A man who pulled over to read the T&Cs on a private car park has been slapped with a charge for the stop.

The driver, who has asked not to be named, said he is receiving "threatening" debt collection letters for what started as a £60 charge.

National Parking Enforcement Ltd hit the man from Norwich with an invoice last year for "parking" in the car park at Earlham House Shopping Centre.

But he only pulled in - and later turned around - to read a sign with the relevant terms and conditions attached, which he read without even getting out of his car.

Upon realising that the section of the car park was for delivery drivers only, he left.

For that four-minute and 17 second stay he received a £60 parking notice — which has since risen to £160.

NPE was approached for comment.

%image(15625220, type="article-full", alt="The man said he would not be responding to any of the "threatening letters" because he didn't think they were reasonable")

The man, who works as a project manager, said: "I ignored it. I've appealed these charges in the past and that was a waste of time because it's not in their interests to grant the appeal.

"I'm not doing anything until I get an official court summons from them — which I don't think will arrive.

"They try and terrify people senseless with threatening, and frankly cheeky, debt collection letters that force vulnerable people into paying straight away because they haven't got the means to take the risk."

In 2021, he was still receiving letters threatening "legal action".

%image(15625228, type="article-full", alt="One of the letters sent to the man on behalf of NPE")

One read: "Litigation, if successful, could result in a judgement against you being placed on public record for up to six years. This would have an adverse effect on your credit rating and put at risk your future ability to obtain credit."

Reflecting on the letter, the 35-year-old added: "It's unscrupulous fearmongering.

"I don't know how they've got the gall to threaten people like that. They present the worst-case scenario to you and make it sound like it's likely to happen.

%image(14585612, type="article-full", alt="The man said he only stayed in the car park for long enough to read the T&Cs. When he didn't agree to them, he immediately left")

"If I get to court I'll tell them that I did not enter any 'contract' because I left after disagreeing with the terms of that contract."