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Why does the car parking company at my daughter's university try to entrap drivers?

On visiting my student daughter at Sentinel Towers accommodation at Leeds University on Saturday 12 October, I parked in a nearby carpark. The gate was open, the kiosk locked and un-manned, and signs stated that permits must be displayed at all times. A further sign stated that tickets are issued Mon-Fri, between 6:45 am and 9:15 am. A third sign referred to Total Parking (presumably the company's name), and the tariff. There was nothing to suggest that weekend parking was other than free. Three other cars arrived, all obviously students’ parents, but there was consternation regarding whether parking was indeed free. On calling one of the two numbers displayed, I was told that tickets had to be displayed even at weekends, and that the gate was left open so that the contractors could come in to clamp "illegal" parkers. We all left. This smacks of entrapment. Please can you tell me what my rights would be had I been clamped?

Asked on 21 December 2013 by CJ, Preston

Answered by Honest John
Express your outrage to whoever owns the property (presumably the university). It is now illegal to clamp cars on ungated private property in the UK but legal as long as there are gates, whether left open or not. See: www.honestjohn.co.uk/faq/private-parking-penalties/
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