrote my permit application to.
You could try argue, get a copy of the evidence they have so video or photo of you entering the car park etc. If they can't provide this then appeal saying that you were at your parents house and arrived back at uni and unloaded your car with some stuff. Say you arrived at 3:10am and were sorting your stuff before moving your car.
Reply 5
Original post by scorpion95
You could try argue, get a copy of the evidence they have so video or photo of you entering the car park etc. If they can't provide this then appeal saying that you were at your parents house and arrived back at uni and unloaded your car with some stuff. Say you arrived at 3:10am and were sorting your stuff before moving your car.

CCTV everywhere. They could easily disprove that.
Original post by Sheisun
CCTV everywhere. They could easily disprove that.


Check the signage if there isn't any or the signage is not in particular places or readable then take pics, if you can find any errors with the signs such as size wise to what it legally has to be or the style of text or even the text being correctly spelt you can fight it on the grounds the signs aren't legal
"I hope this person is payed enough for walking around car parks and giving people tickets in the middle of the night."

It isn't the fault of the parking attendant, or the company who issued the fine, that you chose to park in an area where you knew full well you shouldn't park. Sorry if that's harsh, but it's true.

Most people don't take cars to uni because of the parking situation. You chose to take yours, but you then need to park in the correct place. I know it seems like a pain to walk back and you might not want to, but at the end of the day you made the decision to park somewhere you shouldn't, it's not as though it wasn't made clear to you. Just pay the fine. These things can get nasty and, like others have mentioned, if it's a fine you owe to the uni they can hold back your graduation until it's paid.
Reply 8


This is poor advice, unfortunatly.

OP - Create a thread on the forums:
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/forumdisplay.php?f=163

DO NOT ADMIT WHO WAS DRIVING. DO NOT CONTACT THE PARKING COMPANY UNTIL YOU HAVE SOUGHT ADVICE ON THAT FORUM
Reply 9
Original post by xoxAngel_Kxox
it's not as though it wasn't made clear to you.


That would be for a judge to decide. From my experience I've yet to see parking signage which made the terms and penaltys clear.
Original post by Reue
That would be for a judge to decide. From my experience I've yet to see parking signage which made the terms and penaltys clear.

"I usually park my car at an non restricted road around a mile away from my hall to avoid this."

"..so I thought, surely they don't check at night, like who would be bothered to do that."

Sounds like he knew to me. He's not actually saying he was unaware.
Reply 11
Original post by xoxAngel_Kxox

Sounds like he knew to me. He's not actually saying he was unaware.


But did he know he was entering into a contract and would be charged £100 either for the fulfillment or breach of that contract? Unlikely.

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