Enforcing parking in private residents parking spaces

[Slik]

Hi

 

Just a quick note to introduce myself.

 

I have been harassed by my property factor and Central Ticketing Ltd. for over 6 months now - they don't seem to realise they should just give up and go home.

 

The factor introduced the scheme and I strongly suspect there is a financial tie up between the two companies or some agreement but I have not sought to look into this.

 

CT are formerly Securiclamp Ltd. based in Birmingham and as I understand it you can't be a director of such a company if you have a criminal record - or at least it would potentially restrict your access to DVLA info etc. The directors of the company are in their mid 20's and the company has been around since 10/03/2004 meaning a clamping company was set up by a bunch of teenagers?

 

I am being harassed in a secure underground area accessed by a secure pass key controlled roller door. I own an equal share of ALL communal areas.

 

I have contacted police on 2 occasions after finding my vehicle had effectively been vandalised by glued 'penalty invoices'. I receive one per day and clear these off daily but found 5 adhered to my windscreen which required notable time to clear and clean before the vehicle was legal to use (obscured vision etc). The police don't want to know but then that doesn't surprise me as when my car was broken into they told me there was CCTV of the thief and said go deal with it yourself.

 

I am working with Malcolm Chisholm MSP to seek a resolution and get this in front of parliament and I encourage EVERYONE affected by any PPC to complain to their MP/MSP (very easily done and this does reach them directly www dot writetothem dot com) and do not give up until they take you seriously. It's also worth complainint to the police (easily done by email) as each time you complain they should gather a number to add to their statistics - which they'll them pass to a civil servant to manipulate as they see fit.

 

I also have a complaint lodged with the Information Commisioners Office against the DVLA for releasing my information without the necessary justification. This is proving difficult as the ICO appear to be a body set up to deflect complaints rather than address them and I knew a hell of a lot more about the DPA than the first employee of the ICO who tried to fobb me off. I've now got a more informed person trying it on and have yet to formulate my considered response.

 

I've stopped receiving letters etc demanding payment as they've obviously realised that it's pointless paying for the postage.

 

There are 240 ish flats on my estate, many of which are rented and the factor are claiming there is no interest in a Residents Association (which already exists as all Proprietors are default members - we need to set up a committee to be properly formed) and thus they wil not support or assist in calling an AGM. They have chosen to ignore my written requests for an AGM - instead issuing their claims that the 'steering group' is adequate and thus there is no need for an Association.

 

I only bought this property on the basis that there was more than enough parking and that it was unrestricted as I have a car collection I maintain in an rural area and I used to occasionally maintain a second vehicle at my flat if I was leaving early to display at a car show etc but will not allow any criminal free access to my vehicles - which are supposed to be in a secure area remember.

 

Unfortunately I am stuck where I am for now as I cannot afford to move to a completely private property with no factor trying to perpetually rip off their customers or harassment from third parties.

 

One thing is for sure though, with the recent change in the law in England and Wales banning clamping and the resultant media coverage about these PPC and their organised extortion of the public, we're headed towards enforced industry regulation and potentially the criminalisation of this practive at a greater rate than previously. I would encourage everyone to write to your MSP/MP (www dot writetothem dot com) and complain - let them know how many people this issue affects and we can get something done about it.

 

I should mention that my MSP is meeting with the director of the property factor later this month to discuss my issue and the larger problem of unregulated factoring companies. He's well armed so I hope he manages to at least scare our factor into treating their customers with some degree of basic respect and with luck a retraction of whatever unfounded and misguided (if I'm being polite) agreement they may have with CT.

 

Thanks

Edited September 23, 2010 by Slik

[Al27]

Who has employed Central?

 

The most effective thing would be to jointly take Central and the Management Company to county court for all your costs, time and harassment suffered. You're talking at least £1000 here, going by the same amount that was awarded against UKPAO last week.

 

The only way to get rid of them is when they and the management co both realise they are being sued for harassment costs by residents.

[Slik]

CT are working free of charge and have been appointed by the Factor who have not sought the permission of any let alone all landowners.

