AA Zone

The trouble with the law is that it does not discrimate between private land to which the public has some reasonable expectation of access, such as the car park of a public house, and that to which they have no expectation of access at all, such as the front drive of your house.

I live in a block of flats, so my "front drive" is a car park with about 20 spaces, spread around the building. There are about 80 homes with parking rights on that land, and the only way of preventing non-residents from parking there is for the management company to retain the services of a clamping firm.

Having had to park outside in the past because guests, or other non-residents, have parked inside, I have no sympathy at all with anyone who is clamped where I live.

I understand that there are some dodgy clampers out there, but I must say as a Land Owner with a carpark for Private residents, if people keep insisting on Parking where ever they feel they want to; then a suitable deterant needs to exist.

What sort of penalty is justified : £60, £150, £200?? From experience the clamping firms need to charge a fee that will act as a deterant but allow them to run their business.

I am all for the Clamping firms to be regulated, but do not believe in OUTLAWING the clampers as there would be no deterant and people will just park wherever they feel like it.

I needed to post this as all the other posts seem to be from people gripping about being charged for parking illegally in the first place..... perhaps these people will think twice now when they park on other peoples land without permission

My vehicle was clamped on Sunday afternoon at whilst stopped at a private estate at N. Bolton car park Garratt Lane Tooting, London.

The circumstances surrounding the unjustified clamping of my car are as follows:

I stopped my car besides Tooting Broadway roundabout at N. Bolton car park to withdraw some cash from the nearest cash machine. My wife was sitting in the passenger seat of the car with the car engine on and the keys inside the ignition. Immediately I walked out of the car park and reached the ATM, my wife rang me and told me that a man was bent over the front wheel and the other was knocking hard at the window. She was terrified so I rushed back and saw two Security men standing with my wife, together with the fixed penalty notice and the (Cash only) charge of £190 as removal fee where my car had stopped.

I tried to explain to them that I had not parked my car and I had just stopped, whilst my wife was sitting inside the car with the keys in the ignition, but one man physically stopped me from getting into the vehicle, while the other made out the ready Penalty Notices. They refused to lsiten to me and both put notices on my car simutaneously and told me to pay £ 190 (Cash only) to get the clamp removed.

I phoned the Vehicle Removal Department, five times on there no where the service person on other side disconnected my calls four times and finally insisted that I pay them £190 cash to get the clamp removed and then I could appeal against it.

My concerns are:
1. I had not parked my car on Sunday afternoon, I had merely stopped to get some cash form the ATM, whilst my wife was sitting in the passenger seat with keys in the ingition. The two men did not give any word of warning despite ius both being there, and my car was clamped simultaneously to receiving a penalty notice.

2. When I reached my car, one man physically stopped me from getting into the vehicle while the second secured the clamp and fixed penalty notice and clamp warning notice on my car. If the clamp is not secured whilst the driver is by the car, the law says the clamp must be removed. The penalty was not issued prior to the fixing of the clamp. The law states that it must be issued prior to the fixing the clamp.

3. I tried to explain this to the vehicle removal department but unfortunately instead of listening me they told me to pay them cash only and then appeal against it and disconnected my calls four times.

5. The attitude of the clampers was abusive and based on discrimination towards me as I had only just observed different treatment to two men in the same car park. (you may find this on your CTV). One motorist with the same situation as me was given a verbal warning and was asked to move his car from the property; another car which was parked negotiated a £145 fee and given a code to display on their dashboard if they needed to park in future. I have passed this matter on to the police to investigate as a case of racial discrimination.

6. I was forced to pay cash only and threatend to move my car to the car pound immediately.

Thats my appeal content which have written and didn't heared back from them don't know what to do now. Any help !!!!!

Our car was clamped this morning by a 'trigger happy' clamping firm in Reading. We parked in front of a premises which advertises it has a parking areas for customers on its website. My husband got out of car to go to next door shop, I took off my seat belt leaned over to get a sore throat lozenger from the glove compartment and saw this man standing in front of the car. I got out and asked him what was going on...next thing he tells me he is clamping the car because we are abusing a parking space for customers specific to the shop. This is all happening within seconds of my husband getting out of the car. Incidentally I was getting out of car to use the shop which owns the parking space!
I explained to him that I haven't had the chance to get out of my car to use the services of the shop and I am being accused of abusing the parking. I walking to shop to talk to shop assistant to ask why we are being penalized before i can start my shopping...shop assistant is not helpful and says she doesn't have anything to do with the wheel clamping.
Wheel clamper tells me my husband should have gone into shop with parking bay first then gone to shop next door! So the passenger and driver cant go to different shops!!!!!.....my husband returned and picks up the discussion with wheel clamper and I go into shop to make my inquiry, have a discussion with shop assistant and leave with advise I had gone there to get!....we pay the charge to get the car out and I call local police for advise....surely this is not acceptable!