So what can be done if you are slapped with an out-of-the-blue parking charge which you do not believe you should have to pay?
Gary Rycroft, resident legal expert on BBC Morning Live and BBC Rip Off Britain, explains a parking charge from a private company is effectively an invoice for a service.
If you do not believe you have received that service, you can argue the case that you should not have to pay for it.
“It’s perfectly reasonable for you to pay for that service, but if there is a quibble between you and the company, then they can’t issue a fine,” he said.
“What that means in legal terms is that if you disagree with them and they want to pursue you, they have to actively ask the court to enforce that debt.
“In the case of Roland, let’s apply common sense: he is elderly, was struggling with the tech, and he didn’t park, so he’s got a pretty solid defence.”