Were ParkingEye operating without written authority at Corporation Street Retail Park, Preston, PR1 2UZ?

The Parking Prankster has been made aware of a freedom of information request which suggests that ParkingEye have been operating without written authority at Corporation Street Retail Park, Preston, PR1 2UZ.

The FoI request asked the council for their contract with ParkingEye. The council replied. The requester noted that the contract was dated September 2013, and asked for previous contracts.

The council replied that there were no previous contracts, but that there was a letter of authority

The letter of authority also confirmed there was no previous contract...

...and it was written by Rachel Ledson, [job title redacted] on behalf of ParkingEye...

...and was signed on behalf of the Landowner by Stephen Moore on 15th April 2013

So The Prankster wonders, if there was no contract in place, as confirmed by Rachel Ledson, why were parking charges being enforced before 15th April 2013. Presumably there was also no written authorisation in place, otherwise there would be no need for new authorisation.

The Prankster wonders if no authorisation was in place, why Rachel Ledson has been busy issuing court claims for parking events that happened back in 2012.

The Prankster also wonders if no authorisation is in place, why Nicola Rawlinson, Principal Solicitor for Tyne and Wear Pension Fund has been busy signing witness statements for ParkingEye court cases saying that there is written authorisation.

Well, it's all very confusing, with a lot of contradictory statements from ParkingEye, the council and the pension fund.

No doubt the council can sort this all out and send The Prankster a copy of the missing 'authority' to his usual address, prankster@parking-prankster.com so that he can clear matters up on behalf of his readers.

Happy Parking

The Parking Prankster

[If ParkingEye have filed a court claim against you in this car park for any parking date before 26th September 2013, please contact The Prankster for information about the FoI request. This also applies if you are appealing a parking charge either to ParkingEye or POPLA.]