PCN (NW) Ltd- surely this is unfair?!

[Kelly87c]

Hi all,

I have recently received a Penalty Charge Notice from PCN (NW) Ltd. I received it whilst parked on what later transpired to be a “permit holders only car park”. I returned from a restaurant on 13/03/09 (Yes, Friday the 13th!), to find a Penalty Charge Notice stuck to my window and it was only on receiving this that i had to actively look to find a sign stating permit holders only. The signs were small and stuck to the building that the car park was to the rear of, and to be honest looked like CCTV warning signs and were unclear in the dark!

Had i received this during the daytime i most likely would have paid up without questioning it. However, I received this notice at 8:38 pm, which made me question it as what wardens work at that time? I have assumed that these people know that drivers park here unaware as to the restrictions (as they are certainly not clear) and the PCN (NW) “wardens” , come out at this time bevause they know they vccan make a quick buck! In my opinion its kind of like a honey trap for them!

After reading various posts on this issues the main consensus seems to be to ignore them completely or send them a letter stating that you will not be paying.

I would really appreciate some personal advice, im furious about this and do not want to pay it out of pure principle, however im scared to death of getting a huge bill through my door!!

(The Charge is £40 if paid within 14 days and £70 after this).

 

Really would appreciate any help

Thanks

Kelly

[havinastella]

Hi Kelly

 

Ignore, Ignore and then just in case you forgot the earlier advise, Ignore.

 

Jogs

[lamma]

and then ignore some more ! have a read around on here. be comforted.

[D'ohhhhh]

join the ignoring club, im currently ignoring my NCP, cough cough, fine (I mean fake fine):grin:

[Vermillion]

Wot? Neva noticed anything guv.

Yup.

Ignore.

[DDWales]

Hi Kelly, as above ingnore. Be prepared for some nonsense letters (approx 2-3) from thier DCA however.

[Al27]

You will get a huge bill - it's their tactic of scaring their victims into paying.

 

The original £40 is unenforceable, so how can £70 or £200 be any more so?

 

Ignore them.

[crem]

Hi all,

I have recently received a Penalty Charge Notice from PCN (NW) Ltd. I received it whilst parked on what later transpired to be a “permit holders only car park”. I returned from a restaurant on 13/03/09 (Yes, Friday the 13th!), to find a Penalty Charge Notice stuck to my window and it was only on receiving this that i had to actively look to find a sign stating permit holders only.

 

Do they really call it a "Penalty Charge Notice"? If they do then you should ignore it even more than if it was an ordianary PPC invoice.

 

humm, so now to figure out how to doubly ignore a PPC invoice.

[Kelly87c]

Sorry Crem just double checked and it says "Parking Charge Notice", think it may have been the yellow packet that said Penalty charge. In any case does this make a difference?

 

Also please could someone tell me what makes these charges unenforceable as opposed to a parking ticket you may get from a council traffic warden? :-?

 

 

Thanks for all your input,

[RichardM]

The simple answer is that only the police and councils have the authority to "fine" anyone. These are private individuals, acting as a private company. They have no right to issue any sort of fines, penalties, charges or anything else that they might choose to call them.

 

What they are entitled to do, is to sue you on the bases that you have "alledgedly" entered into a contract by parking, and that you have breached that contract by breaking their rules.

 

If you have a look at some of the older threads, you will see exactly what the PPC's are allowed to claim for these breaches. It certainly is nothing like the sums they try to claim, which is why we say ignore them. Their modus operandi is to try and intimidate you into paying sums of money that they are not entitled to, often by committing fraud, trying to make documents resemble official police or council documents.

 

They have been challenged to go to court and prove their case on many occasions, but most are too scared to do it.