I've been fined for overstaying at a motorway services - must I pay?
Myself and a colleague today received parking charge notices for exceeding a two hour limit at a motorway service station. We feel disgruntled on several fronts; we were paying for food and refreshments, the car park is huge and there were dozens of empty spaces, and the DVLA, a government agency, provided our personal details to a company they presumably know nothing about! My immediate response is that I won't pay. What would you suggest? How likely is a company like this to be successful in pursuing payment?
Asked on 15 July 2010 by anthonyboulton43

Apologise for your "minor breach of contract in overstaying your allotted time" and enclose a cheque for £5 "in reasonable full and final settlement". It will then be up to Moto's parking enforcers to take you to court, stand up in front of a magistrate and insist that whatever they are attempting to hit you with is reasonable. It isn't, so they won't.
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