Private Parking Tickets - Template Letters - If you wrote before finding this site.

[crem]

came across this site whilst trying to find out what I can do about the Penalty Charge Notice I received yesterday from Bedford Parking Services in one of their car parks.

 

First interesting point... a private parking company cannot issue Penalty Charge Notices, so if that is what they have given you have a laugh, file in the drawer (ready for all the other junk they will send you) then ignore it. Job Done.

 

My question is about signage before I appeal.

DO NOT APPEAL!

There is no such thing as an appeal to a PPC (well not one that will ever be successful.)

Let me save you a stamp; *puts pretend PPC hat on*

Your Appeal is Unsuccessful. Please pay me megabucks or I'll eat your dog.

 

I have searched legislation but I think they wrote it in Greek.

There is no legislation to find. You are no doubt confusing legislation covering official council/police PCNs with the junk mail of a PPC. How can there be legislation covering something that is inherently illegal?

[crem]

The letter warns that the vehicle registered to her committed an offence in a car park resulting in a charge notice being issued, which remains unpaid.

 

How naughty of the vehicle to commit an offence. Maybe Trethowans should have a stern word word the car.

 

The letter is vague about the charge, it just says the vehicle "did not adhere to the Parking Regulations as details on the Notice Boards" and threatens court proceedings.

 

Once again, this vehicle clearly needs a good telling off. Perhaps we should support Trethowans in taking this vehicle to court to teach it a lesson

 

I've e-mailed Trethowans (their e-mail address is given on the letter) to explain everything including where the car was at the time stated. However the experience of "southernsoftee" on this thread makes me wonder whether common sense will prevail without us having to get a solicitor of our own involved.

Oops, writing to them and expecting common sense has been a mistake. All you have really done is establish a line of communication for them which they will exploit for many moons to come. You will not need a solicitor I am sure so save your money on that one.

 

I have to say as well that the tone of the letter is appalling, guilt is assumed and it is obviously meant to sound threatening. Payment details printed in bold and all. Pathetic!

Ah! so it is a standardly formatted PPC letter then.

[crem]

I doubt anyone writing to them at this stage, either you or your solicitor mate, will make them go away. By all accounts PPCs and their asociates don't even seem to read letters you send them so have no idea what strong defense you have.

 

Best general advice is usually just to ignore anything they send your way, but keep it safe for your day in court. (not that I would hold your breathe on it ever getting that far)

[crem]

If the PCN is issued by a council, or on behalf of a council then it does move the goalposts into the legal arena. BPS sounded more of a PPC then council, but if it clearly says they act for the council then it makes it a real PCN.

 

I think the best thing to do now is post a link to the PCN (after removing your personal details from it) so that the council PCN experts on here can have a look at it.

 

An official PCN does have a valid appeals system (unlike the PPCs) so it may be worth persuing at this stage if you let people see the PCN.

Edited September 27, 2008 by crem

[crem]

a letter saying that they have the photographic evidence but it will only be provided in the event that this case proceeds to court!!

 

If they have photographic evidence why don't they just send it and save the case from going to court?

 

I persoanlly think they don't have any photographic evidence as i know my ticket was clearly diplayed and a photo would show this!

 

It's been a month and I have not yet replied to their letter!

 

Should i reply? Please advise?

 

For the least effort route just continue to ignore. If you don't mind (or even relish a little fight) you could reply "OK, I'll have a look at your photographic evidence when we meet in court"

[crem]

Hi, I have been advised by someone that parking restrictions can not be enforced 24 hrs a day. Is this correct? I received a ppc for being parked in an empty retail car park from 20.18 til 22.53 when all but a Domino's Pizza takeaway were closed.

 

 

It sounds like you were parked in a private retail park in which case you are using wrong terms like "restrictions" and "enforced" which imply legal standing. As it is private they can make whatever "rules and regulations" they like. Equally, as they have no legal standing you can choose not to abide by them (other than on moral grounds like not using yellow bays if it would inconvenience disabled people etc) and ignore their invoice.