 

I would be VERY interested to learn of the details of this case, the items claimed for and specific details as that's a fairly meaningful sum.

 

I am currently biting my tongue awaiting the outcome of my MSP's efforts as he's engaging CT on my behalf to request they stop harassing me - up until last week they simply ignored him buthis last contact resulted in a request for more details which have been supplied - even though I appear to be the only person on the estate who refuses to cave in and display a permit with my name and address in my car - yeah that's right all the info needed to assist in a burglary or alternately help to clone my car.

[BoardinBob]

Well the Central Ticketing signs all over my street disappeared a few weeks ago. However my unbridled joy was shortlived when they were replaced a couple of weeks later by P4 Parking signs...

 

The factors have kindly been in touch to let us know Central Ticketing have gone into liquidation. I can't help but feel enormous joy at this news. I look forward to P4's similar demise.

[Slik]

Yup, same thing has happened here and I have complained to Factor as they stuck their sh1t to my car once last week - thankfully not since though but I did threaten to take up my previous action from where I left off.

 

I wonder of they have gone into liquidation by choice to throw off a few claimants - I imagine a few CCJs etc have built up against them over the last couple of years and this could just be them shaking them off and starting again under a new banner (though I don't think this new P4 lot are CT re-born).

 

Interestingly if you read the penalty invoice it threatens clamping as a potential action - that's very very much illegal and there must be some law against threatening illegal action in an invoice.

[Old Snowy]

Interestingly if you read the penalty invoice it threatens clamping as a potential action - that's very very much illegal and there must be some law against threatening illegal action in an invoice.

I'm guessing that as you are dealing with the factor that you enjoy living in a jurisdiction where clamping has already been outlawed i.e. north of the border.

 

Dann sarf, where both Central Ticketing and P4 Parking originate it remains legal - for the moment - and just goes to show how clued up they are. But then private parking companies are there simply to farm the users of car parks for the substantial benefit of their own pockets. Any service they provide, to the factor or the landowner, are largely incidental.

[jimjim5]

Boardinbob, how did you get on with court and property management fees? I am currently going to court with mine over unjust fees and me refusing to pay.

[nebopeklo]

BoardinBob - can you reply to this thread please or send me an email? I am a current resident within your development (WCC). Myself and my partner were one of the first residents to move into the development and and I am thoroughly sick of Charles White, especially over their recent attempt to recover the 'bad debts' from all residents. The only way we can get rid of them is through a resident's association. I am more than willing to help establish this but would be good to contact you regarding your past activities and your ongoing battles with CW!

 

I'm currently drafting them a letter refusing to pay for 'bad debts' and their unenforcable Late Payement charges.

 

Thanks. nebopeklo .

Edited March 6, 2012 by honeybee13
Please refrain from publishing personal details.

[BoardinBob]

Aaaaaargh. The saga continues.

 

I decided to play the game and put the P4 parking pass on display in my windscreen. For some bizarre reason I'm randomly getting tickets saying my permit is a photocopy, which it's not. I first got one ages ago but I never received anything from P4 parking. Stupidly I assumed the parking company were telling the property management company about any tickets that were issued and the property manager was telling them to cancel them.

 

So last week I get an email from the company I lease my car from telling me they've got £700 worth of "fines" (their words, not mine) for the car from P4 parking and their "debt collectors". I told them not to pay a penny, and I would sort it out. I told them they weren't fines, they were invoices. I get another email saying it's now gone up to £900 and they've paid them and they'll be sending me an invoice!

 

I've got on the phone to the property manager who was really helpful and he's going to sort it out for me, but it beggars belief that leasing companies will just blindly pay PPCs without even querying what's going on. I've torn them a new one for allowing them to mount up before they got in touch with me. They even claim to have a specialist "fines department", who don't sound too clued up on the realities of this [problem].

[ericsbrother]

Does the lwase for the car have a clause that permits the recovery of the payment they have made? I bet there is one about fines but these are not fines so they are in breach of contract and you dont have to pay them back. Stupid twonks.

