Clamp Release Fee Charged Above the Legal Maximum
The National Transport Authority (NTA) sets a maximum fee that a private clamping operator may charge you to release your vehicle at a non-statutory clamping place (i.e. private land such as a car park, not a public road). That maximum is €100. If the operator charged you more than €100 in total — including any amount labelled as an 'admin fee', 'attendance charge', or any other add-on — the excess is unlawful and the operator is in breach of the rules.
Legal basis
Vehicle Clamping Act 2015 s.15; NTA Vehicle Clamping (Non-Statutory Clamping Places) Regulations 2017 (S.I. 480/2017).
How to identify this in your case
Compare receipted release fee to current NTA maximum. Includes any 'admin fee', 'release fee', 'attendance charge' lumped on top.
Sample appeal wording
Sample wording to adapt and send yourself — it may not fit your notice or the stage you are at. Replace the bracketed prompts with your own details; leave any case citation as it is.
To: [Operator] Re: Clamping at [LOCATION] on [DATE] The release fee charged was EUR [AMOUNT]. The NTA maximum under S.I. 480/2017 (made under s.15 VCA 2015) is EUR 100 for clamp release at a non-statutory clamping place. The excess of EUR [X] is unlawfully charged and recoverable. Refund the excess within 14 days. Failure will lead to: (a) Complaint to NTA under s.18 VCA 2015; (b) Small claim in District Court for restitution of the excess; (c) Complaint to CCPC for misleading commercial practice. Yours faithfully, [NAME]
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