Bid to end parking fines in hospitals and supermarkets

They’re the curse of the weekend shopper a £60 fine slapped on your windscreen for leaving your car just that little bit too long.

But one young lawyer is hoping to call time on “unenforceable” parking tickets and earn thousands of fine victims a multi-million pound windfall.

Cambridge law graduate Michael Green, 22, is leading a legal bid to overturn fines issued in the car parks of train stations, NHS hospitals and supermarkets.

The penalties issued by private firms are given to drivers for exceeding stated time limits.

But Mr Green is adamant they are unlawful and is now aiming to gather 100,000 cases together to go to the High Court and prove it.

He said: “These ‘fines’ are not official fines, but instead a matter of private law between two parties.

“When you park in a car park you are entering into a contract with the company which provides that parking space. If you breach a contract then under contract law that company is only allowed to make a claim for the amount they’ve actually lost.

“Because these spaces are free to park in, I would argue the amount is actually nothing.”

The battle could, if successful, go on to be Britain’s largest ever group litigation with the young lawyer convinced “at least 10 million people” could claim their money back. The fines would also be stopped for good.

It’s estimated the firms will collect around £127 million in ‘fines’ this year alone well above the £93 million collected in 2010.

Mr Green believes that any new ruling made as a result of his crusade could lead to the revoking of 98% of those.

He said: “People take cases like this to the county court fairly regularly and judges will often rule the fines are unenforceable and the charge will be overturned.

“By gathering the cases together, and taking it to the High Court, we can set a legal precedent.

“In my opinion, they’re unlawful. To make an estimated £176m industry out of this, without having clear legal precedent to do so, is concerning.”

The private parking wardens who operate outside supermarkets and hospitals issue ‘parking charge notices’ named to replicate official council ‘penalty charge notices’.

However, they do not hold the same legal standing as official fines. Michael is attempting to gather 100,000 cases together before going to court.

So far 1,300 people have signed up to his cause. The student is asking people to register their interest at challengethefine.com.