Woman fined £24,500 for ignoring parking penalties

A woman has been handed the biggest parking fine ever in the UK, at £24,500, for ignoring more than 200 parking penalties, The Courier reports.

Carly Mackie, 28, persistently parked outside her mother’s house without paying the parking charge.

She believed she was entitled to park in front of her family’s garage near their home in Dundee and that the tickets were unenforceable.

However, the company Vehicle Control Services took her to court last year after she racked up £18,500 in penalties.

At Dundee Sheriff Court, Sheriff George Way stated in a written judgment that Ms Mackie had “entirely misdirected herself on both the law and the contractual chain in this case” – ordering her to pay £24,500.

He added: “She knew perfectly well what the signs displayed and that she was parking in breach of the conditions.

“She stated that (effectively a protest position) that parking charges were illegal and unenforceable in Scotland and that she could park where she liked as her father’s guest.

“The defender is not the tenant. The defender’s car was an additional burden on the parking facilities and she was the same as any other interloper.

“She was offered a permit by the factors (at a reasonable charge I think) but she refused on principle.”

He added: “Parking is not only an amenity but a valuable commodity in modern life.”

Debt Recovery Plus Ltd, which acted for the parking company, said: “This is understood to be the highest value parking charge case ever awarded in the United Kingdom.

“As some people in Scotland believe that parking charges are unenforceable (despite the landmark 2015 Supreme Court judgment ruling in favour of a parking operator) a record number of court cases are now being pursued in Scotland.

“We are happy to work with any Scottish motorist experiencing financial difficulties who would like to make a payment arrangement to settle historic charges before court action is taken.”