# Clamped £125 release



## sallytrafic (Jan 17, 2006)

I stopped in Farnham to deliver some large cardboard boxes for daughter's move. Couldn't get the new van to her house (flats over the access road acting as a height barrier) and the nearby carpark was completely full with half being given over to a Sundays farmers market and cars hovering to park (It's free on Sunday). So I parked outside her house entrance in an empty office car park. Delivered the boxes, three trips, had half a cup of coffee and used their loo. I had arrived at just after 10am. By 10.38 I was finally back at the van and I had been clamped at 10.37. (All timings from my phone and their documents (I called the release company at 10.39). 

It cost me £125 to be released.


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## sooty10 (Feb 22, 2009)

I thought these clampers were made illegal, or is that at a later date. Sorry to hear your story.

Sooty


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## lalala (Aug 13, 2009)

That is such bad luck! Were there any notices up about the likelihood of being clamped, especially on a Sunday?
lala


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## kaacee (Nov 29, 2008)

sooty10 said:


> I thought these clampers were made illegal, or is that at a later date. Sorry to hear your story.
> 
> Sooty


Sooty, I don't think the relevant legislation has come into force yet, it still has to be "rubber stamped" by parliament, presumably in the next few days now MP's have returned from their half term break.

Not a day to soon in my opinion.

Cost me over £100.00 a year ago to have my grandson's car released from this scum bags.

Keith


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## ardgour (Mar 22, 2008)

Thank heavens this sort of behaviour was outlawed in Scotland - I seem to remember the courts decided it was extortion or something similar.
Now daughter lives in England I dread parking down there just in case I miss one of these notices

Chris


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## Sprinta (Sep 15, 2010)

every home (motorhome?) should have one


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## GEMMY (Jun 19, 2006)

Sprinta, I always carry one. 8) 

tony


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## sallytrafic (Jan 17, 2006)

Unfortunately still legal in England and yes the notice did say at anytime.

However removing them will defo get you arrested, criminal damage, but not necessarily charged  . (Carer locked herself in car for 30 hours when clamped to prevent tow away but boyfriend was arrested when he tried to remove clamp later released without charge, case in Salisbury last week).

One extra titbit the clamper's car was briefly impeded from leaving the parking area by a car stopped on double yellows whilst someone was in the market and as I left there were cars all around waiting on the double yellows.


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## Rapide561 (Oct 1, 2005)

*Clamps*

Really sorry to hear of this Frank.

Did anyone read of the "Southend Siege" - whereby all the taxis rushed to assist a lady who had been clamped, resulting in the clampers vehicle being trapped!

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...-stumps-clamper-targeted-controllers-car.html

There are new laws coming in re clamping but I am not sure when.

Russell


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## Don_Madge (May 1, 2005)

Hi Frank,

That is what I call a wallet shattering experience, I think legislation is in the pipeline to follow Scotland's example and outlaw the practise. 

Don


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## JockandRita (Jun 1, 2005)

sallytrafic said:


> clipped.......It cost me £125 to be released.


OUCH!

Sorry to hear that you got stung Frank, and on a Sunday morning too. 8O

Don't these barstewards ever take a day off? Grrrrrr.

Regards,

Jock.


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## Richard_M (Dec 17, 2010)

*Re: Clamps*



Rapide561 said:


> Did anyone read of the "Southend Siege" - whereby all the taxis rushed to assist a lady who had been clamped, resulting in the clampers vehicle being trapped!
> 
> http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...-stumps-clamper-targeted-controllers-car.html


Didn't really understand that story, as the clampers did finally get their payment.

A question for you all: with private parking 'charges' unenforceable and clamping soon to be outlawed, just how would you stop someone parking on your private land?


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## seamusog (May 10, 2005)

As ardgour said, we don't let them get away with that stuff here, we'd tear them limb from limb :twisted: Saor Alba.
seamus.


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## dhutchy (Feb 7, 2010)

Come to Haworth and you will get clamped if your wheel is slightly over the parking line even if you have paid :evil: .A relation got clamped there while going to the shop to get some change for the meter  .We waited till it got dark went up in our van jacked the car up deflated its tyre managed to bar the clamp off re inflated tyre and drove off ,we left the clamp where the cars wheel would have been ,bet that p**sed em off :lol: :lol: very satisfying though :wink:


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## Spacerunner (Mar 18, 2006)

I used to work at Farnham many years ago, really is deepest toffee nosed Surrey at its worst. (excluding Jen & Ken of course). The most vehicle unfriendly place ever.
I would have been very tempted to set up home in the van Frank and worn them down over time!


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## dikyenfo (Feb 16, 2008)

Sprinta said:


> every home (motorhome?) should have one


If you have inverter the mains one from JTF is 8.50 and works v. well. If poss I would always cut them off.


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## DTPCHEMICALS (Jul 24, 2006)

That was tough Frank.

The penny spent in the loo was expensive.


These people do not have a sense of humour either.

dave p


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## Rosbotham (May 4, 2008)

I sympathise greatly, but having once owned a flat in a shared residential/office-block unit in a town centre, I think Richard's point this morning is a very relevant one.

