Clamped with a permit

Lord Nikon

My partner has just rang me and told me that she got clamped outside our appartment, and she has a permit valid. I rang NCPS and they said she was parked in someone elses place.

There are two underground carparks of which I have access to one of them via a transmitter, but since we both have cars only one of us has access to the underground carpark, because only one of us has the transmitter.

There are vacant spaces outside the appartment for visitors and such, so she parked her car there instead, and resulted in clamping because she is in another persons parking space. NCPS told me there are numbers for each space specific to the appartment you live in, which are clearly NOT visible or anyway readable.

Any thoughts???

Viper_JB

Tallon

If you're sure that there are no numbers, then call them back and explain that.

Can you not apply for two transmitters?

Lord Nikon

When i got my permit I was never assigned another space, nor did we receive another transmitter. Another transmitter is 65 euro. Our landlord was to inform us of parking designation which we never received, yet we could freely park where we wanted for the last 2 years without incident. I rang the management company and they said that we cant park on the ground level spaces because they are designated for other appartments.

Lord Nikon

If the spaces have no numbers, who can they be designated for, and how do you know there designation for each appartment?

faceman

neuromancer wrote: »

When i got my permit I was never assigned another space, nor did we receive another transmitter. Another transmitter is 65 euro. Our landlord was to inform us of parking designation which we never received, yet we could freely park where we wanted for the last 2 years without incident. I rang the management company and they said that we cant park on the ground level spaces because they are designated for other appartments.

If you have never formally been advised of the parking arrangements as advised by the clampers then thats your first point. Take pics of the "numbered" parking spaces. Also because you parked like that without incident for 2 years, that sets precedent.

Write to them outlining all this.

Technically private clamping is illegal anyway.

Paulw

faceman wrote: »

Technically private clamping is illegal anyway.

It's not technically illegal at all. But, neither is it fully legal. It's a very confused and gray area.

Lord Nikon

When my partners dad went to the car, the clamp wasnt on the car, and the clamper wouldnt give access to the car to let him drive it away. he put the clamp on as quickly as possible.

Yawns

neuromancer wrote: »

When my partners dad went to the car, the clamp wasnt on the car, and the clamper wouldnt give access to the car to let him drive it away. he put the clamp on as quickly as possible.

It'd be failry impossible to stop him from getting into the car and put a clamp on at the same time in fairness. The father was a bit soft in this case. I'd have gotten in and drove backwards and forwards in the spot to piss the clamper off.

Where do you live? A local friendly boardsie might be able to help you out If you come out and find ur car without a clamp you can't be responsible as you didn't cut it off

Private clampers really annoy the **** out of me. I was clamped in my own designated spot and wasn't given a permit by management company for 2 months depsite constant calls and letters to them. I was using my own designated spot with my apartment number on it but they still clamped at 6am. Weren't too long getting it off when I told them I had just bought an angle grinder for it

Paulw

neuromancer wrote: »

When my partners dad went to the car, the clamp wasnt on the car, and the clamper wouldnt give access to the car to let him drive it away. he put the clamp on as quickly as possible.

Wow.

If that was me, I wouldn't have allowed him to put the clamp on then. Plenty of ways to stop him, from physically getting between him and the car, warning him that you are driving away and then starting the car engine and moving the car back and forward, etc.

KamiKazi

chop it.

Don't let them see you do it, and dispose of the evidence.

Anan1

neuromancer wrote: »

When i got my permit I was never assigned another space, nor did we receive another transmitter. Another transmitter is 65 euro. Our landlord was to inform us of parking designation which we never received, yet we could freely park where we wanted for the last 2 years without incident. I rang the management company and they said that we cant park on the ground level spaces because they are designated for other appartments.

Is it in your contract with your landlord that you're entitled to two parking spaces? If so, i'd make this his/her problem rather than yours - you're paying for spaces where you won't get clamped.

HellFireClub

neuromancer wrote: »

My partner has just rang me and told me that she got clamped outside our appartment, and she has a permit valid. I rang NCPS and they said she was parked in someone elses place.

