NCPS legalized scam

TripleAce

Hi!
I would like to start by saying that I am not the type of person who usually moans and complains when gets a fine, fortunately it does not happen often, maybe once every couple of years, I usually just take responsibility, pay and move on.

Said this what happened to me a couple of weeks ago really went beyond what I am just willing to take and move on, I honestly believe that the NCPS guys (Nationwide Controlled Parking Systems) are just a bunch of scammers just thinking of making money without any sort of decency. Here is what happened and I know that "technically" I am in the wrong, but a scenario like this should not even exist in first place.

I live in a private apartment block in a Cul-De-Sac road, the area is very quiet and there is no passing by except residents coming and going. The whole residence has 100 apartments with roughly 70-80 private parking spaces and another 15-20 extra spaces on the side road just outside the apartment block. Just beside there is a Creche, this has another 15 parking spaces that have become privately owned 24/7 by the Creche in the last couple of years.
99% of the times when returning late at evening I am lucky enough to find a car space either in our private car park (spaces are not assigned) or in the side road just outside.
A couple of weeks ago however, my wife and I returned home on Saturday at around 9pm and all parking spaces were taken, inside and outside, therefore I decided to park the car in the Creche car park (which is also on the side road btw). The following morning I get down to take the car and find it clamped, with time stamp 10:30pm on Saturday night and a sweet 120€ release fee! Note that during the week I would never park there because I know it is needed by the parents taking the kids to/from the Creche, and even at night I don't park there (even though I don't see how that could be a problem if the car gets removed very early in the morning and it is known that we have problem with the number of parking spaces). But Saturday night....10:30pm.....they gotta be kidding me!

I submitted a request for appeal but it was rejected. I will now go on on a second level appeal and see what happens, but I am afraid I "broke the rules" and good sense rarely prevail in these circumstances.

I can even give the 120€ to charity, it is not just a matter of money, I just don't want these f***ckers to keep them, I am really raging while I write this. This shouldn't even be a private 24/7 car park in first place :mad:

I just want to do whatever I can to screws NCPS and make them pay back and make sure people know what a bunch of scumbags they are. Any advice is welcome! :mad:

I took a couple of pictures on Sunday, just to show why I believe giving a fine for this is beyond <rude>.

http://i58.tinypic.com/28rywkn.jpg

http://i62.tinypic.com/hvcgw5.jpg

Atlantic Dawn

Private area private rules, if you don't like them buy a consaw.

frozenfrozen

take the clamp off yourself then you don't have to pay the release fee. don't damage the clamp, chain, or lock though

jcon1913

as far as I know there are guys who will remove the clamp for a fee themselves ( a lot less than €120 ) and this is totally legal as they dont damage the clamp. PS please post pictures of the NCPS guys as they come to collect their clamp just to see their faces.....

EDIT - I just realise you have paid the fee already.. Chalk it down to experience and move on...

slimjimmc

TripleAce wrote: »

This shouldn't even be a private 24/7 car park in first place :mad:

If the creche own or lease it then they decide how it is to be used and not used, just as you would if owned or leased your own personal parking space. Sometimes it's simpler for all to have a blanket ban.

TripleAce wrote: »

I just want to do whatever I can to screws NCPS and make them pay back and make sure people know what a bunch of scumbags they are. Any advice is welcome! :mad:

Unfortunately there's not much you can do now to get them to pay your money back, they have the fee and the clamp so you've no hold over them. You could ask the creche (or whoever has hired NCPS) to appeal on your behalf but I wouldn't hold out much hope of success. However if it's vengence you want I suggest you forget about it and move on.

Edit: Imo your anger is directed at the wrong party. NCPS are just enforcing (it seems correctly) the rules set by whoever contracted them to control of the car park.

TripleAce

I have some news on this, I was driving home last night and while looking for a parking space I noticed that they removed the "no parking sign" and therefore that is no longer a clamping area. The probably realized how what an obvious scam this was - I will go through the appeal process again and see how it goes.

I also noticed just outside the creche they stick a "don't park on footpath" sign (written manually), I guess that is not subject to fine/clamping, right? Was planning to stick my car there going forward.

Del2005

TripleAce wrote: »

I have some news on this, I was driving home last night and while looking for a parking space I noticed that they removed the "no parking sign" and therefore that is no longer a clamping area. The probably realized how what an obvious scam this was - I will go through the appeal process again and see how it goes.

I also noticed just outside the creche they stick a "don't park on footpath" sign (written manually), I guess that is not subject to fine/clamping, right? Was planning to stick my car there going forward.

Parking on a footpath is always subject to a fine or being lifted if causing an obstruction, only difference is it'll be the Gardai or a parking warden doing you.

TripleAce

I just wonder if NCPS has been operating legally now, because it sounds to me just too much of a coincidence that after I told them I will go public with this story they removed the clamping sign just a few days later (they have been there for a couple of years). Would the Garda be able to check whether they were doing this legally or not? If not the Garda, who should I check with?

Thank you!

slimjimmc

TripleAce wrote: »

I have some news on this, I was driving home last night and while looking for a parking space I noticed that they removed the "no parking sign" and therefore that is no longer a clamping area. The probably realized how what an obvious scam this was - I will go through the appeal process again and see how it goes.

I also noticed just outside the creche they stick a "don't park on footpath" sign (written manually), I guess that is not subject to fine/clamping, right? Was planning to stick my car there going forward.

Might be better to actually confirm with whoever controls that area/car park if it's ok to park there rather than making another assumption.

Fred Swanson

This post has been deleted.

PeteK*

Who owns the road?

savagethegoat

did anyone ever get prosecuted fro criminal damage of the clamp, chain or padlock?

TripleAce

I will go on 2nd appeal (external company) for 120€, but honestly I don't even care that much about this. What I do care is to find out if NCPS has been operating illegally all this time and ensure they get fined or more if they did, would you know who I can check this with? Would the Garda know?

Thank you!

Fred Swanson

This post has been deleted.

daheff

Can you check with the council who actually owns the road space? Is it the creche /council/apartment/developers?

If its not the creche, then they (or their contractors) cannot legally enforce a clamping zone without the approval of the owner. If they are,then there would be issue for the Gardai to get involved (fraud, interference with rights to property etc).

as the clamping signs are gone, I reckon you have a leg to stand on in your 2nd appeal. Make sure you bring that point to bear hard and fast in the appeal.

TripleAce

Thanks guys! I will check with the council who own the road space and take it from there!