Talk Morgan Forums Community The Malvern Arms Parking Fine - Enforceable?

Been parking at the local Lidl for ages with a free 90 minute park - it seems they have now changed it to 10 mins resulting in the dreaded parking fine.

Can this be enforced? Seem to think they (Athena) are unable to force payment and it is best to ignore it - or will I end up racking up hundreds and possibly a debt collector knocking on the door?

Seems to be a confused area.

It used to be the case that you could ignore it, but the law changed recently, and it isn't so easy. The best thing is to go on to Pepipoo or Pistonheads and read up about it, then please let us know.

Surely you are not expected to restrict your shopping to 10 minutes, that has got to be a nonsense for Lidl as well as their customers…..you could spend 5 minutes in a queue. Might be worth talking to the store manager, must be brassing off his customers big time…..

It is still nonsense and nasty.

First, check the signs in the car park are visible and accurate. If they are not then you can dispute the charge. Take photographs. If the signs are correct then you have been got.

Even so, if you were shopping there complain like merry hell to Lidel, both the store and the head office.

Third, Tell the local paper. Lidel will not like the negative publicity.

Forth, as has been said, read up on the process, but it used to be that if you pay, by BACS, a "reasonable" amount they cannot collect the debt, they have to go to court to prove your offer is unreasonable. They probably won't bother.

It's not a fine. It's a civil matter and they'd need a CCJ to enforce it. I'd complain vehemently to the store manager about it.

This might be worth a read

Parking Fines

Were you shopping at Lidl? - this can make a difference - if not then they can say that the car park is for customer use only. Our local Aldi has a system where you enter your reg at the checkout - otherwise it gets cramped with hospital parking - hospital is across the road & charges.

I got a parking ticket in lidl A while back and it was for 20mins over the 90mins allowed. I was told they allow 10mins over.

My advice having had something similar through the company

Don't ignore it

write immediately to both the lidl and the parking company explaining as a lidl customer you have been parking there for that amount of time for ages while shopping in lldl (any receipts are helpful) and that they have just changed it and that the signage was not clear enough that it had been changed etc etc

also that the fine is completely disproportionate to any loss by the company and would equate to £1 per minute which is ridiculous

There is also a parking obudsman that you should copy in all your letters and let them know you are copying them in

it might not get you anywhere fast but it stops them just passing it on to their outsourced company that just issues a county court action after three ignored letters and once the county court summons comes through you are on the back foot as a judge will ask why there letters were ignored plus you will incur county court fees and probably loose or have to settle in mediation

If it doesn't get you you clear they usually try and settle for a lower amount

but do not ignore

I am going to send them this and see what happens

Athena ANPR

(Copy to Lidl Customer Services)


4th December 2014


Dear Sirs,

Ref Parking Charge 0 0001 749 211 2nd December 2014


Further to your parking charge, please be advised that I have parked and shopped many times at the Barnsley Lidl when the free parking period was an hour (possibly two) and I was unaware that this had changed.

Now this change has been brought to my attention, I will of course abide by your parking rules in future.

The fee of £90 (reduced to £45 for early payment) for twenty minutes parking is unacceptably high, and completely disproportionate to any cost incurred by my parking.

Furthermore, I do not agree I have entered into a contract and intend to challenge this in court if necessary.

As a gesture of good will but with no admission of liability, I am prepared to pay a reasonable parking fee for the additional ten minutes of parking mentioned in your letter and enclose a cheque of £1 which I consider to be more then adequate.



Yours Faithfully