There are two underground carparks of which I have access to one of them via a transmitter, but since we both have cars only one of us has access to the underground carpark, because only one of us has the transmitter.

There are vacant spaces outside the appartment for visitors and such, so she parked her car there instead, and resulted in clamping because she is in another persons parking space. NCPS told me there are numbers for each space specific to the appartment you live in, which are clearly NOT visible or anyway readable.

Any thoughts???

You should call the Gardai and report illegal interference/immoblisation of your car. Whatever about in a public place, this private clamping thing has absolutely no basis in law and is no different from someone taking the wheels off your car and not returning them until you pay them money.

Yawns

nah don't even bother with guards. It's a grey area as it's deemed private property and once there's signs up it's deemed you've accepted terms & agreements by parking there. It's far quicker and better to cut the clamp (without being seen) or get some1 else to do it while you're on camera elsewhere. When they can't prove it's you there's nothing they can do.

Or as someone else said put a sign on your car (your private property) advising any clamps placed are done at owner's risk and they will be removed with force. Owner of vehicle accepts no responsibility to dmg caused by removal. Removal fee is €200 per 24 hours or part there of. So if they clamp they're deemed to have accepted your terms and conditions.

Lord Nikon

Update : okay there are numbers on the spaces but not the underground ones. I called into the person who has the space with his number. Get this, he doesn't even own a car, and doesn't care who uses the space. Infact he thinks the clampers are terrible.

I could cut the clamp, but the spaces are facing about 30 apartments. No way to do it without been seen or heard.

The sign stipulates that parking illegally or without a permit would get a clamp. I'm parked legal and have a permit. I'm ****ing sick of clampers making up their own rules.

Anan1

neuromancer wrote: »

Update : okay there are numbers on the spaces but not the underground ones. I called into the person who has the space with his number. Get this, he doesn't even own a car, and doesn't care who uses the space. Infact he thinks the clampers are terrible.

I could cut the clamp, but the spaces are facing about 30 apartments. No way to do it without been seen or heard.

The sign stipulates that parking illegally or without a permit would get a clamp. I'm parked legal and have a permit. I'm ****ing sick of clampers making up their own rules.

Have you spoken to your landlord? They're a member of the management co, who employ the clampers. If you are entitled to park there then don't even bother trying to sort this yourself, just pay the fee and bill your landlord.

Yawns

Clampers won't even bother looking for a witness tbh, most ppl hate em and they know this. Sure go hire one and have a m8 cut it off. It's cheaper than paying and they'll think twice about clamping you again if you park correctly and display your permit as they don't want to lose clamps.

Don't bother going down the landlord route with the bill because as you said it was parked in a numbered spot. Even if the other person didn't care it's not the LL who made you park there etc.

Far far easier to have it cut and be done. NCPS are a bunch of gits tbh. If you rang them you probably got through to a rude lad aswell. I did when I rang em. Got a cheeky tone asking "ya gonna pay up or wha?!?"

Tefral

Its it a clamp with a chain or just the clamp with the hook over the top of the wheel?

johnos1984

Jack the car up, flip the clamp upside down and secure under the car.

Take it to someone tomorrow to have it removed.....

thebiglad

Contact your landlord who can take it up with the Management Company - as they employ the clampers they should be able to get this resolved.

Tell your landlord if it is not sorted (or they cover the cost) you will be moving out - the last thing they will want it to lose the rental income.

vtsboy

Just cut it of or ring them and tell them you have been given the right of the owner of the space to park there. I would personally go with the first choice myself

Miscreant

neuromancer wrote: »

Update : okay there are numbers on the spaces but not the underground ones. I called into the person who has the space with his number. Get this, he doesn't even own a car, and doesn't care who uses the space. Infact he thinks the clampers are terrible.

Would the person who "owns" the space you are clamped in be nice enough to call NCPS on your behalf stating that they allowed you to park there as his guest?
It is a bit rich of them to clamp you in place if you have been parking there for a while and someone even attempted to drive the car away before the clamp went on. Is this not obstruction and false imprisonment if he did not allow you to drive away before clamping?

