UK Law: Legal opinion on this parking ticket machine issue?

Sorry, but I think your respondents are right - though let's say some express it better than others!

The legal position is this - when you put your three quid into the machine, you enter into a contract with the council, the terms of which are laid out on the ticket machine.

The words "no extra time given for overpayment" are implicit in the words "no change given", so the council didn't steal the 60p - you gave it to them as a gift, because (a court would say) you could have said, "Bugger this, I'll park somewhere else"; but you didn't.

The only legal argument against the council would be to say that the contract (between you and the council) contained an "unfair term", but I don't think a court would agree. (If there was any danger that a court WOULD agree, I think vending machines would be modified very quickly to take only the correct amount, as you suggest.)

On a final note, I think we pay councils enough tax for them to employ a human being to take your money - problem solved.

Rowdy makes most of the facts clear, but I'm fairly sure (better legal minds tahn mine can correct) that even if they don't credit you with the extra time for the extra money, their receipt should still indicate the extra charge has been paid (as this could have tax implications amongst other things).

Failure to provide an accurate receipt could be classed as a breach of contract (they are effectively letting (selling) you their parking space for a period of time).

You should therefore be able to make a case, if 60p was a valid charge for the minimum period allowed by the meter, that they had implicitly accepted that payment for the further period (assuming 3 hours wasn't a maximum period "without return").

Implied contracts are (I'm fairly certain in Scots law and certainly in UK employment law - though not sure about else where) as binding as a written contract (though often harder to prove).

Basically, I'm sure fairly sure that unless the parking restrictions stated "maximum period x no return within y" AND the meter credited you with the full amount paid (esp with no change given) that you could make enough legal noise for them to dismiss teh penalty charge notice if not change the way parking is enforced nationally.

If both the above conditions are met then you are almost certainly screwed even though it is evidently unjust.

It seems the conditions were quite clear.

They said change would not be given and no extra time would be given.

You accepted those terms by putting money in. You got exactly what they said you'd get for your money. The extra 60p was a gift which you gave voluntarily having already read the terms of the contract.

RE YOUR ADDITIONAL COMMENTS JB.

My answer fully explains the law of contract. Not my fault you're a fool and don't like the consequences of your foolishness.

Try reading my answer again until you understand the big words. A dictionary might help, you obnoxious prat.

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Yes, you're just making yourself look stupid with your additional comments.

You either can't or won't understand simple law.

If you had only put in 60p would you have expected to have been allowed to park for some fraction of one hour.

I think you would lose your case as you would have been expected to put the exact amount required for the time that you wanted to park for as the meter indicated no change given. I like you have been given a ticket in similar circumstances and put it down to experience.

Lobby all local businesses to employ the same tactics for all local authority employees. Let the money grabbing oiks have some of their own medicine. All shop should display the following. "No change given, overpayment accepted for all local authority customers." As it s only ever money that changes the unethical greedy. A national capaign would cure the problem.

There's no obligation in English law to offer change - so what the machine is really saying is "I'll sell you three hours' parking for £2.60, but if you choose not to put the exact change in that's your lookout. I get to keep it." There's nothing wrong with that, and if you stick three quid in then you've bought... three hours' parking. Go over the time and it's tough, they don't have to credit you.

some municipal vehicle parks could selection? and the fees additionally could selection? The question of no "exchange given" in case you place a pound coin in and the cost is say 60p for one hour then a one hour era could be recorded. No further time could take delivery of as a results of fact the final quantity of 60p could be asked.

You May have to pay, but then should sue for over charging on the meters. They know they are getting paid twice. I would first question them about who gets that unreported money. That should make them aware that The people there are not fools, and someone should be held accountable for that money, and what it is spent on.

Which is mute in this situation because you did over stay the meter. So how would they know that you over paid when you really didn't