Private Parking in Ireland — Contract Law Basis, No Keeper Liability Statute
Private parking charges in Ireland are entirely based on contract law. There is no equivalent of POFA 2012 or any Irish statute conferring keeper liability on the registered owner of a vehicle. An Irish private parking operator can only sue the driver of the vehicle — not the keeper — and must identify and prove who was driving. Without identifying the driver, there is no legal basis to pursue anyone for a private parking charge in Ireland.
Legal basis
Contract law (Ireland); no statutory keeper liability — see POFA 2012 which does not apply; privity of contract principle
How to identify this in your case
You received a private parking charge as the 'registered owner' in Ireland. The charge will typically come from a private company (e.g. a hospital, shopping centre, or private car park). Unless they can prove you were driving, they have no claim against you.
Sample appeal wording
I am writing regarding your parking charge notice [reference] in respect of vehicle [registration]. I understand this to be a private parking charge based in contract law. I must advise you that: 1. There is no Irish statutory equivalent of the UK's Protection of Freedoms Act 2012 2. Private parking charges in Ireland cannot be pursued against a registered owner/keeper — only against the driver 3. Privity of contract means only the party who entered into the contract (the driver) can be bound by its terms I was not the driver of this vehicle on the date in question. You have no legal basis to pursue me as the registered owner. Any action you take against me in the absence of evidence that I was driving will be defended vigorously, and I reserve the right to seek costs. This matter is closed from my perspective.
Replace [PARKING DATE], [NtK DATE] etc. with your own dates before sending.
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Scan my ticketSources
- Contract law (Ireland)
- Privity of contract principle