The Courts used to frown on "penalty clauses" but seem to have given up in the face of tacit government acceptance of the now ubiquitous practices of parking companies. I saw one such 'fine' off, on similar facts, but it took me a year. They ignore 'pre-action protocol', have a fake extra-judicial appeal system (judges in own cause), & employ harrassment (by debt collection agencies) & breaches of GDPR. Unchallenged employment of plate recognition is a further erosion of civil liberty.

Forgive me, but this interests me. The start point for an "invoice" is a contract. The parking sharks claim the basis of the "contract" is what they display on their boards. But on these facts, their boards never get them beyond an "invitation to treat"; an "offer" to enter into contractual relations that was, as a matter of fact, incapable of being accepted. No contract = No invoice = No chance before County Court. State your case in writing (by letter). They won't sue, bc they'll lose.

An aspect of this which i find depressing is the DVLA 's claim that it does not disclose personal data to third parties (clearly asserted when one taxes online), but it very clearly does. I can't look up your name & postal address by reference to your registration plate, but the parking sharks plainly do, and the DVLA asks us to believe it doesn't sell data to them? The #DVLA is both lying to motorists, and trading their personal data in breach both of GDPR & their undertaking.