[D P Dance]

I am beginning to think that this thread is a wind up.

[ericsbrother]

Then dont pay the fools who paid up as they have not followed your instructions and caused themselves a loss by their own negligence.

[BoardinBob]

I am beginning to think that this thread is a wind up.

 

Why?

[D P Dance]

Because there are so many gaps in the narrative, because it has been going on for so long, because I find it difficult to believe that a Factor would act thusly, because I find it difficult to believe that the police acted as they did, because other residents have not joined you in a joint action, because you do not appear to have engaged a solicitor, taken the matter to the IPCC, or approached the Homeowner Housing Panel.

 

Perhaps you have done all those things, but you have not mentioned them here. i

[BoardinBob]

Because there are so many gaps in the narrative

 

It's been going on for years and you've dragged the thread up from 5 months ago.

 

because I find it difficult to believe that a Factor would act thusly

 

You must have very little experience of property factors. They're all **** in my experience.

 

because I find it difficult to believe that the police acted as they did,

 

Not as surprised as I was, though the police response of "it's a civil matter" seems to be standard for anything they can't be arsed getting involved in

 

because other residents have not joined you in a joint action

 

Most flats are owned by absentee landlords that don't give a toss as long as their rent is paid. The rest are apathetic.

 

because you do not appear to have engaged a solicitor

 

I've been happy enough with advice from here and Pepipoo. No need to cost myself money when I'm capable of fighting it. I did take advice from a solicitor, and then took it from there by myself

 

taken the matter to the IPCC

 

A waste of time. They look after their own. Take this as an example: http://forums.pepipoo.com/index.php?showtopic=78366

 

or approached the Homeowner Housing Panel

 

It's still on my list of options. The response from the factor has been worse than useless. The BPA are currently investigating P4 Parking for breach of their code of conduct. Once I get a response from that I may go after the factors too. I've issued the factors and P4 Parking with a notice before action to recover the money paid for parking tickets and to get them both banned from entering my land. Discussions around that are ongoing.

[D P Dance]

I dragged it up because I am about to complete on a flat in a block managed by UKPC. The head landlord is a charitable HA and I do not think that they should be inflicting a PPC on their tenants. I shall therefore attempt to get them to sack the ex clampers.

 

WRT experience of Factors, I have been letting properties since 1977, Next week I shall have three and have had no problems with management companies except one whom I threatened with a Tribunal and they backed down. Perhaps you are not being sufficiently assertive.

 

I have found in cases such as this that the police only respond to threats, therefore threaten them. Put every telephone conversation on paper, send them a copy, question every statement that you doubt, be assertive, create a huge paper trail.

 

You said five years ago that the Factor was useless, what have you done about it?

Edited January 16, 2014 by D P Dance

[BoardinBob]

I dragged it up because I am about to complete on a flat in a block managed by UKPC. The head landlord is a charitable HA and I do not think that they should be inflicting a PPC on their tenants. I shall therefore attempt to get them to sack the ex clampers.

 

WRT experience of Factors, I have been letting properties since 1977, Next week I shall have three and have had no problems with management companies except one whom I threatened with a Tribunal and they backed down. Perhaps you are not being sufficiently assertive.

 

I have found in cases such as this that the police only respond to threats, therefore threaten them. Put every telephone conversation on paper, send them a copy, question every statement that you doubt, be assertive, create a huge paper trail.

 

You said five years ago that the Factor was useless, what have you done about it?

 

 

What I've done is to try engage with the residents and get them involved. As I said above, with 50%+ of the properties owned by absentee landlords, they don't give a toss. Of the remaining owner occupiers, the overwhelming majority don't care and can't be bothered with the hassle. The few tat do care are trying to do something but we need everyone to be engaged with the process, and despite repeated attempts to do that, they don't care.

 

And I've complained to the owner of the factor company, who couldn't care less as long as they're getting paid. Didn't even bother to respond to my complaint which speaks volumes about their attitude. It seems that others have experienced a similar level of service from them

 

http://m.topix.com/forum/city/edinburgh-in/TUS3HRSOL59C96N83