以前有朋友問我在Carlingford Village泊車購物，忘記了從泊車機取票，以致沒有在車頭展示泊車首3小時免費的有效時間，往取車時便收到罰款66元的告票，兩星期內不繳付便會增至88元。朋友很不服氣，問我怎麽辦。昨日另一位朋友遇到相同的情況，便驅使我動筆寫自己的看法，請勿視作legal advice，畢竟我連這裏的法庭都沒有去過，先卸責任，不想誤導任何人。
首先，這種由私人公司管理的停車場，發出罰款(fine)或告票(penalty ticket)，用字上已存誤導成分。只有政府人員(ranger)(即香港的traffic warden)，經立法授權才能發出告票，而且違例事項，經議會立法，成為法律條文(statue)，方為有效。任何一個立法環節的疏漏，都可致使條文失效(void)，施行的程序越權(ultra vires)。交通違例檢控，採用的是刑事檢控程序，私人停車場所發的告票，也叫penalty ticket/fine的話，實屬刻意誤導，使人以為被ranger抄牌一樣，理所當然的去繳罰款。在這裏，沒有任何法例賦予私人公司發出告票的權力。
這樣講商場的停車場不能為泊車設限嗎？
商場的停車場當然可以定下進場的條款(conditions of entry)，譬如每小時的泊車收費、首兩小時免費或購物多少錢便可免費泊車之類的條款，那是屬於合約(contract)性質。若然不同意有關條款，閣下有權不駛進去。故此，違反進場條款的情況，只屬賠償損失的追討，民事訴訟性質，並不能叫告票罰款或違例罰款。
收到告票，交錢還是不交錢？
如果停車場駛進時要按票才能入閘，離開時入票才能出閘，沒有人為此吭聲，因為泊車票無效就不能出閘。像Carlingford Village那種沒有門柵(boom gate)的停車場，收到告票才會出現交不交錢的問題。在此我不講自己會怎樣做，只講考慮因素。我們要看進場條款是否清晰展示，字體的大小及展示牌的數量。如果展示牌四週可見，字的體積又不是要放大鏡才能看清楚，便不存在不公平條款的情況。如果你還是不想繳款，應該怎辦及有甚麼後果呢？應該做的是：甚麼都不做。
如果你沒有繳交罰款，私人停車場的管理公司要向法庭提出申索，才能夠向你追討賠償，首先當然要找到你的資料。他們只能夠要求法庭批准RTA披露登記車主的資料，才可以採取進一步行動。沒有法庭許可，基於私隱，RTA不能披露有關資料。如果你見到水撥夾着罰款單而不試圖寫信或以其他方式聯絡該公司，希望游說對方撤銷罰款，便不會泄露住址，自投羅網。況且要求撤銷罰款，做法枉然，他們一定不會放過這賺錢的機會。如果你沒有自動獻身，泄露個人資料，他們未必會採取成本高的法律追討行動，事情會不了了之。以Carlingford Village為例，起碼我沒有聽過有人被入稟追討。
當然，置若罔聞，不繳罰款也有風險。萬一私人停車場的管理公司真的訴諸法律，你一旦敗訴，付出的代價會包括對方的律師費，costs follow event，爭拗空間有限。真的很不服氣而不惜訴訟的話，也需要足夠的理據，一時之氣冲昏的頭腦，上到法庭甚麼氣也洩掉。平常口齒伶俐的人，上到法庭可能緊張得木訥內斂，啞巴一樣。真的要抗辯的話，基本上從案情事實(facts)入手，他們的弱點所在。細節不在這裏談，因為我從來不鼓勵不必要興訟。
* 請参閱 再評悉尼私人停車場的違例告票
In furtherance of what I blogged above, the newest case I heard was Australian National Car Park Pty (the company managing Carlingford Village car park) applying to court to obtain the registered owner's particulars resulting in the owner paying $88 instead of $66. Failure to pay within 60 days, there will be a legal cost on top of the $88 payment. Personally and objectively seeing the case, I would advise you to pay at the outset if you inadvertently forget to obtain a ticket and display it conspicuously. If you are unsure whether you have a cogent reason to fight the payment, leave a comment here or send an email to my gmail, I can share with you my opinion. There are certainly a lot of discussions on the internet/forum. Plenty of them, I am afraid, I do not agree. The resentful feeling after being served with a notice to pay $66 is understandable. However, rationality prevails. There are a lot of notices propagating the conditions of entry. I cannot say the car park management company is at fault apart from the outrageous amount of penalty which is disproportionate to one's expectation of reasonable parking fee. That said, what about parking in the street where you have to feed the meter? Failing to do so can also attract an infringement ticket far exceeding the parking fee itself.
回覆刪除I parked at Carlingford Village in the morning having a ticket expiring 12.47 pm. I left and returned parking at Carlingford Village having another ticket expiring 3:45 pm. They fined me because I have my first free ticket expired 12.47 pm. It says "Breach of Condition Code 007 Contrary to terms and conditions". Trying to find out if I can do multiple entries. I still got the later ticket with me.
回覆刪除Annie,
刪除I will check their conditions when I next visit the place. I believe I saw a notice with all the conditions there. If you just move your parking position in Eastwood Council parking, you are still liable to the fine when accumulatively exceeding the time limit. In some of Westfield's parking, when you enter the gate, the camera captures your licence plate and recorded in the data base. If you just drive out and re-enter, the parking time accumulates no matter how many times you go in and get out in a day. You are still liable to pay the parking fee for exceeding the free parking time. Analogously, if there is such a condition in Carlingford Village saying you can only enjoy free parking for 3 hours every day, getting a new ticket does not exempt yourself from breaching the condition. There are 2 matters you can consider 1. whether the fine prints of the conditions are so small that the contract is deemed unfair. 2. How long you park there cumulatively? Did you have to pay for the exceeding time instead of liquidated damages for breach od condition?
Annie,
刪除The conditions displayed do not specifically say 3 hours' free parking each day. I would say you have an arguable case. The conditions do not preclude multiple entry and each time you can park for first 3 hours free. Apart from that, even if the conditions stipulated 3 hours each day, in your case, they can only charge you for parking exceeding 5 hours, the maximum fee of $60 for the whole day instead of serving you a liquidated damage demand notice.
Why bother to go there.
回覆刪除I simply don't go there anymore.
Sooner or later the shops will find out there are are very few customers and demand the parking rules changed.
I think the property owner has nuts in his head.
They probably make more money in these fines than the rent they collect.
This is like killing the hen that lays the golden eggs.
So short term, treating the customers with utmost disrespect.
Fortunately there are many more shopping centers which you can park without being treated as criminals.
It's your choice.
Why bother going there is one thing, when you need to go there and you understand your legal right is another. Individual boycotting is not forceful enough to reflect the collective displeasure. Objectively speaking, it may be that many people are not used to the change in the management method of the car park. There are quite a number of car parks whether managed by private companies or council operating without boom gate or the need to display ticket. There are no complaints. I just take the opportunity to examine the legality aspect.
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