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    • further polished WS using above suggestions and also included couple of more modifications highlighted in orange are those ok to include?   Background   1.1  The Defendant received the Parking Charge Notice (PCN) on the 06th of January 2020 following the vehicle being parked at Arla Old Dairy, South Ruislip on the 05th of December 2019.   Unfair PCN   2.1  On 19th December 2023 the Defendant sent the Claimant's solicitors a CPR request.  As shown in Exhibit 1 (pages 7-13) sent by the solicitors the signage displayed in their evidence clearly shows a £60.00 parking charge notice (which will be reduced to £30 if paid within 14 days of issue).  2.2  Yet the PCN sent by the Claimant is for a £100.00 parking charge notice (reduced to £60 if paid within 30 days of issue).   2.3        The Claimant relies on signage to create a contract.  It is unlawful for the Claimant to write that the charge is £60 on their signs and then send demands for £100.    2.4        The unlawful £100 charge is also the basis for the Claimant's Particulars of Claim.  No Locus Standi  3.1  I do not believe a contract with the landowner, that is provided following the defendant’s CPR request, gives MET Parking Services a right to bring claims in their own name. Definition of “Relevant contract” from the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012, Schedule 4,  2 [1] means a contract Including a contract arising only when the vehicle was parked on the relevant land between the driver and a person who is-   (a) the owner or occupier of the land; or   (b) Authorised, under or by virtue of arrangements made by the owner or occupier of the land, to enter into a contract with the driver requiring the payment of parking charges in respect of the parking of the vehicle on the land. According to https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2006/46/section/44   For a contract to be valid, it requires a director from each company to sign and then two independent witnesses must confirm those signatures.   3.2  The Defendant requested to see such a contract in the CPR request.  The fact that no contract has been produced with the witness signatures present means the contract has not been validly executed. Therefore, there can be no contract established between MET Parking Services and the motorist. Even if “Parking in Electric Bay” could form a contract (which it cannot), it is immaterial. There is no valid contract.  Illegal Conduct – No Contract Formed   4.1 At the time of writing, the Claimant has failed to provide the following, in response to the CPR request from myself.   4.2        The legal contract between the Claimant and the landowner (which in this case is Standard Life Investments UK) to provide evidence that there is an agreement in place with landowner with the necessary authority to issue parking charge notices and to pursue payment by means of litigation.   4.3 Proof of planning permission granted for signage etc under the Town and country Planning Act 1990. Lack of planning permission is a criminal offence under this Act and no contract can be formed where criminality is involved.   4.4        I also do not believe the claimant possesses these documents.   No Keeper Liability   5.1        The defendant was not the driver at the time and date mentioned in the PCN and the claimant has not established keeper liability under schedule 4 of the PoFA 2012. In this matter, the defendant puts it to the claimant to produce strict proof as to who was driving at the time.   5.2 The claimant in their Notice To Keeper also failed to comply with PoFA 2012 Schedule 4 section 9[2][f] while mentioning “the right to recover from the keeper so much of that parking charge as remains unpaid” where they did not include statement “(if all the applicable conditions under this Schedule are met)”.     5.3         The claimant did not mention parking period, times on the photographs are separate from the PCN and in any case are that arrival and departure times not the parking period since their times include driving to and from the parking space as a minimum and can include extra time to allow pedestrians and other vehicles to pass in front.    Protection of Freedoms Act 2012   The notice must -   (a) specify the vehicle, the relevant land on which it was parked and the period of parking to which the notice relates;  22. In the persuasive judgement K4GF167G - Premier Park Ltd v Mr Mathur - Horsham County Court – 5 January 2024 it was on this very point that the judge dismissed this claim.  5.4  A the PCN does not comply with the Act the Defendant as keeper is not liable.  No Breach of Contract   6.1       No breach of contract occurred because the PCN and contract provided as part of the defendant’s CPR request shows different post code, PCN shows HA4 0EY while contract shows HA4 0FY. According to PCN defendant parked on HA4 0EY which does not appear to be subject to the postcode covered by the contract.  