Thread: Clamping

See

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/low/uk_news/...re/3238972.stm

I'm about to start an attempt to recover money taken from me by the above clamping firm, i'll post details seperately when i've done a letter before action however I have a couple of questions.

1. The company uses a PO Box address and a mobile phone, can I serve a claim on a PO box?

2. The people who operate this firm are not the kind you want to give you're home address to. Can I make a claim in my name with the address c/o my business address, this is on a big industrial estate and I would be more comfortable with this.

Thanks

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The difficulty I see is that you would not have an address to send the bailiff. It is not a limited company, so the claim is against the owner of the business. Maybe worth contacting the Trading Standards Office that serves Haworth first (info below) to see if they could advise a proper address, and likelihood of success.


West Yorkshire Trading Standards Service
Trading Standards Complex
PO Box 5
Nepshaw Lane South
Morley
Leeds
LS27 OQP


t: 08454 040506
f: 0113 253 0311
e: info@wyjs.org.uk

Thanks for that Alan,

There is another address on the back of the receipt.

Car Stoppers Parking Services
Proprietor: G N Evans
Changegate Road Car Park
Haworth, Keighly
West Yorkshire
BD22 8QQ

Thats the address of the car park itself, even though I think its all one and the same, i.e. they own the car park and the clamping company. The address on the front is

Car Stoppers
PO Box 128
Keighley
West Yorkshire
BD22 8YX
Mobile: 07831 418333

It looks very much like they don't want people sending the heavies round.

Can I lay a little wager that it will be: Changegate Road Car Park!!

Originally Posted by alanfromderby

Can I lay a little wager that it will be: Changegate Road Car Park!!

I'm not sure if this would be allowed, from the Royal Mail website:

Originally Posted by Royal Mail PO Box FAQ's

To rent a PO Box, you must work or live at a permanent UK address (as recognised by us) and be over 16. We’re sorry, but you won’t be able to use this service if you have a temporary or ‘c/o’ address. And applications must be in a single name.

You can only rent a PO Box at the Royal Mail delivery office that delivers mail to the address stated on the application form.

Will be finding out either way tomorrow!

I had another thought if this fails.

HM Land Registry and see who owns that car park.

This is turning into a real Sherlock Holmes job !

Looks like you have a few leads to go on now - all the best, and I look forward to reading progress. Thanks also to BotB and diddled for your input on this.

Yes thanks, will keep you all informed.

Originally Posted by BotB

And here's something else to follow up:

From 3 May 2005, anyone clamping, towing away or blocking vehicles on private land for a fee will need a 'Vehicle Immobiliser' licence from the Security Industry Authority. SIA website - they have details of all licenses - check if your man has one:

http://www.the-sia.org.uk/home/licen.../vi_public.htm

Yes, was looking at this earlier.

They definetly weren't registered, no ID etc. However the date was 2 April 2005, a month too soon. Would be interesting to know if they did eventually register though, but I doubt it.

WOW thats fantastic mate, thanks a lot. Will draft an lba today.

I think you're spot on, just found this from a local newspaper - letters to the editor.

Originally Posted by Letters to the editor

SIR - With reference to the letter "Clamping concern" from Derek Mozley. No-one has ever, in 14 years, been clamped for being only one minute late. So where does he dream up facts like that?
Secondly, he recommends that all people use the Council-run car park known as the Bronte. Will he take the responsibility for the break-ins, because I am advised there are five a week on that car park. The other council car parks have had over 100 break-ins in the year.
Our two car parks, which are patrolled all the time, have had four in two years and they were at night when the car parks were closed. The same people visit our car parks year on year because they know they are safe.
So come on Mr Mozley, you know very well that if people paid for the parking and didn't expect more than they had paid for, they wouldn't be clamped.

E R Evans (Haworth Car Parks), Worthside House Development Co Ltd, Belle Isle Road, Haworth.

The plot thickens,

Just phoned Royal Mail to try and get the address behind the PO Box.

He spent 10 minutes looking for it then said he can't give the details as its a closed box. He said it was closed in 2003. I said well they were still using that address on paperwork last year.

He said contact trading standards and tell them, then he said i'm just reading the notes, between you and me you're not the first person to call regarding this.

Hmm, trading standards next me thinks.

Fantastic Diddled, i've just done a search myself, it is a seperate company not a trading style. I've got an unincorporated company number and the registered address. It is the BD22 8QQ one.