Driver fights battle over parking fines at mother’s house

theguardian.com:

Benjamin Greenblatt is about to be taken to court for the second time for – as he puts it – “parking outside my mother’s front door”.

The 34-year-old has already had a previous claim against him dismissed by a county court judge but that hasn’t stopped the parking company concerned, Parking and Property Management Ltd, from having another go.

So, in a few days’ time, Greenblatt will be forced to once again defend himself in court.

It is the latest chapter in a long-running saga involving the private residential estate in Whetstone, north London, where his mother lives.

Greenblatt says that in 2018 his mother was taken to court by the estate’s previous parking company for “parking on her own land”. He says that case was also dismissed.

“I believe these private parking firms are getting away with murder … This is going to be the third court hearing,” he told Guardian Money.

Each year in the UK, private firms dish out millions of parking tickets.

Over the coming weeks, a fair few staycationers and day trippers – who are often parking in unfamiliar locations – will return to their car to find a ticket on their windscreen, or will receive one in the post.

The government has promised action in this area, and in February this year it announced a long-awaited code of practice for private parking firms, applying to England, Scotland and Wales, that would provide new higher standards and give better protection to drivers.

Ministers said the code would result in parking fines being cut by up to 50% in the majority of cases, saving motorists millions of pounds each year. It would include a maximum cap for parking fines, a 10-minute grace period before a late penalty can be issued, and a requirement for firms to clearly display pricing and