Hi All,

Today I received a letter from the lovely soles at National Parking Control (NCP), this can be seen here (removed link), it states that my car, which I was not driving at the time, was parked in a private area and that I owe £90 before the 16th March and if I don't pay by then it'll be £135. A ticket was never found on the car so this is brand new news to me.

For even more information for you the car was parked here, in the same spot as the blue car is on there. The private notice, which we have only confirmed is there since receiving this letter, is new as I know people who have lived there for over 30 years and this was new to them too as they've often parked at the edge of the area and it was very snowy on that day which is why the car was parked there instead of down the steeper road so the sign may have been covered which would explain why it wasn't seen. You will also notice that there is a Postbox on this land, if anything isn't this evidence that this can only be classed as public land?

The letter also states that they have photographic evidence, can I request this at all to see how much proof they actually have?

Anyway, having read plenty of your posts I'm fairly certain I can fight this, and according to MoneySavingExperts advice they can't do anything unless I state who was driving and apparently I'm under no obligation to offer that information.

I intend to write a nice letter to them saying that whilst I acknowledge that the car was there but I don't know who was driving.... some people seem to say that by acknowledging their warning that they'll will be more likely to chase me for the money.

Any suggestions?

Yes

Ignore them

Do not write, it will only engage you in more pointless communications where they will claim they are right regardless of what you say

They have no lawful claim against you whatsoever, so just file the letter away in a box and do just that with anything else they send you (including any letters from Debt Collectors that may work on their behalf)

I say again - THEY HAVE NO LAWFUL CLAIM AGAINST YOU

The only time you have little recourse is when you park unlawfully on public roads or council land - this is NOT one of those cases

Read round the forum and you will see many, many examples

Others will hopefully comment, but the wording of this looks to me like it would leave them open to action by trading standards as they have tried to make it look somehwat more official than it is

(such as the court threats, etc)

jokers. ignore them

Well the website for National Parking Control looks professional enough, has anyone else heard from these people before and ignored anything they've sent?

Also, does anyone know if I can request the 'Photographic Evidence'? Surely the data protection act states that if it's my property then I should be able to have it?

it looks inept misleading and rubbish to me. don't pay them a penny for anything. file and forget.

So their website looks professional. So what? They are a commercial business, so it's no big deal if they have a professional looking site. That doesn't give them legal powers to issue you with penalties. They have no such power, regardless of how their website looks.

As for asking for photographic evidence, what for? You know what your car looks like. If you really want a picture, you can ask for it - but it won't make a scrap of difference to the charge.

It is unenforceable. They are trying to extract your cash from your pocket. If you ignore them, they will have no choice but to go away and harrass someone else.

It doesn't look professional. see their words about following the DVLA Code of Practice. thats just rubbish - and against Consumer Regulations as well, an offense I believe.

Thanks guys.

I'll see what happens if I leave it then, anyone know how long people usually get hounded for payment for?

From NPC Website...

Residential Pack

Designed especially for the purpose, this pack is perfect for residential use. It contains:

• 2 Warning Signs
  
• 15 parking charge notices with envelopes
  
• 3 Parking permits
  
• ID Badge
  
• Hi Vis Vest
  
• Full support from our enforcement office
  
• £15 compensation per paid ticket, payable at the end of every month
  
• Set up cost £59.99
  

Your self ticketing pack contains everything you need to combat your parking issues.

We’re so sure that our legal, ethical parking enforcement system will work for you that

when we receive details of the tenth PCN you issue, we’ll fully refund the cost of your

pack. Replacement tickets and envelopes are always free of charge, no matter which

pack you choose. And remember that you will receive £15 compensation for every paid

ticket you issue.

-------------------------------------------------------

The envelopes are identical to and contain the wording Fixed Penalty Notice... A tad illegal I would have thought..

