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#Post#: 132002--------------------------------------------------
Southend Airport Express Drop Off
DIR By: Curliness8852
Date: October 2, 2026, 3:14 pm
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Hello,
My car was used to pick someone up from Southend Airport Station
this evening. The driver pulled into the express drop off area
as there are no signs saying about charges. In the area, there
are signs everywhere saying don't forget to pay, but from what
could be see, not a single one saying what the charges are, just
saying 10 minutes max stay. There is a pay machine near the
exit, but this requires a ticket and does not list charges for
the express drop off area - it appears to be for the neigbouring
short stay.
I will pull the dash cam footage tomorrow to grab details of
visible signage.
Having googled since leaving, it turns out that there is a £8
fee.
Based on the lack of signage, and airports being relevant land,
are we likely to win an appeal when the inevitable ticket
arrives, or should we suck it up a d pay the £8 fee? The vehicle
was stationary longer trying to find signs than the time for the
passenger actually getting into the car!
I'll update with still from the dashcam tomorrow evening if
useful, as Google maps has old imagery.
#Post#: 132006--------------------------------------------------
Re: Southend Airport Express Drop Off
DIR By: BigBazz45
Date: October 2, 2026, 4:51 pm
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--- Quote from: Curliness8852 link ---
>
> Hello,
> My car was used to pick someone up from Southend Airport
Station this evening. The driver pulled into the express drop
off area as there are no signs saying about charges. In the
area, there are signs everywhere saying don't forget to pay, but
from what could be see, not a single one saying what the charges
are, just saying 10 minutes max stay. There is a pay machine
near the exit, but this requires a ticket and does not list
charges for the express drop off area - it appears to be for the
neigbouring short stay.
>
> I will pull the dash cam footage tomorrow to grab details of
visible signage.
>
> Having googled since leaving, it turns out that there is a £8
fee.
>
> Based on the lack of signage, and airports being relevant
land, are we likely to win an appeal when the inevitable ticket
arrives, or should we suck it up a d pay the £8 fee? The vehicle
was stationary longer trying to find signs than the time for the
passenger actually getting into the car!
>
--- End Quote ---
Looking at the Southend Airport website
HTML https://express.londonsouthendairport.com/
you've got until
midnight tomorrow to pay the fee, so it's not too late to deal
with the matter before it escalates.
#Post#: 132007--------------------------------------------------
Re: Southend Airport Express Drop Off
DIR By: Curliness8852
Date: October 2, 2026, 5:27 pm
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I know I can pay now to avoid the fine outright, but given there
was no indication of having to pay until pulling in, and even
then to indication ofnwhat the fee was, I'm loathed to pay them
if their lack of signage saying the fee is sufficient to dispute
it. If it's not, then obviously I would rather just pay the fee.
#Post#: 132018--------------------------------------------------
Re: Southend Airport Express Drop Off
DIR By: jfollows
Date: October 3, 2026, 2:32 am
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In my opinion you should pay £8 and be done with it. It’s likely
to cost you time and effort contesting this, I believe the car
parks are operated by VCS who are nasty and litigious and may
well take you to court if you do not pay. Even if you do not
identify the driver and appeal on the basis of the location not
being “relevant land” they will dismiss your appeal with a load
of rubbish and issue a county court claim in due course. You are
right that if signs are unclear then you might get the IAS to
uphold an appeal on this basis, but they only uphold a small
number of appeals referred to them. Honestly, for £8 it’s not
worth months of hassle in my opinion.
From what has been described, you’re not being penalised in any
way, the fee if paid is the same as it would have been at the
time. I don’t see the point of going down a path of not paying
and contesting the relatively small amount, it’s not as if
you’re now required to pay £100 if I understand this correctly.
#Post#: 132019--------------------------------------------------
Re: Southend Airport Express Drop Off
DIR By: jfollows
Date: October 3, 2026, 2:32 am
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If you don’t agree, then I suggest you search the forum for
other cases at the same location.
#Post#: 132099--------------------------------------------------
Re: Southend Airport Express Drop Off
DIR By: SouthLondoner123
Date: October 4, 2026, 9:53 am
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Even if you do not identify the driver and appeal on the basis
of the location not being “relevant land” they will dismiss your
appeal with a load of rubbish and issue a county court claim in
due course.
[member=636]jfollows[/member] , I understand your point about £8
possibly not being worth the time and hassle.
However, is that the only point you are making?
Or are you also saying that there is a chance that, if it gets
to court, a court might find against the OP? Are there
precedents on this?
It is one thing to tell the OP:
you are very likely to win, but it will cost you a lot of time,
so you might want to consider paying £8 now
and quite another to tell them:
this may go to court, and, actually, the chance of you winning
is not that high, it could go either way
#Post#: 132106--------------------------------------------------
Re: Southend Airport Express Drop Off
DIR By: jfollows
Date: October 4, 2026, 10:50 am
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It's pretty irrelevant.
If the original poster didn't pay the £8 yesterday, they're
likely to be invoiced by VCS for £100, taken to court and
possibly even forced to attend court. For £8 this doesn't make
sense. They might also lose in court and have to pay more like
£200 with costs.
Search the forum for VCS if you haven't done so already.
#Post#: 132108--------------------------------------------------
Re: Southend Airport Express Drop Off
DIR By: SouthLondoner123
Date: October 4, 2026, 11:03 am
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Again, I understand your point about a small sum not being worth
the hassle, but that was not my question.
I understand that VCS is more litigious than other firms and
more likely to take a motorist to court, whereas eg DCB Legal is
notorious for rarely doing so. But that was not the question,
either.
To be clearer, my question was:
what are the legal precedents when these firms take the
registered keeper to court?
Do courts tend to accept that liability can never be transferred
to the registered keeper?
Do courts ask the defendants if they were driving, and, if yes,
then they find against them?
I have not been able to find answers to these questions. That's
why I was asking. I think it would be useful context for the OP
#Post#: 132109--------------------------------------------------
Re: Southend Airport Express Drop Off
DIR By: jfollows
Date: October 4, 2026, 11:12 am
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You're not researching by searching the forum.
HTML https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2012/9/schedule/4
is the
legal framework under which liability can be transferred.
Most cases never go to court but, yes, if they ever do nobody
should open themselves up to a perjury charge by lying.
Many of these firms take people to court by raising a claim,
which costs nothing, and by collecting when the defendant
doesn't respond.
All very well documented here,
Look up how many claims are not defended and therefore given a
judgment in default in favour of the claimant.
You are jumping on tried, tested and documented examples which
you can find here.
I don't think this discussion is helping the original poster in
any way, but feel free to open up a new thread if you want to
engage further is my suggestion.
#Post#: 132110--------------------------------------------------
Re: Southend Airport Express Drop Off
DIR By: SouthLondoner123
Date: October 4, 2026, 11:18 am
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Again, my questions remain unanswered.
Yes, I did search both this forum and MoneySavingExpert.
Yes, I know about the Protection of Freedom Act.
Yes, I understand that a court outcome can never be guaranteed.
No, it never crossed my mind that anyone should ever lie in
court.
But my questions remain.
What are the precedents on this?
Can a court ask if the Defendant was the driver, and, if so,
find against them?
Can a court not find against the Defendant, even if they were
the driver, because they should have been identified earlier in
the process as the driver?
If the registered keeper can prove they were not the driver, can
the Court ask them who was the driver and find against the
driver?
I searched this forum and MSE but I have not found answers on
these points.
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