Smart Parking are back to their old tricks and a debt collection agency appointed on their behalf has started using the recent “Parking Eye versus Beavis” Supreme Court decision to force motorists into coughing up as much as £165 in fines. Two weeks ago the Supreme Court controversially ruled in favour of parking firm Parking Eye over an £85 fine which was levied against a motorist who had overstayed his 2 hours of free parking by 50 minutes. As this relates specifically to a case in England, where the law is different, it should have no bearing on fines handed out in Scotland. Despite this, documents obtained from a Perthshire resident would appear to show that debt collectors appointed by Smart Parking are now using the Supreme Court ruling to pressurise motorists into paying up. The consumer champion charity Which? believe that the “Parking eye vs Beavis” decision could “cause chaos if cowboy parking firms choose to take advantage of the ruling by hitting drivers with even more excessive charges.” Commenting Murdo Fraser MSP said: “In a week where Smart Parking signalled their support for a single code of practice and a fully independent appeals process they have shown their true colours by continuing to use strong arm tactics to force motorists into paying incorrectly issued fines. “My constituent received a letter from a debt collection agency, stating that the time for challenging a ticket had passed and directed them in two separate passages to the ‘Parking eye versus Beavis’ decision despite its total lack of relevance to motorists in Scotland. “Motorists who are unaware that this decision has no bearing on Scotland could feel compelled into paying the £165 charge, which is a sum completely disproportionate to any loss Smart Parking could have incurred. “Bully boy and misleading tactics cannot be tolerated and I would urge motorists in Perth and Kinross to think twice about paying a ticket that they believe to have been unfairly issued.”