Don't pay services fines, says lawyer
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• by Charles Young A specialist transport lawyer is advising hauliers not to pay the penalty charges demanded by motorway services operators if their drivers fail to pay for more than two hours' parking.
Jonathan Lawton, from Chester-based solicitors Wake, Dyne, Lawton, says he is advising his clients not to pay parking charges allegedly incurred by drivers, and that so far no cases have been taken to court. Writing in CM this week. Lawton adds: "The service operators have no statutory authority to pursue these charges and therefore only the driver can be held responsible and that, of course, requires that the driver should be identified. There appears to be no corporate responsibility for the act of a driver."
Lawton's comments follow a letter from Granada's credit agency to Cheltenham-based haulier Ralph Davies International in which the agency justified Granada's charges, stating that the Highways Agency was aware of and approved of them.
The agency, Close Credit Management, then re-stated its claim for payment on six outstanding parking charges.
It was replying to Ralph Davies' earlier query as to the legality of the charges. But despite this, a spokesman has confirmed to CM that the WMpany is in "no hurry to oay".
• See Letters, page 30.