 

If they genuinely don't want parking out of hours, they should have a drop barrier at the entrance.

[crem]

Thanks for that, so you wouldn't send a letter to them?

 

Advice within the forums is never to make any initial contact with them and wait till they pay the DVLA 2.50 to get the RKs address. If/when they do this and write to you, update this thread for further advice.

 

(ps I got a PPC invoice 1st week of June and still haven't had a letter to RK)

[crem]

WHat you should do now is..... Nothing.

No more letters, no more phone calls, no more replies.

[crem]

I think it would be better to write to the company implicitly telling them that the invoice they may receive is wrong and invalid to make sure they do not consider paying it then charging you.

[crem]

I am new to this thread. I have recevied my first letter from the parking control company demanding £120. Should I ignore this letter or acknowledge the letter and ask them to contact the driver instead? I am concern that they will send a debt collector to my house and I won't be able to prove that the matter is in dispute if I have not made any attempt to contact the company.

 

Any views?

 

Thanks

 

Do not write to them or contact them in any way.

No debt collector is going to call on you. If they do, simply tell them to go away. (do not confuse debt collectors i.e nobodys, with bailiffs i.e. court officials that have legal clout.)

 

Above all, DO NOT PAY THEM,

[crem]

It says: " On the specified date, you were the registered owner, keeper or hirer of the vehicle in question.

 

There can be a;

Registered Keeper; Person recorded on the V5C

Keeper; Person in charge of the vehicle at that time

Owner; Person who's property the car is

Hirer; Person using the car after renting it

Driver; Person driving the car

 

So who is this Registered Owner they have invented?

[crem]

So who actually applies for a ccj? is it the parking firm or the debt collectors? do they have to accuse me of being the driver (which would be a guess on their part), and then hope that they are right, when they get to court?

 

 

The injured party should submit the papers to court, in this case the PPC. Although technically if you go to court and loose, that will constitute a County Court Judgement (CCJ) most people interpret a CCJ to mean something recorded on your credit history file. This only occurs if you are ordered to pay and don't do so in 28 days from the court date.

 

They can't take the RK to court and "hope they are right when they get there". They would have to have more substantial evidence of who was the driver than that.

[crem]

Forgive me if i appear thick, here, but how can debt collectors get involved prior to a ccj? Surely they can only start getting heavy after the "accused", has been found guilty, and still refuses to pay? Thanks again.

 

You are confusing debt collectors with court appointed Bailiffs. Bailiffs have all the power of the court behind them, debt collectors have all the power of a wet flannel behind them.

[crem]

We have seen a few threads regarding Keele University on CAG. As you discovered, appealing is a waste of a stamp. Your best just applying the ignore route now.

[crem]

Absolutely no point in bothering with a second letter. Just make like you didn't waste your time writing the first and move on, ignoring everything else they send you (short of an actual court summmons. But don't hold your breath for this)

[crem]

Keele uni has been mentioned a few times on CAG. I'm not aware they have ever taken anyone to court (anyone know?).

 

All the threats in their letter are just that, threats. Notice they are only saying they will pass it to a debt collector if you don't pay. Why? A DCA has no more chance of getting money off you than the PPC so why don't they go straight for a court date?

 

Most of the other stuff is utter rubbish. It's full of ifs and buts which depend on that rather small point they forget to mention,,, they have to win in the first place!

[crem]

An update - I've just this minute received a letter from a debt collection agency saying I now owe £85 and if I don't pay or provide a valid dispute within 7 days they will pursue the matter with or without my co-operation. They say wthey will pass it to their solicitors who will review the case for potential legal action. The only thing I have done in this case was to make an appeal to Car Parking Partnership who turned it down. Should I still ignore this? Thanks in advance.

 

 

I love that phrase in their letters!!!! What do they expect? loads of people ringing them up say "please may I co-operate to help you take me to court pretty please?"

