NZ Wheel Clamping. Cunts

[SMOKEU]

Should buy some of these.

[Swoop]

Last month Mr Hika contacted the Herald to complain of a "mob mentality" that had seen his workers spat at and threatened with violence.

Fucking excellent.
Keep up the good work Citizens!

[Brett]

Just before Christmas last year I parked the Prado in one of those car parks to visit one of the local shops (in the carpark). There was a small sign saying that the car parking was for the shops associated with that car park, and I wanted to visit one of the shops around the corner (to me looked as though part of the shopping complex anyway!), however the sign was obscured by a parked van, so I didn't see it until a long time after the fact. Came back 5 minutes later to find a clamp on...was a bit confused to say the least. As I was removing the infringement notice, a huge fat islander bloke came up to me demanding payment of $180. I tried to make him see reason with regards to a) the very hard to see signage and b) the fact that the shop I was visiting appeared to be part of the complex, but to no avail. I also tried the same line of logic with their call center, but got told pay up for get towed and get charged $420.
I told the attendant that I would pay him so that I could get moving and get on with the day, but that I was going to be taking this to the small claims court and so hoofed it up the road to get some cash out.
On the walk back to the car I got more and more angry about the whole scenario and decided that I wasn't going to pay them, I was going to remove my wheel and put on the spare. However, as I got back I noticed that the clamp was removed, although the attendant was still there waiting for me. I told him that I wasn't going to be paying him as a) I had decided to go with removing the wheel and b) the clamp was off anyway, so i wasn't going to pay him to do something he had already done. he responded saying that he was going to put the clamp back on and proceeded to walk back to his car 10m or so away. There was no way I was going to hang around like a chump for him to stick the clamp back on, so i pulled out my keys, jumped in and drove off. I expected to have a follow up from the camping company, but never heard a thing.
I understand the need to enforce parking regulations and protect the parking spaces of the local businesses, but these guys are sharks. I actually don't understand how their actions are legal given the existing legislature and case law that exists around the grey area of wheel clamping. A tightening up of the industry really is needed.

[Paul in NZ]

Without having a go at anyone - would it be fair to say these guys would not exist if people would not park in places they shouldn't?? I mean before them it was towies etc. We have had epic problems with losers parking in our call out spot. We need it 24/7 and it costs a motza but people just whiz in (big fuck off sign right in your face) and leave their car while the go shopping. We have a deal with a towie and boy do they moan.

We also have another park for staff after hours and the deal is to leave your business card on the dash and no sweat. Some muppet parked in the spot one night so I had to park in a vacant one next to it. The towie hauled away the evil doer and mover my car into the proper spot for me and gave me a call to let me know - fuckin brill.

Now I think these clamp guys are going too far in this case but parking is a real issue and these shops spend a lot so customers can park and they do have rights as well.

[HenryDorsetCase]

J I was going to remove my wheel and put on the spare.

good one. and a good outcome.

How do you take the wheel off with a clamp in place though? all the ones I have seen seem to be designed to cover up the lug nuts

[Zedder]

Without having a go at anyone - would it be fair to say these guys would not exist if people would not park in places they shouldn't?? I mean before them it was towies etc. We have had epic problems with losers parking in our call out spot. We need it 24/7 and it costs a motza but people just whiz in (big fuck off sign right in your face) and leave their car while the go shopping. We have a deal with a towie and boy do they moan.

We also have another park for staff after hours and the deal is to leave your business card on the dash and no sweat. Some muppet parked in the spot one night so I had to park in a vacant one next to it. The towie hauled away the evil doer and mover my car into the proper spot for me and gave me a call to let me know - fuckin brill.

Now I think these clamp guys are going too far in this case but parking is a real issue and these shops spend a lot so customers can park and they do have rights as well.

Sure, there is a lot of car park problems. However, there are strict rules covering towies (if you break the rules then it's your fault) but none about the very dodgy clampers. At the moment it's very much in their favour and looks to be that way until legislation is passed.

[bogan]

Without having a go at anyone - would it be fair to say these guys would not exist if people would not park in places they shouldn't??

Classic case of bureaucratic enforcement though, the enforcers (fyi, The Departure by Neal Asher is an epic sic fi book about this kind of thinking) just work to the letter of their corrupted mandate, never thinking about the service they are there to provide. And in the end we are left with a corrupted system which is now there primarily to line its own pockets.

[unstuck]

Boy am I glad I left the city. Could be a good buisness for someone going around cutting off dodgy clamps.

[Asher]

Boy am I glad I left the city. Could be a good buisness for someone going around cutting off dodgy clamps.

Locksmiths could make a bit of money removing clamps for a smaller fee then sell the clamp for scrap.

[Brett]

good one. and a good outcome.

How do you take the wheel off with a clamp in place though? all the ones I have seen seem to be designed to cover up the lug nuts

This one was one of those ones that goes over the tyre

[oldrider]

OK, here's what you do if you get clamped. Dont ring the clampers.

Ring a tow taxi or something. Get them to pick up your car and take it to your house and drop it off there. THEN ring the clamping company and say "come and remove this clamp, or I will gas axe the thing off. You have two hours to get your arse here and do that. If you dont do it I will remove the clamp myself."

Any subsequent claim by them for clamping fees you can say "Thats fine, see you in Court mofo". Since the clamp is evidence, I will retain that to exhibit in the proceedings, after I have removed it".

Are they legally allowed to convert your car for their own intentions by placing the clamp on it without your permission?

How have they got around that ... or is car conversion a thing of the past?

[p.dath]

There is obvisouly a lot of people abusing parking which is why such a business exists.

From the information presented (and only one side is presented) it seems an error of judgement has been made on behalf of the clampers. That fact that the Police were called shows that the company has failed to put in place a procedure to handle the cases where genuine error on their part has occurred.

It appears to be that there has been some abuse of power, and I'd like to see a test criminal charge laid against the clamping company to see whether a lack of ability to rectify a situation like this in a timely manner is acceptable.

I personally think that wrongly immobolising a vehicle and failing to promptly put it right has denied this ederly man his freedom.

[oneofsix]

There is obvisouly a lot of people abusing parking which is why such a business exists.

Don't you mean that there is obviously a more profitable way to extract money from people through clamping which is why a business exists.

[Marnie]

Parking permits
CCS Disability Action issues Mobility Parking Permits to people with specified disabilities. These permits are recognised under territorial authority bylaws as a permit for parking in marked accessible car parks on land and roads owned or administered by the territorial authority. Cars not displaying the permit may be given parking infringement notices or towed away.Accessible car parks on private land, such as at a supermarket, are not subject to Mobility Parking Permits unless the property owner specifies that they must be displayed. In this case, the sign at the park would say ?a Mobility Parking Permit is necessary.

http://www.dbh.govt.nz/accessible-carparks

[HenryDorsetCase]

Are they legally allowed to convert your car for their own intentions by placing the clamp on it without your permission?

How have they got around that ... or is car conversion a thing of the past?

car conversion is a criminal offence. I would argue that the criminal offence is committed by the clamper, not the clampee. But as I said before, we're in the civil jurisdiction, not the criminal, so it really doesnt apply.