Lord Nikon

See, the thing is, is that's its my partners car, and like a lot of people, she doesnt need the grief of having to appear in court with criminal damage.

I didnt make it easy for the clamper yesterday, I stuffed my A4 up beside it so he couldnt remove it, then his supervisor called me explaining the situation, where I hurled all the abuse i could at him over the phone. In the end I still had to pay.

The enforcment notice explained that I was parked in an alloted parking space, and the clamper told me that I was parked in a space for a disabled person. Now, i'm all for disability spaces, and I would never nor would my partner park in a disabled persons space. The problem is the way they have all this information that no one else has.

There is a list of rules and regulations that only NCPS are privvy to, and that everyone should be notified about, and our landlord should have told us. Yet, having a permit and parking outside my appartment is still not enough for these shower of extortionists.

After relaxed in the comfort of parking on private property, with a valid permit, how about a "**** you, gimme 120euro and you can have your car back".

I wouldnt mind, but as i look out the window now, there is a Yaris where I was parked yesterday not clamped, but I was.

Anan1

neuromancer wrote: »

There is a list of rules and regulations that only NCPS are privvy to, and that everyone should be notified about, and our landlord should have told us.

So why not take it up with your landlord rather than wasting your time on NCPS? I mean, do you want to fix this, or do you just want to rant?:)

westdublin

If you dont want to cut the clamp the other way is to leave the car there for a few days as they will remove it because its worth more to them being used somewhere else then left on your car if you dont pay

Lord Nikon

Anan1 wrote: »

So why not take it up with your landlord rather than wasting your time on NCPS? I mean, do you want to fix this, or do you just want to rant?:)

Landlord new nothing about disabled spot, and the rant makes me so much better, even though im down a tonne. I will be appealing, but it's like pissing in the wind, you appeal to the clamping company, and they decide the outcome.

It like asking the footballer who got slide tackled if it show be a free kick.

Lord Nikon

westdublin wrote: »

If you dont want to cut the clamp the other way is to leave the car there for a few days as they will remove it because its worth more to them being used somewhere else then left on your car if you dont pay

It's a 120euro per 24 hours of part thereof. Imagine if they never removed it after 5 days and its 600yoyos to remove it.

Solair

Just buy your own clamp and fit it to your own car when you park it
They'll assume someone's already clamped you and walk away

johnos1984

If you can afford to leave it parked up for 5 or 6 days they will come and remove it themselves as the chances of you paying are nil after that and it won't be making money for them

I've seen it done and all perfectly legal

Anan1

neuromancer wrote: »

Landlord new nothing about disabled spot, and the rant makes me so much better, even though im down a tonne. I will be appealing, but it's like pissing in the wind, you appeal to the clamping company, and they decide the outcome.

It like asking the footballer who got slide tackled if it show be a free kick.

Here's the thing: You pay the landlord rent for your apt with two parking spaces. The landlord is a member of the management company, who employ the clampers. In other words, the clampers answer to the MC who answer to the landlord who's responsible to you. IMO, you've picked completely the wrong people to give out to - your approach is one step short of giving out to the clamp.

johnos1984

Anan1 wrote: »

your approach is one step short of giving out to the clamp.

I've shouted at the clamp before but it didn't improve matters.

I also shouted at the clamper and it made me feel much better but I don't advise it

Lord Nikon

I rang the MC and they said I have to take it up with the clampers, because they clamped the car. No one takes responsibilty, but the clampers have to be paid. i dont have the time and energy to give out to people on the phone, explaining the situation, and they take no action or do nothing about it.

Oh, and i was issued 2 permits, but no information was given to me about allocated parking spaces. As i said, it's a grey area when it comes to parking anywhere with NCPS around. Even if i was completely in the right, NCPS certainly won't say they are in the wrong, and the best you can do is appeal to them AFTER you paying for the clamp removal.

I'm damn right at giving out to them, they are extorting people, not the MC or the landlord.