6.2         The entrance sign does not mention anything about there being other terms inside the car park so does not offer a contract which makes it only an offer to treat,  Interest  7.1  It is unreasonable for the Claimant to delay litigation for  Double Recovery   7.2  The claim is littered with made-up charges.  7.3  As noted above, the Claimant's signs state a £60 charge yet their PCN is for £100.  7.4  As well as the £100 parking charge, the Claimant seeks recovery of an additional £70.  This is simply a poor attempt to circumvent the legal costs cap at small claims.  7.5 Since 2019, many County Courts have considered claims in excess of £100 to be an abuse of process leading to them being struck out ab initio. An example, in the Caernarfon Court in VCS v Davies, case No. FTQZ4W28 on 4th September 2019, District Judge Jones-Evans stated “Upon it being recorded that District Judge Jones- Evans has over a very significant period of time warned advocates (...) in many cases of this nature before this court that their claim for £60 is unenforceable in law and is an abuse of process and is nothing more than a poor attempt to go behind the decision of the Supreme Court v Beavis which inter alia decided that a figure of £160 as a global sum claimed in this case would be a penalty and not a genuine pre-estimate of loss and therefore unenforceable in law and if the practice continued, he would treat all cases as a claim for £160 and therefore a penalty and unenforceable in law it is hereby declared (…) the claim is struck out and declared to be wholly without merit and an abuse of process.”  7.6 In Claim Nos. F0DP806M and F0DP201T, District Judge Taylor echoed earlier General Judgment or Orders of District Judge Grand, stating ''It is ordered that the claim is struck out as an abuse of process. The claim contains a substantial charge additional to the parking charge which it is alleged the Defendant contracted to pay. This additional charge is not recoverabl15e under the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012, Schedule 4 nor with reference to the judgment in Parking Eye v Beavis. It is an abuse of process from the Claimant to issue a knowingly inflated claim for an additional sum which it is not entitled to recover. This order has been made by the court of its own initiative without a hearing pursuant to CPR Rule 3.3(4)) of the Civil Procedure Rules 1998...''  7.7 In the persuasive case of G4QZ465V - Excel Parking Services Ltd v Wilkinson – Bradford County Court -2 July 2020 (Exhibit 4) the judge had decided that Excel had won. However, due to Excel adding on the £60 the Judge dismissed the case.  7.8        The addition of costs not previously specified on signage are also in breach of the Consumer Rights Act 2015, Schedule 2, specifically paras 6, 10 and 14.   7.9        It is the Defendant’s position that the Claimant in this case has knowingly submitted inflated costs and thus the entire claim should be similarly struck out in accordance with Civil Procedure Rule 3.3(4).   In Conclusion   8.1        I invite the court to dismiss the claim.  Statement of Truth  I believe that the facts stated in this witness statement are true. I understand that proceedings for contempt of court may be brought against anyone who makes, or causes to be made, a false statement in a document verified by a statement of truth without an honest belief in its truth.   
    • Well the difference is that in all our other cases It was Kev who was trying to entrap the motorist so sticking two fingers up to him and daring him to try court was from a position of strength. In your case, sorry, you made a mistake so you're not in the position of strength.  I've looked on Google Maps and the signs are few & far between as per Kev's MO, but there is an entrance sign saying "Pay & Display" (and you've admitted in writing that you knew you had to pay) and the signs by the payment machines do say "Sea View Car Park" (and you've admitted in writing you paid the wrong car park ... and maybe outed yourself as the driver). Something I missed in my previous post is that the LoC is only for one ticket, not two. Sorry, but it's impossible to definitively advise what to so. Personally I'd probably gamble on Kev being a serial bottler of court and reply with a snotty letter ridiculing the signage (given you mentioned the signage in your appeal) - but it is a gamble.  
    • No! What has happened is that your pix were up-to-date: 5 hours' maximum stay and £100 PCN. The lazy solicitors have sent ancient pictures: 4 hours' maximum stay and £60 PCN. Don't let on!  Let them be hoisted by their own lazy petard in the court hearing (if they don't bottle before).
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    • We have finally managed to obtain the transcript of this case.

