Overnight parking and signs

DocHoliday

Guest
If you park overnight somewhere and there are no signs present saying that it's banned, can you still be prosecuted, ticketed or clamped?

I was on a park and ride site last night and got a knock on the door at 9am. The parking attendant said that overnighting is not allowed but admitted that there are no signs to that effect. We had a friendly chat and once he'd established I wasn't going to move in permanently he seemed to say I'd be alright to stay overnight in future. But I'm just curious - what does the law say? Surely there have to be signs clearly stating any restriction, otherwise it can't legally be enforced.
 
DocHoliday said:
If you park overnight somewhere and there are no signs present saying that it's banned, can you still be prosecuted, ticketed or clamped?

I was on a park and ride site last night and got a knock on the door at 9am. The parking attendant said that overnighting is not allowed but admitted that there are no signs to that effect. We had a friendly chat and once he'd established I wasn't going to move in permanently he seemed to say I'd be alright to stay overnight in future. But I'm just curious - what does the law say? Surely there have to be signs clearly stating any restriction, otherwise it can't legally be enforced.
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I am guessing you are ok if there isnt a sign telling you not to , I had along friendly chat with a policeman a week or so ago , checking me out because I was wilding in a laybye near a Royal residence and once he had satisfied himself that I was not a threat to the Royals he said I was ok to stop providing I didnt cause a nuisance .........being a somewhat portly 62 year old with a balding pate I wish I could remember the last time I caused a nuisance to anyone tee hee .
 
DocHoliday said:
If you park overnight somewhere and there are no signs present saying that it's banned, can you still be prosecuted, ticketed or clamped?

I was on a park and ride site last night and got a knock on the door at 9am. The parking attendant said that overnighting is not allowed but admitted that there are no signs to that effect. We had a friendly chat and once he'd established I wasn't going to move in permanently he seemed to say I'd be alright to stay overnight in future. But I'm just curious - what does the law say? Surely there have to be signs clearly stating any restriction, otherwise it can't legally be enforced.
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I would think that if the land is not private, and your not obstructing anything, then you should be fine.
Read all notices on arrival, some have old byelaws printed on them, giving restrictions.
No signs to me means enjoy.

Happy Camping:)
 
I guess there must be some places where byelaws are in effect prohibiting sleeping in the car park, but there is no sign to that effect. I'll assume that no sign means they can't do you.
 
OK..... I confess to being guilty of parking in remote, rural Council-owned car parks where there are 'No Parking', 'No Camping' and 'No Sleeping in Vehicles' signs.

I have been seen by the Police who sometimes do a circular of the car parks but they can see that I'm no threat so they just ignore me.

Technically, I suppose Council staff could serve a penalty ticket on me but they're not usually on duty during my unofficial camping hours of 11.30pm - 7am. I arrive after dark, normally unseen, and leave early in the morning. so far, I've never had any trouble.
 
I use to take a 3.5 ton van from Leeds to Exeter then up to Glasgow and back to Leeds, swoping loads all for the same firm, a very profitable job. Set off Mon morning, then after about 10 hours I used to find somewhere to get my head down for a few hours in the cab, usually off the M5 or M6, nearly always got grief.
So I started setting off Sun night and got my head down during the day, find a nice quiet layby or park at the back of a car park. Always makes me smile that if I had been parked in these places during the night I would have got a bang on the van side to at least enquire what I was up to, but during the day I only got asked once by an over keen copper, who I just told "Im getting my head down for a couple of hours" his responce was "thats very wise of you sir, its not good to drive when overtired is it"
So parking up in a carpark/layby during the day when other people may want to use the place youve occupied, is responcible/respectible!!!
Park in the same place at night when nobody else wants the space and you are the scurge of society.
 
I'll assume that no sign means they can't do you.
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Hmmmm, interesting concept. So if a shop doesn't display a No shop-stealing sign, you can't be arrested for stealing.

I see the no-camping signs as an indication that people have done the wrong thing over a long period of time and the council is letting you know that their existing by-laws (which don't need to be signposted) are going to be enforced.
 
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