The location shown on the Google Street View link could also be deemed

to be contravening the ZigZag Lines, which could also suggest that this

is actually public land as NO contractual notice can be seen.. I think that

the resident of what WAS the shop on the corner is a chancer who's bought

that Residential Pack and is issuing tickets without actually placing them on vehicles.

Trading Standards and the Police I think from here on in...

1 IGNORE.

2 IGNORE.

3 GO TO 1.

Remember, that this is NOT a fine..... it is an unenforcible [problem] invoice.

1 IGNORE.

 

2 IGNORE.

 

3 GO TO 1.

 

 

Remember, that this is NOT a fine..... it is an unenforcible [problem] invoice.

I'ld have to fight this I'm afraid...

But that's not eveyone's cup of tea and the above advice is just as good..

Thanks again for the responses. I have a relative in the police so I'll ask their opinion on the letter and see whether they can find out if there's been any dealings with this company before too.

Clearly their "residential pack" is not designed to even give the air of being to cover their losses. As NPC are actually doing nothing, then their losses are nil, and the £15 compensation to the ticketer would be the only element that stood any chance of being considered as such.

Plus, to get the original purchase money back, the ticketer must issue a number of tickets which hardly encourages them to want the "parking problem" to stop.

Thanks again for the responses. I have a relative in the police so I'll ask their opinion on the letter and see whether they can find out if there's been any dealings with this company before too.

With all due respect to the relative in question, they are unlikely to know as much about this particular issue as some of the long-term experts on here. The police don't necessarily know how contract law works.

Hi Guys,

Just wanted to check what the latest was with this case Dannon?

Received a ticket from NPC this morning for parking in a residential area - what is the latest with NPC as I am contemplating reporting them to trading standards? Has anyone been forced to pay?

Thanks,

Ewan

No, everybody is still ignoring.

Good luck with Trading Standards. They are generally clueless.

Hi again all,

As you can gather from the rest of the thread I received a few letters from NCP. Just a quick update, I received the letters between march and May, I had a few and ignored them all until they no longer came and life was good but then yesterday I picked up some mail from my parents house, where the car used to be registered (BTW, the car is now in the great scrap heap in the sky) and I had a couple of new letters from 'Daniels Silverman' on behalf of their client.

Letter 1 was a final demand for the sum of £265.33 which was to be paid immediately otherwise they will take final recovery action through the courts which may lead to:

- Paying solicitor fees and court costs

- Judgement being awarded against me

- Debt details being registered affecting the ability to obtain credit in the future

- Bailiffs calling in

I had 7 seven days to respond before further action would be taken, it's over 3 weeks since the letter was delivered so that 7 days passed long ago.

Letter 2 was delivered 9 days after the previous one and is a 'Notice of court action' and states that the legal papers are now being drafted. The amount has also now risen to £346.12 after the legal fees of £80 have been added and the interest of £0.79. This letter has brought all of my original nerves back again, I was happily ignoring the letters and everything was fine. To prevent legal action I had to send the payment of £265.33 within 7 days, I didn't open the letter until after that 7 days period so I assume the papers are being drafted, it has been 10 days since this letter now.

Both letters are written on behalf of their client, which I can't find any information about on the web so I am wondering whether they might be the lovely guys that started the ball rolling last Christmas when they reported my car, they also say to ask for the Warham Collections Team when calling.

So I am appealing to you, CAG, for any suggestions?

Thanks.

@ekirky85: I hope this gives you enough of an update

DO NOT PANIC,,

You are getting close to the end of the [problem], you might get a final notice , then a final final notice and maybe even a final final final notice !! then they go away and try it on with someone else who is more easily worried by their bullsh*t letters, D.S are just bottom feeders who get a cut off the [problematic] if you are mug enough to fall for the con.

Continue to completely IGNORE, do not contact them at all and they will soon get the message and leave you alone.