      The judge's reasoning is very useful and will certainly be helpful in any other cases relating to third-party rights where the customer has contracted with the courier company by using a broker.
      This is generally speaking the problem with using PackLink who are domiciled in Spain and very conveniently out of reach of the British justice system.

      Frankly I don't think that is any accident.

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Billed for import duty on item of £15.22 by Royal Mail


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I recievied a card through the letter box the other day saying I had a packet awaiting collection but there was a customs charge of £12.26.

 

The packet was 2 blu-ray discs on a buy one get one free offer from Amazon.com in the USA, although the packet arrived from Germany:?

I thought there were no import charges from the EU full stop. As the tax has already been paid at their end.

 

Amazon in there infinite wisdom mark the customs declaration with the full price of the 2 discs, so $40 (£20ish)

 

I paid £15.22 for them so there should be no import duty on them full stop.

 

I've looked at the customs website and it says there is no duty on items under £18 and that if you need to work out the value of an item, method one (of six) is the price paid buy the buyer to the selled. £15.22 in this case.

It also says there is a "waiver of amounts of customs duty not exceeding 10 euro (£7) on small consignments"

 

The Postal services act 2000 says

 

Section 83 Interfering with the mail: postal operators

(1) A person who is engaged in the business of a postal operator commits an offence if, contrary to his duty and without reasonable excuse, he—

(a) intentionally delays or opens a postal packet in the course of its transmission by post, or

104 Inviolability of mails

(1) Subsection (2) applies to—

(a) a postal packet,

(b) anything contained in a postal packet, and

© a mail-bag containing a postal packet,

which is not the property of the Crown but which is in the course of transmission by post.

(2) Anything to which this subsection applies shall have the same immunity from

(a) examination, or seizure or detention, under a relevant power conferred by virtue of this Act or any other enactment,

(b) seizure under distress or in execution,

© in Scotland, any diligence, and

(d) retention by virtue of a lien,

as it would have if it were the property of the Crown

 

A lien from what I gather is the right over anothers property due to a debt charged on it.

 

The biggest part of the £12.26 charge is £9 by Royal Mail.

 

 

 

I just wany my packet with no charges as I am entitled to. Do I have a hope?

 

I tried ringing a manager at the Royal mail today but he was quite ignorrant and hung up on me.

 

What other course of action do I have. I refuse to pay the charge and hope I might get a refund.

 

Can I go to the police and quote the Postal services act and Customs and have them charged with interferring with the mail and fraud as they are trying to make money out of nothing.

 

I can see me just saying send the packet back and stuff your charges, but I shouldn't have to do that.

 

Any comments appreciated.

Thank you

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The charge you have for customs is nothing to do with Royal Mail. The customs and excise department put that charge on when they do the checks. They then pass the item to Royal Mail and they in turn have to collect the payment and return it to customs. Thats where the Royal Mail admin charge comes in. The charge is high for the amount of work Royal Mail have to do but I have seen parcels come into the office where the custome duty is only a pound or so but Royal Mail are not allowed to pass it to the customer without payment as they are carefully monitored and have to send the money. Its just your luck with customs, some items are checked, some are not. But it is them that put the charge on, once its there Royal Mail cant delete it.

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I could be wrong on this but as the packet origonally came from the USA I think the limit is £18 you can import without duty. It dosnt matter that it came via Germany and the cost is taken by customs as being whatever the sender has written.

Its also not a case of Royal Mail 'interfereing with mail' as they are only folowing the law as it stands with Customs and Excise. This is not calssed as interfering with mail, they are not allowed to pass it on to you till you pay the duty.

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The declared value of the shipment is not necessarily the price you paid for it, but the commercial value of the consignment. This stops people falsely declaring the value to avoid HMCE charges and duty. Thus the commercial value of your package would be the full retail cost of both Blu-Rays.

 

One predicts that Amazon USA ship from the US to Germany, where discs are held to supply any European orders - more than likely in a bonded warehouse. Once the order is received they are then shipped from Germany, but the import doesn't take place until the consignment reaches it's final destination country, in this case the UK.

