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Expert to challenge £85m of parking fines
A LEADING parking expert is mounting a legal challenge against Westminster Council that could net drivers millions of pounds in compensation.
Barrie Segal, who chucked in his career as a top chartered accountant to help drivers appeal against tickets, is convinced fines issued by Westminster wardens are “illegal”.
The 52-year-old, who founded the wesbite www.appeal now.com, forced three other London councils in 2006 to spike £17 million of tickets.
And now the Pimlico resident has £85 million of Westminster tickets in his sights.
He said: “I have challenged Westminster quoting chapter and verse. I believe that the illegality that I have found is the tip of the iceberg.”
He added: “Under the Road and Traffic Act 1991 the date of issue, among other things, must be shown on the parking ticket. Westminster Council’s parking tickets do not – they only have the issue date on the tear-off slip which, according to a recent parking adjudicators’ decision, is not part of the parking ticket. Therefore all such parking tickets have been illegally issued.”
In 2006, Mr Segal successfully challenged 455,000 parking tickets on the same basis across three London boroughs.
But the council’s director of parking, Alastair Gilchrist, scorned his attempt to haul in Westminster, claiming Mr Segal was misleading motorists in an attempt to boost business.
He said: “We feel that appealnow’s website holds inaccurate and outdated information and could mislead motorists into making unsuccessful appeals.
“The website charges a motorist around £8 to submit a challenge on their behalf, whereas the statutory appeal process laid down in legislation is free.
“Motorists are welcome to challenge parking tickets straight away by writing to the council directly if they feel there are grounds to do so.” |
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