 

Anyway, their laughable letters apart, yes you should still ignore this. Only ever read it again when you are feeling low and need a good laugh to cheer you up.

[crem]

Stop engaging with them in any same or form!

 

There is no appeal, and they are never going to withdraw their charge. Writing to them only makes matters worse, not better.

[crem]

Writing a letter to them is a complete waste of time as has been proved time and time again. It doesn't matter if you have evidence that you were abducted by aliens overnight leading to the late return to your car on that occasion. You will simply get a template latter back saying "after careful consideration, your appeal has not been accepted".

 

Do not write to them

Do not telephone them

Do not reply to any of their mail

Do not pay them.

[crem]

Your next step should be to go back to the first step which you acknowledge you missed out;

 

Step 1) Ignore them

Step 2) Ignore their DCA

Step 3) Repeat above steps until junk mail stops coming thru letterbox.

[crem]

hi - just having cold feet here - can someone soothe my fevered brow?

 

i got a parking charge notice on Easter Sunday - £60 - from Excel parking services - i could have parked on double yello lines anywhere in town and been ok but not on this carpark

no clear notices pointing out we needed to pay on a bank hol etc

 

i took advise offered earlier on here and ignored it

got a final demand for £100 in May - ignored it

got a debt collection notice - £140.24 - in Sept - ignored it

 

I now have a solictors letter threatening everying except disembowelment unless i pay up within 7 days - i THINK i should ignore this too but am feeling nervous - anyone any advice to strengthen my spine!

 

thanks

 

Elaine

 

 

Your perfectly on track for reaching the end of their [problem]. You've had your couple of letters from Excel, then a couple off their pet debt collector (who is probably just the same guy using different letterhead in the printer, Roxburghe perhaps?) then you have to have 2 from their "solicitor" (Graham White?) then you are finished.

 

Well done for completely the game to level 10, you now win .... ermm the satisfaction for knowing you won't be scammed.

[crem]

barnyboot

 

Do not write to them

Do not telephone them

Do not reply to their scamvoices

Do not pay them

[crem]

RK is Mrs but I was driver.

Great coz then she has no case to answer.

 

They have issued the ticket for £70 or £50 if paid in 14 days. I have read the thread on reasonable charges etc if it was to go to court but this car park was free. no pay and display, no barrier, no attendent. How can they legally charge that fee?

Doesn't really matter what they think is reasonable or not

Does Mrs just wait till letter comes through then write back stating i am the RK however I was not driving the vehicle on that date and if you continue I will pursue harassment claim?????

No, she waits for their letters then does nothing with them except stick them in a drawer with their scamvoice.

 

Have any of the threads that suggest IGNORE actually been endorsed by any contract lawyers?

 

Your advice would be welcomed.

 

Thanks

 

Mr Meldrew

 

Do not write to them

Do not telephone them

Do not reply to their letters

Do not pay them

[crem]

99% of tickets claiming to be "under railway byelaws 14" are nothing of teh sort and are only normal PPC scamvoices dressed up as such.

 

However, genuine byelaw 14 PCN cannot be just ignored so it is important to establish which this is. Can you post a scan of it up here, both sides, (with personal details obscured) so that the experts can look it over.

[crem]

One aspect I notice is the ticket states the car was parked "at/between between 08.00 hrs and 09.00 hrs". Yet the short stay car park, according to station wesbite, allows stays of up to 1 hour on payment of £1. Here £10.50 had been paid for a day's parking.

 

This point may well be worth exploring further.

 

I'm not an expert on railway PCNs and this one doesn't seem to be obviously a PPC invoice so we need that confirming first. If it is a correct railways byelaw PCN then I would assume it is subject to the "normal" rules of council PCNs; i.e. once it is issued it cannot be amended.

 

If parking is allowed for 1 hour in that car park then I fail to see how accusing you of parking for 1 hour can be an offence. It is irrelevant if you subsequently left the car there till 4pm, that is not what they are accusing you of doing.