Is there any point in appealing a harsh clamping?

veetwin

I was clamped today on a fairly deserted north side Dublin city centre street. My ticket expired at 4.32. I got back to my car at 4.44 (checked my iPhone) and found a clamp on it with the notice saying the time of the clamping was 4.44. Clampers were long gone at this stage.

Paid my €80 and waited a further 40 minutes for a release. I asked the declamper if there was a grace period on expiration of a ticket. He said there is 10 minutes grace so it appears they were either standing over my wheel with clamp in one hand and a watch in the other or they had some extraordinary timing. He agreed that getting a clamp after 12 minutes was very harsh.

I suppose an appeal is a waste of time or does anyone have any experience of a successful appeal.

ba_barabus

Does it cost anything to appeal?

veetwin

No cost, just a matter of writing to Dublin Street Parking Services.

unkel

It was very harsh and pretty unfair, but I can't see any reason why an appeal could be successful. Recently saw those county council clampers at work on the quays. They were clamping a car 20 minutes out of date while several vehicles right beside it had no ticket at all or were hours out of date :rolleyes:

Got clamped myself in a ridiculous situation last year. On Jervis street with the little park on my left and the Jervis Centre on my right. On a Sunday. On an offical parking space. After 6pm (when all other official parking spaces in the area are free). Afterwards I had a good look at the signs and it looked like that particular little stretch of road with official parking spaces (about 100m long) actually had a no parking at all policy in place between 4pm and 7pm. As if the council meant for it to be used as a dual carriageway between those hours :rolleyes:

Needless to say pretty much the whole stretch of road got clamped. Those figures and times I mentioned are from the top of my head, might not be 100% accurate. I didn't bother appealing it.

veetwin

Yeah I probably have little grounds for appeal. I was summonsed to court as a witness in a civil case. The judge indicated at lunchtime that he would not hear anything beyond 4pm but of course the case went on until 4.40 which was the reason for my late return.

kirving

I've seen them up by Bolton St standing beside cars waiting for the ticket to expire, but they generally take a walk around, sit in the van for however long, and get people as soon as the ticket expires.

In almost all the meters I saw in the US, ie: each space had it own meter, you could text the code on that meter if you were going to be late and pay it on your phone bill. I know in Dublin they have that ParkbyText app, but you have to register and it's overly complicated.

unkel

veetwin wrote: »

I was summonsed to court as a witness in a civil case. The judge indicated at lunchtime that he would not hear anything beyond 4pm but of course the case went on until 4.40 which was the reason for my late return.

Those facts change everything. Appeal your clamping fine. You should win. On top of that, you should be fully reimbursed for the costs you incurred (what you paid for the parking in the first place)

markpb

unkel wrote: »

They were clamping a car 20 minutes out of date while several vehicles right beside it had no ticket at all or were hours out of date :rolleyes:

Cars with no tickets are likely to be ParkingTag customers.

Indricotherium

unkel wrote: »

Those facts change everything. Appeal your clamping fine. You should win. On top of that, you should be fully reimbursed for the costs you incurred (what you paid for the parking in the first place)

Just be sure to put enough in meter while you're in appealing it.

K.Flyer

Kevin Irving wrote: »

I've seen them up by Bolton St standing beside cars waiting for the ticket to expire, but they generally take a walk around, sit in the van for however long, and get people as soon as the ticket expires.

In almost all the meters I saw in the US, ie: each space had it own meter, you could text the code on that meter if you were going to be late and pay it on your phone bill. I know in Dublin they have that ParkbyText app, but you have to register and it's overly complicated.

For anyone who parks in Dublin City on a regular basis the Park by Text app is a must.
We have been using it for a few years now after a similar occasion of getting clamped after being 15 minutes late.
Now that we use the app all the time we have never been clamped once. Well worth the 5 - 10 minutes on the phone getting registered.
You get a text reminder ten minutes before your time is due to expire, a couple of taps from wherever you are on the phone and you pay for whatever extra time that you think you are going to need. Very very handy.


@ the O.P., it costs nothing to appeal the fine, I doubt you will get anywhere with it, but nothing vetured, nothing gained.

Marcusm

unkel wrote: »

It was very harsh and pretty unfair, but I can't see any reason why an appeal could be successful. Recently saw those county council clampers at work on the quays. They were clamping a car 20 minutes out of date while several vehicles right beside it had no ticket at all or were hours out of date :rolleyes:

Got clamped myself in a ridiculous situation last year. On Jervis street with the little park on my left and the Jervis Centre on my right. On a Sunday. On an offical parking space. After 6pm (when all other official parking spaces in the area are free). Afterwards I had a good look at the signs and it looked like that particular little stretch of road with official parking spaces (about 100m long) actually had a no parking at all policy in place between 4pm and 7pm. As if the council meant for it to be used as a dual carriageway between those hours :rolleyes:

Needless to say pretty much the whole stretch of road got clamped. Those figures and times I mentioned are from the top of my head, might not be 100% accurate. I didn't bother appealing it.

Lots of the ones without tickets may have paid via Parking Tag app. I doubt that they'd let an opportunity pass by.

Atlantic Dawn

markpb wrote: »

Cars with no tickets are likely to be ParkingTag customers.

Or have a "special" tax disc that the clampers check