Mc Love

Could you block the clamper with your car until they give in?

Lord Nikon

Yeah, but for how long can you tie up two cars?

If he can't remove it, then he can't remove it. You have to call him when he can remove it.

keithclancy

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dOth1bEAOng

Have a look at this

Anan1

neuromancer wrote: »

I rang the MC and they said I have to take it up with the clampers, because they clamped the car. No one takes responsibilty, but the clampers have to be paid. i dont have the time and energy to give out to people on the phone, explaining the situation, and they take no action or do nothing about it.

You're not a member of the MC, they don't even have to talk to you.

neuromancer wrote: »

Oh, and i was issued 2 permits, but no information was given to me about allocated parking spaces.

You've been there two years, in an NCPS-controlled car park, and you never got around to finding out exactly which parking spaces you were paying for?

neuromancer wrote: »

I'm damn right at giving out to them, they are extorting people, not the MC or the landlord.

Your landlord, as a member of the MC, employs these people. Why are you running around, wasting your time & energy, trying to do your landlords job for them?

MagicSean

neuromancer wrote: »

My partner has just rang me and told me that she got clamped outside our appartment, and she has a permit valid. I rang NCPS and they said she was parked in someone elses place.

There are two underground carparks of which I have access to one of them via a transmitter, but since we both have cars only one of us has access to the underground carpark, because only one of us has the transmitter.

There are vacant spaces outside the appartment for visitors and such, so she parked her car there instead, and resulted in clamping because she is in another persons parking space. NCPS told me there are numbers for each space specific to the appartment you live in, which are clearly NOT visible or anyway readable.

Any thoughts???

Happened to me before. I simply told them that someone else had been parked in my space and that there was no actual list given out of assigned spaces. I ended by saying that if it wasn't removed within the hour I would be removing it myself and looking to press criminal charges and a civil suit against them.

I have no problem with clamping when it is done correctly but I have no time for cowboys.

Lord Nikon

Anan1 wrote: »

You're not a member of the MC, they don't even have to talk to you.

You've been there two years, in an NCPS-controlled car park, and you never got around to finding out exactly which parking spaces you were paying for?

Your landlord, as a member of the MC, employs these people. Why are you running around, wasting your time & energy, trying to do your landlords job for them?

I never said I was a member of the MC. And the clampers dont need to talk to me after they clamp my car?

They were quick enough to send out permits for parking, but it took them 2 years for them to start clamping me??

Do you honestly think landlords give a crap about their tenents. They get their rent, and the rest is a burden on them.

Also, do you have a problem with me? Seems like you work for NCPS or something...

Anan1

neuromancer wrote: »

I never said I was a member of the MC. And the clampers dont need to talk to me after they clamp my car?

They were quick enough to send out permits for parking, but it took them 2 years for them to start clamping me??

I meant the MC, not the clampers.

neuromancer wrote: »

Do you honestly think landlords give a crap about their tenents. They get their rent, and the rest is a burden on them.

Take the declamp fee out of your rent, and insist that you get the free use of the two parking spaces you are paying for. You don't want the landlord to care, you want them to fulfil their contractual obligation to you.

neuromancer wrote: »

Also, do you have a problem with me?

FFS, I was trying to help you! But hey, if you'd rather rant and moan and nurse a persecution complex and most likely be clamped again next week then be my guest.

neuromancer wrote: »

Seems like you work for NCPS or something...

* sighs * You really need to start thinking rationally about this.

Yawns

Also for future refernece. Do you know anyone brought to court over a private clamp being cut off? Get someone else to cut it and they can't touch you. You answer to any questions they ask is

"Sure I went down to the car and there was no clamp so I just drove away"

They can't prove you cut it so they can't do ****. Ignore all letters and nothing will happen. Never pay a private clamping company any money ever.

Anan1

Yawns wrote: »

Also for future refernece. Do you know anyone brought to court over a private clamp being cut off? Get someone else to cut it and they can't touch you. You answer to any questions they ask is

"Sure I went down to the car and there was no clamp so I just drove away"

They can't prove you cut it so they can't do ****. Ignore all letters and nothing will happen. Never pay a private clamping company any money ever.