Hi again all,

 

As you can gather from the rest of the thread I received a few letters from NCP. Just a quick update, I received the letters between march and May, I had a few and ignored them all until they no longer came and life was good but then yesterday I picked up some mail from my parents house, where the car used to be registered (BTW, the car is now in the great scrap heap in the sky) and I had a couple of new letters from 'Daniels Silverman' on behalf of their client.

 

Letter 1 was a final demand for the sum of £265.33 which was to be paid immediately otherwise they will take final recovery action through the courts which may lead to:

- Paying solicitor fees and court costs

- Judgement being awarded against me

- Debt details being registered affecting the ability to obtain credit in the future

- Bailiffs calling in

 

I had 7 seven days to respond before further action would be taken, it's over 3 weeks since the letter was delivered so that 7 days passed long ago.

 

Letter 2 was delivered 9 days after the previous one and is a 'Notice of court action' and states that the legal papers are now being drafted. The amount has also now risen to £346.12 after the legal fees of £80 have been added and the interest of £0.79. This letter has brought all of my original nerves back again, I was happily ignoring the letters and everything was fine. To prevent legal action I had to send the payment of £265.33 within 7 days, I didn't open the letter until after that 7 days period so I assume the papers are being drafted, it has been 10 days since this letter now.

 

Both letters are written on behalf of their client, which I can't find any information about on the web so I am wondering whether they might be the lovely guys that started the ball rolling last Christmas when they reported my car, they also say to ask for the Warham Collections Team when calling.

 

So I am appealing to you, CAG, for any suggestions?

 

Thanks.

 

@ekirky85: I hope this gives you enough of an update

Hi Dannon, thanks for getting back to me. Totally forgot to check this thread until now.

I am now at the stage where you were in October - just received my first letter from D.S. for £263.

Just wondering what kind of resolution you've had in the last 3 months if any? Have you just kept ignoring them? Getting pretty scary now with the lawyers / solicitors getting involved.

Everyone else does the advice still say the same? Have we ever seen a difference in their approach or is this still the standard.

Thanks again all

Ewan

DO NOT PANIC,,

 

You are getting close to the end of the [problem], you might get a final notice , then a final final notice and maybe even a final final final notice !! then they go away and try it on with someone else who is more easily worried by their bullsh*t letters, D.S are just bottom feeders who get a cut off the [problematic] if you are mug enough to fall for the con.

 

Continue to completely IGNORE, do not contact them at all and they will soon get the message and leave you alone.

Thanks for the advice.

Getting pretty scary now with the lawyers / solicitors getting involved.

That's how it works. They haven't done anything, but have succeeded in scaring you. Just keep your wallet shut tight and they are completely stumped. Incidentally the "lawyer" is just them again, using a different letter head.

Hello im new to this so will do my best,

we moved to a new house a few months ago and opposite is a small industrial estate with parking for approx 50 cars,

there are roughly 8 units all but one leased.

We as our neighbours have been doing have parked after business hours in a parking space on the estate which is very small as I mentioned, - all was good

one morning from the furthest away unit from my parking came out to tell me it was private and that I should not park there as he owned the land,

after I politely put him stright that he did not own the land and that I was causing no one any problems

as I never parked until well after 7 and normally left at 7am

so never really bumped into anyone on the estate or caused any parking issues,

he was very rude so I bit my tounge.

he has now got in touch with NATIONAL PARKING CONTROL

and has several nice signs up saying contractual parking agreement etc etc and states a fee of £90 if parked with out permission,

now this is where I would like help please,

am I right in thinking it needs to be the land owner who decides this and not some pen pusher with too mcxh time on his hands who now calls himself the car park manager ?

Also if I do park there, and I really am causing no harm and never see anyone unless thay arrive to work early

how would it stand if he issues the ticket does he have to proove I was driving the car,

a photo etc or do they just act on his word and pursue payment,

I also see he will receive a payment back for every ticket that pays up

but surely yet again if not the land owner and only a tennant that cant be right can it.

any help om if I can park there or not will help me loads many thanks....

this thread is almost a year old

pers i'd start your own thread

dx