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Wheel clamping is a situation drivers face
very often. It may look similar, but wheel clamping on private
property is very different than public property’s wheel
clamping.
If you are involved in a wheel clamping situation,
you should first know the conditions under which your car
can be legally clamped on private property. Your car can be
wheel clamped if you have parked in a car park reserved for
employees of a certain company and you don’t work there.
Or you have parked in a car park belonging to a club or a
restaurant which is reserved for their customers and you are
not a customer. Another reason for wheel clamping your car
is to overstay in a pay car park or to park dangerously (meaning
blocking emergency exits). You also risk getting wheel clamped
if you don’t show your car park ticket or permit.
These are the most common situations for wheel
clamping a car. But parking in a restaurant’s car park
without being its customer is not enough for legally clamping
your car. There must be notices displayed clearly which should
warn people about the possibility of getting their cars clamped
if they park in that area. The fee charged by the landowner
to release your car is normal, compared to fees charged by
other companies. You get your car back the moment you have
paid the release fee. The notices at the car park display
clearly the way to contact the owner to get your car released.
You should also know that if your car displays
a valid disabled badge it can not be clamped. The same rule
applies to a marked emergency car which is being involved
in an emergency situation.
So if you do get wheel clamped, there are
some guidelines you should follow. First of all, keep your
cool. You are not the first person getting clamped and you
are definitely not the last one. Therefore, don’t try
to remove the wheel clamp yourself as you can be accused of
causing criminal damages. So, what you should do is to call
the number displayed on the notice and ask information about
how to get your car released as soon as possible. You should
also ask the wheel clamper is they have a valid licence for
this type of activity. If they are not able of displaying
a valid authorisation, don’t pay the release fee and
call the police. Remember that clamping a car without having
an authorisation is a criminal offence. But if the wheel clamping
company is a perfectly authorised one, you have to pay the
release fee.
You may feel that the release fee was too
high or the wheel clamping warning signs weren’t displayed
clearly enough, you can get your money back through a legal
suit in court. But before suing the wheel clamping company,
consult a lawyer on the chances of winning the law suit.
In conclusion, may you have a happy driving
and a stay away from getting wheel
clamped!
Useful
Information about Wheel Clamping on Private Land|Wheel
clamping|
What
to do if you are clamped|About
wheel clamp
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