Apart from the excitement of cutting off a clamp, your advice makes no sense for a tenant in an apartment complex. The OP will still lack clarity on where they can safely park, they'll still be exposed to being clamped again, and, if the MC have a word with their landlord, they risk being evicted.

ants09

you car was clamped, well bring it to a garage to see if they done damage to it while clamping it and then send the bill to the clamping firm giving them 1 day to pay and if not fee will go up by same rate there's does etc and legal action will be taken to enforce the debt.

listermint

Yawns wrote: »

Also for future refernece. Do you know anyone brought to court over a private clamp being cut off? Get someone else to cut it and they can't touch you. You answer to any questions they ask is

"Sure I went down to the car and there was no clamp so I just drove away"

They can't prove you cut it so they can't do ****. Ignore all letters and nothing will happen. Never pay a private clamping company any money ever.

OP do this.


and dont waste your time or breath in future on the phone. they are all cowboys some operating under the guise of legitimate enforcement something or others. Anyways its all waffle.

nnnnarrrrrrr chop ching..... brum brum

Solair

I'd suggest that you lobby your local councillors and TDs as follows:

Create a petition and get everyone in your apartment complex / housing development to sign it.

Then deliver it to the local reps explaining that if they do not do something about this situation and place clamping clearly on the local Government and national Government agenda, then you will not be voting for them.

Going along to a politician saying that you can remove / deliver several hundred votes is quite a significant motivator for them regardless of which party they're from.

In fact, you're in far more powerful position than your average corporate lobbyist going into meet FF at the Galway Tent at the peak of the boom.

So, use your people power wisely.

Also, ensure that you get any politicians on-board to publicly commit to doing something about it, then hold them to it.

Yawns

Anan1 wrote: »

Apart from the excitement of cutting off a clamp, your advice makes no sense for a tenant in an apartment complex. The OP will still lack clarity on where they can safely park, they'll still be exposed to being clamped again, and, if the MC have a word with their landlord, they risk being evicted.

Well I was clamped in my apartment and I rang my LL and informed him what I was prepared to do about it. He said fair enough. In my case the MC hadn't bothered to give me permits despite constant requests.

In the end the clampers took it off before I got to remove it myself but I do have the angle grinder still I wouldn't hesitate to use it. it annoyed me no end the phone call I did make to NCPS to explain and they were so cheeky on the phone is what made me lose my patience and go buy the angle grinder.

keithclancy

Cut off clamp.

When they call say 'What clamp'

listermint

Anan1 wrote: »

Apart from the excitement of cutting off a clamp, your advice makes no sense for a tenant in an apartment complex. The OP will still lack clarity on where they can safely park, they'll still be exposed to being clamped again, and, if the MC have a word with their landlord, they risk being evicted.

Clampers I find dont like losing x2 clamps. They are like elephants. Oh thats the car that we 'lost' a clamp on last time......

Anan1

listermint wrote: »

Clampers I find dont like losing x2 clamps. They are like elephants. Oh thats the car that we 'lost' a clamp on last time......

The employee who does the clamping suffers no financial loss from 'lost' clamps, I can't see why they'd care.

listermint

Anan1 wrote: »

The employee who does the clamping suffers no financial loss from 'lost' clamps, I can't see why they'd care.

Im pretty confident there would be an issue for an employee losing some clamps. So yes, like anyone they employee doesnt want the hastle.

Anan1

listermint wrote: »

Im pretty confident there would be an issue for an employee losing some clamps. So yes, like anyone they employee doesnt want the hastle.

The employee's not losing them, people are cutting them off. I honestly can't see how it's any hassle for the clamper - he gets paid either way. What I can foresee is NCPS having a word with the management company, and that could well end badly for the OP. What's the goal here, is it to upset NCPS or to help the OP?

EoghanConway

Bring them to the small claims court. Claim for the cost of the fine + the permit which did not work as advertised. Don't sink to their level.