What applies on private ground?
A private car park is not public traffic space. The local authority has no remit here and there is no administrative fine. Anyone parking without permission interferes with your possession.
For rules to apply, they must be recognisable. A sign at the entrance naming the terms of use is the basis: whoever drives in anyway accepts them.
Two routes follow from that interference. You can have the vehicle removed, or you can turn to the keeper and claim the agreed contractual penalty.
What to do about an unauthorised parker?
- 1
Record the situation
Photograph the vehicle, the plate and the location with the date. Without evidence every further step gets difficult.
- 2
Reach the keeper if you can
If a phone number sits behind the windscreen or the driver is nearby, that is the fastest and cheapest route.
- 3
Commission a tow
If the vehicle stays, as holder of the site you may have it moved. Commission a company that works on private ground.
- 4
Claim the cost
The cost is borne by the unauthorised parker in principle. You have to advance it first and recover it afterwards.
What does towing cost and who pays?
The price depends on the vehicle, the time of day and the effort on site. A firm figure comes from the company you commission, for your case.
In principle the unauthorised parker pays. In practice the company invoices you as the client. You advance the money and recover it from the keeper – which does not always work without effort.
That is why towing only works as an emergency measure. It helps in a single case, such as a blocked entrance, but each time it costs time, nerves and money up front – and the next day the next car is there.
The lasting answer is the second route: a site with a posted contractual penalty. For that to hold, you need correct signage, evidence of every single breach and access to keeper data. Doing it yourself is laborious and error-prone.
So we take it on completely: we set the site up, record the breaches and handle the claim. You chase nobody and advance nothing.
Questions about unauthorised parkers.
- May I have a car towed from my private car park?
- Yes. As holder of the site you may have a vehicle parked without permission moved. The condition is that the terms of use are displayed visibly on site and that you can evidence the breach.
- Who pays for towing from a private car park?
- The unauthorised parker in principle. The company, however, usually invoices you as the client. You pay first and then reclaim the amount from the keeper.
- Can I report the unauthorised parker?
- There is no administrative fine on private ground; the local authority has no remit there. What is possible in your case, and which steps are worth taking, is best clarified with a lawyer.
- May I block the vehicle in or fit a clamp?
- No. Immobilising someone else's vehicle is itself an interference with their property and leaves you exposed. The permissible route is removal by a commissioned company.
- How do I obtain the keeper's details?
- Not by yourself. Information from the vehicle register requires a legitimate interest and runs through the responsible authority. If a service provider monitors your site, it takes this step for you.
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