For me, with the outlawing of clamping the pendulum's swinging too far the other way....I had people parking in the parking space for my flat while they did their shopping, and we had to have the car park resurfaced at tens of thousands of pounds, some of which was contributed to by non-residents use. If under the new regime the people in my old development don't have the threat of clamping, how do they stop people taking the p1ss?

Appreciate Frank used an empty office carpark, but the one-size-fits-all outlawing of clamping will cause issues. How happy would you be if someone parked on your drive?


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## bigfoot (May 16, 2005)

BE WARNED prior to the bill outlawing clampers,I suspect they will have a purge in their death throes Any bulk deals on bolt cutters or angle grinders?


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## SpeedyDux (Jul 13, 2007)

I feel sorry for victims like Sallytraffic, but there is another side to this problem, as has been pointed out by Richard_M and Rosbotham. The criminalisation of all clamping and tow-aways from private land is a political sledgehammer to crack a nut.

I've been looking into this and the "solution" for private residents is to be found in section 55 and Schedule 4 to the Protection of Freedoms Bill. Instead there will be a more complicated statutory right to claim a parking charge from the registered keeper (if the driver cannot be identified). This new system will require revised warning Notices to be fixed prominently on the walls and a new type of Parking Charge document containing statutory information to be put on the windscreen of offending cars. You will also have to provide an appeals procedure. You will need to get the registered keeper details from DVLA for which there is a charge. I can see there will be a need for test cases before the grey areas are resolved. It is much too complicated for most private occupiers to use.

Regulations are expected to be made which will extend the powers of Police or Local Authorities to remove vehicles on private land "_in such a position or in such condition or in such circumstances as to cause obstruction to other persons using the road or as to be likely to cause danger to such persons_".

In other words it is intended that existing Police and Local Authority power to remove vehicles causing an obstruction may be extended to cover private roads but not other private land, but only in relation to parking causing obstruction or danger, which is far too restrictive to provide a practical remedy for mere nuisance parking including blocking private driveways and allocated spaces. Fat lot of use that will be if you can't get out to collect your child from school, or if you have to miss an appointment.

SD


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## sallytrafic (Jan 17, 2006)

Rosbotham said:


> clipped How happy would you be if someone parked on your drive?


They did and do as soon as I go away. My next door neighbour being the chief culprit - one day I will catch him  He will do anything to avoid walking a few feet more and regularly blocks my off road parking space. 'Well frank what was I to do someone was in my space" ie outside his gate on the public road.


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## sallytrafic (Jan 17, 2006)

Spacerunner said:


> I used to work at Farnham many years ago, really is deepest toffee nosed Surrey at its worst. (excluding Jen & Ken of course). The most vehicle unfriendly place ever.
> I would have been very tempted to set up home in the van Frank and worn them down over time!


When our daughter was moving into her pub in Farnham with no off street parking we wanted to know where we could park our Trafic and its camping trailer.

The official response given to her from the council was we have no facilities for parking a trailer in Farnham please advise your parents not to bring it.


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## DTPCHEMICALS (Jul 24, 2006)

quote
The official response given to her from the council was we have no facilities for parking a trailer in Farnham please advise your parents not to bring it. 

But would you have been ok with a 35 ft RV

Dave p


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## Rosbotham (May 4, 2008)

sallytrafic said:


> They did and do as soon as I go away. My next door neighbour being the chief culprit - one day I will catch him  He will do anything to avoid walking a few feet more and regularly blocks my off road parking space. 'Well frank what was I to do someone was in my space" ie outside his gate on the public road.


There's a way around that Frank, but you might not want to do it lest it cause world war 3 to break out on your path. A mate of mine lives next door to a school, and came home one day to find a cheeky mum had parked on his drive. Simple solution...parked his car across his own drive, proceeded directly to nearest pub and downed enough drink that he wasn't in a fit state to move his car until the following afternoon ("sorry officer, I'm more than willing to move my car from outside my own home, but it's parked on a public highway and I'm 3x over the drink-drive limit and you wouldn't want me to break the law, would you? Is anyone else insured to drive my car? No... Well I know it's unfortunate for the lady in question but if she hadn't parked on my f...g drive we wouldn't be having this conversation...I did only park across my drive because someone was parked on it!")

Paul


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## dhutchy (Feb 7, 2010)

Paul :lol: :lol: :lol: spot on


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## passionwagon (Nov 13, 2005)

*Re: Clamps*



Richard_M said:


> Rapide561 said:
> 
> 
> > Did anyone read of the "Southend Siege" - whereby all the taxis rushed to assist a lady who had been clamped, resulting in the clampers vehicle being trapped!
> ...


 8O Yes clamping will be illegal by end of year BUT the _industry! _is working with the legislators to have the question of enforcable invoicing included in the act. So do not hold your breath.wink


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## teemyob (Nov 22, 2005)

*van*

I have oxy acetylene in my Van but not in the Motorhome.

Indeed a few years ago we had a van clamped and one group of lads who worked for me demanded to have the clamp removed or they would cut it off. The clamp was duly removed and I the Boss never paid the £110 ticket.

TM


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