Keeper Liability is a legal concept that came into effect with the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012 in the UK. It means that if someone parks their car and gets issued a parking ticket, but the driver can't be identified or doesn’t pay up, the registered keeper of the vehicle becomes responsible for paying it.
Let’s say you’re the registered keeper (the person who has official ownership) of your mum's car. If she uses the car to park at a private car park and doesn’t pay her parking fine, the owner of that car park can send the unpaid bill to you instead. This happens because the law assumes the registered keeper is liable for all parking incidents involving their vehicle.
This matters a lot for consumers because it means even if you’re not driving your own car when an incident occurs, you could still end up with a parking charge on your hands. If someone else used your car without your permission and didn’t pay a private parking ticket, the company would come after you to collect the money.
The key legislation here is Section 167 of the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012. This section allows private operators to issue charges directly to the registered keeper if they can’t identify who was driving when an offence occurred.
To avoid becoming liable for other people's parking mistakes, always ensure that anyone using your car understands and respects parking rules. If you lend your vehicle to someone else, it’s a good idea to keep track of where and how they use it, especially in areas with strict private parking regulations. This way, you can protect yourself from unexpected charges or disputes over unpaid fines.
How This Relates to the FCA Redress Scheme
The FCA motor finance redress scheme covers 12.1 million agreements with an average compensation of £829 per agreement. The total cost to firms is £9.1 billion. If you had PCP or HP finance between 6 April 2007 and 1 November 2024, you may be eligible. The final deadline to complain is 31 August 2027. You do not need a claims management company.