 

You should check your contract with Amazon US and see whether there is any reference to liability for import duty. Otherwise, it's the Queens money!

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I used to buy a fair amount of stuff from overseas. Anything that involved Royal Mail invariably ended up with both duty and a RM admin fee, whilst items coming by couriers such as Fedex, TNT etc. more often than not did not attract duty. Where courier packages attracted duty, and the courier added an admin fee, I always sent a cheque for the duty only, and suggested that the courier looked to their clients (i.e. the sender), for the admin fee, since I had no contract with them. Worked every time. I had some letters from a DCA employed by Fedex, but they backed down as soon as they were asked to prove that there was a contract, or that I had asked Fedex to pay the duty on my behalf and agreed to their fee.

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Where courier packages attracted duty, and the courier added an admin fee, I always sent a cheque for the duty only, and suggested that the courier looked to their clients (i.e. the sender), for the admin fee, since I had no contract with them. Worked every time. I had some letters from a DCA employed by Fedex, but they backed down as soon as they were asked to prove that there was a contract, or that I had asked Fedex to pay the duty on my behalf and agreed to their fee.

 

I had a similar problem where I had to pay VAT and duty on the courier charges - so a £50 purchase with £80 courier cost had a £37 charge added on later. I queried it, it went to a DCA where I said the charge was in dispute, and Fedex waived the charges because, in their words, they hadn't sent me the right documentation explaining them. I was never going to pay their £8 admin fee but I can't believe I can order anything on Fedex again without them demanding payment upfront... did they keep on delivering your stuff even though they knew you wouldn't pay?

 

I switched to Post and so far everything has come through almost as quick but with no duty at all. I figured even if there was duty, it'd be on the £16 postal charge rather than the £80 courier charge... I can't see me paying their admin fee though, isn't that their responsibility? Just as I don't expect a fuel-surcharge and pirate-repulsion fee to be added...

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  • 1 month later...

 

Are these "admin fees" legal then? Because they look like it costs a lot less for RM to do this than they charge the customer for, £9 RM handling fee on a £12.26 bill - so them charging almost 3x the actual fee to pay the fee.

The above post constitutes my personal opinion on the facts in the post compared with my personal knowledge of the applicable legislation. I make no guarantees of its legal accuracy. If you are in doubt seek advice of a legal professional specialising in the area concerned.

 

If my post has helped you please click my scales!

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Are these "admin fees" legal then? Because they look like it costs a lot less for RM to do this than they charge the customer for, £9 RM handling fee on a £12.26 bill - so them charging almost 3x the actual fee to pay the fee.

 

It is a fixed fee per item which is why it seems excessive on a fairly low charge, but it would be the same £9 fee whether the duty to pay is £5 or £50, as the handling fee is charged to cover their costs for the work they do on behalf of HMRC, collecting the duty etc.

Opinions given herein are made informally by myself as a lay-person in good faith based on personal experience. For legal advice you must always consult a registered and insured lawyer.

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It is a fixed fee per item which is why it seems excessive on a fairly low charge, but it would be the same £9 fee whether the duty to pay is £5 or £50, as the handling fee is charged to cover their costs for the work they do on behalf of HMRC, collecting the duty etc.

Yes but surely it doesn't cost them £9 to pay HMRC a fee.

The above post constitutes my personal opinion on the facts in the post compared with my personal knowledge of the applicable legislation. I make no guarantees of its legal accuracy. If you are in doubt seek advice of a legal professional specialising in the area concerned.

 

If my post has helped you please click my scales!

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Yes but surely it doesn't cost them £9 to pay HMRC a fee.

 

No, but it's not a case of them just processing payments - it's all the manual handling which is involved. This is from the HMRC website:

 

They handle packages for customs examination and, if required, open and re-pack them. The Post Office will also store packages if customs need to make enquiries; for example, when the contents have not been declared properly by the sender.

 

but I imagine that is not an exhaustive list of the work which is involved.

Opinions given herein are made informally by myself as a lay-person in good faith based on personal experience. For legal advice you must always consult a registered and insured lawyer.

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