I live within a block of flats with its own grounds for parking. A clamping agency have been employed to monitors and protect our flats and parking. Each of the residents are given a parking permit and in our agreement it says we must display the permit if we dont it may result in clamping and a fine. It appears that condensation on the windscreen reacted with the adhesive for the holder for my permit and it fell off. I was promptly clamped. I've lived there for a year and am shocked now that the clamping company will not understand that this is an unforseable and unaviodable error and insist i pay £125 to remove the car or they will impound it. Is there any way to wriggle free of what i deem is an unfair charge that should be recinded and can they really take my car even though i now am displaying a parking permit? Your help would be gratefully received.
Answers & Comments
Verified answer
This sounds like a reasonable case for getting your money back. You may have to pay the fine upfront, because the clamping operators are usually unfeeling a**holes, but you can take this case to the company, with proof that you have a permit (and prove that you've had it for a while, too) as a resident, which fell off without your knowledge.
Take this up later. Pay the fine to get them off your case, but you can surely take the matter up with them properly later. Even if a small claims court needs to be threatened. You are not at fault here. This was a something you couldnt have known about.
Get an angle grinder. Great for clamps. Even better, if you have a good friend with his own tow truck and workshop, "steal" your own car and tell them to go whistle. Get your car back after reporting it stolen perhaps...you can see where this semi stupid suggestion goes. I've seen it done, and the clamp company were out of pocket by quite a lot of trouble. I also seen it claimed that the clamp company stole the car-as they were borderline legal, they didn't want to be investigated.
On a more serious note, Citizens Advice may be useful. There must be an office associated with the flats and who deals with these crooks, I mean honest clamp businessmen. They would be the client of the clamping company and should have final say I would think on the service rendered. Going further on, make the clamping company aware that you are going to take legal action and that you will not be just giving in to their unreasonable demand.
I agree with the first answer, and another you thing you might suggest is that they have a list of the license numbers for the cars that belong to residents, so that they can double check it and avoid this situation in the future....
change your name toI.C WEANER.