Milngavie woman in car park fine row

Fiona Mackay received a £40 fine for leaving her car on an unmarked kerbside for ten minutes in the Marks and Spencer car park, Milngavie, while she popped in for sandwiches on their way to a family funeral. The penalty increases to £70 if she fails to pay within 28 days.

She said: “I’m not paying it and I don’t think they can force me to pay.

“It’s just a big con and what worries me is that there are lots of OAPs who shop there and they would probably just pay it because they’d be worried that the fine would increase.

“I feel the need to protect the elderly out there who don’t have the means of researching and fighting something like this. I cannot understand why M&S would risk their brand name by allowing this.

“I’m dismayed that M&S would employ a system that relies upon scary notices mentioning court action and a fine that more than doubles within a month.

“Euro Car Parks cannot make people pay - they have to identify that you are the driver if they go to court and there is no legal requirement to tell them that you were the driver.

“Now I think I should be pushing for refunds for everyone who paid this.

“After all if you were levied a charge at your front door for something that was uncollectable it would be called a con.”

Marks & Spencer confirmed that Euro Car Parks owns and manages the car park at their Milngavie store.

A spokesperson for Marks & Spencer, said: “This includes ensuring there is appropriate signage to inform customers of the stay allowed in the car park, the management of tariffs, as well as the enforcement of any fines.

“Ms Mackay has contacted our customer services team and we are currently investigating her concerns.”

A spokesperson for The British Parking Association said: “An operator may pursue a parking charge in court and motorists should not assume otherwise, even though operators have not always resorted to court proceedings in the past. Operators may take advantage of streamlined small claims now available to them.”

Euro Car Parks were unavailable for comment before we went to press.