UKPC and now Hunter Forrest...HELP!!

[maxwellwoodward]

Got a fine from UKPC in my office block car park, in my own car parking space because my permit was not displayed on the windscreen. Incidentally it was displayed on my dash board instead. they tried to charge me £75!!!! what a joke. In disgust I ignored the letter they sent and didn't hear anything for 3 months until recently when i recieved a letter from Hunter Forrest & Co saying i need to pay them £123.74!!!

Dont know what to do or who to contact now or what will happen. Tempted to keep ignoring but I dont want any CCJ's racking up.....

What is my best course of action?

[Sidewinder]

A CCJ is highly unlikely. This is a private parking issue and consequently a CCJ can only be issued after a successful civil action for breach of contract, and even then only if you don't pay it at that point.

Do not acknowledge receipt of any parking ticket - you don't need to and should treat it as an unsolicited demand for money. As far as I am aware Hunter Forrest are the widely discredited CCS Enforcement by another name.

Write a feck off letter (Recorded Delivery) to HF along the lines of :-

Sir,

I note that you have written to me in respect of a debt which does not exist. Please note that I will not be making any payment, nor will I respond to any demands for payment until I am in possession of evidence which proves that I have made any agreement to do so, or have any legal responsibility for the amount which you claim is due.

Any further correspondence on this matter in the absence of such evidence will be deemed by myself as harassment which will be treated accordingly.

Yours faithfully,

They will either ignore this completely or may send a photo of the ticket on your car. Even then that would have to be particularly good to show beyond doubt that a permit was not on display, and is of no legal relevance in any case. I doubt that you have seen the last of them so will probably have a few more letters to write before they get the message!

[Barnsley Boy]

Hunter Forrest claims to be a Debt Collection Agency although they are probably just the same people using a different letter head, remember that these people have no more power than you or I, they just pretend they have.

They can do nothing that they threaten without a court order. This means they would have to win a case against you at County Court- fat chance, it simply does not happen.

Write to them saying the debt is disputed and should be referred back to UKPC. Under OFT guidelines they are meant to do just that.