Athena involving LRC debt collections

[Garycab06]

Hi all,

 

Long time observer, first time poster. This site is a real asset to people and I only hope that this community can ease my mind with the un-ethical services Athena employ.

 

Back in February I parked at Lidls car park in Peckham for 45 minutes longer then I was entitled too (you can't purchase parking tickets). They only allow parking for one hour and thirty minutes.

 

Shortly after I received the first of many letters (the first being photographic evidence of the 'contravention'), which on the basis of reading advice on this site I have ignored and not had any correspondence with.

 

However, I have now received a letter from LRC collections where they have threatened to take me to the county court. From what I have read on this site, if they were to contact the county court, the case would not go through based on the nature of ATHENA and their borderline legality of the letters they send through.

 

Am I right in my thinking? I am concerned that baliffs will turn up at my parents house (i recently moved out). Rightly so, they are concerend too.i have re-assured them that if I did get summoned to county court for this offence I would immediately pay the 'offence' amount, but I would like to know where I stand in terms of this going to county court via the debt collectors. I have read multiple threads about ATHENA, but not any that realate to ATHENA passing on the debt to debt collectors.

 

Can anyone assist me?

 

Many thanks in advance,

 

Garycab

[lamma]

Debt collectors have no powers. Its just part of the [problem]. They depend on their threats working against people who don't know how the ;legal system actually works. For bailiffs to happen what is needed is: !) the PPC takes you to court (not the DCA), 2) They win. 3) you get a judgment for payment against you 4) you don't pay it within the deadline set by the court. What do you think the odds of all those happening are ? meanwhile see this http://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum/parking-traffic-offences/164651-problems-ppcs-face.html?highlight=problems+ppc+face

[Garycab06]

Hey,

 

Really appreciate the reply - I thought that was the case, but just needed some re-assurance.

 

So just to understand and confirm - it would have to be Athena who would have to take me to the county court and not the debt collection agency?

 

Thanks!

[dx100uk]

no neither of them can take you to court.

it is a PPC not a PCN.

 

its a [problem]

 

ignore it.

 

dx

[pin1onu]

Don't confuse Debt Collectors with Bailiffs. Debt Cebt collectors or ordinary people like you. They rely on ignoranace to convince people to pay up. Bailiffs are authorised by a court to seize possessions to settle a debt, but only after the time given by the court to pay has expired.

 

Just because you get a summons for County Court doesn't mean that you have to pay up. You still have the right to defend the claim and if you win you owe nothing. You only have to pay up in the event of a loss and even then you normally have 28 days to pay. Given the nature of the paperwork that PPCs use a court claim is extremely unlikely. There is also the question over whether Athena have rights over the land that would enable them to take to you to court. I strongly suspect that they don't have these rights.

 

Debt Collectors write threatening letters for a living - the standard template for all DCA's seems to be based on a lot of ifs and maybe's. e.g. If you don't pay up we may take you to court or we may do nothing.

 

If this was a legitimate charge then I would recommend disputing it formally through the normal channels. Under OFT guidelines a disputed debt must not be referred to DCA. However this is little more than a [problem]. So IMV normal rules don't apply. The "DCA" is often just the same company using a different letterhead (the guy sitting at the next desk). If you bother to respond to them they tend to pester you with even more letters. That's why the advice on this forum is to ignore them.

 

With these guys "Least said, soonest mended" applies.

Edited June 15, 2009 by pin1onu

[crem]

OMG, it must have been at least a week since we were honoured with the presence of a PPC troll.

 

Are you planning on staying long VBP or have the mods already asked you to leave?

[PPC $ cambuster]

It's a shame you have let things get to this stage. Paying the initial notice would have been alot less costly.

 

 

And ignoring the invoice is even cheaper especially as the PPC will not go to court because they know their invoice has no legal enforcibility

[matthewdrew]

Hi I just read a letter from LRC or whatever they are called because I parked in the wallington ldil for £115. I have tried unsuccessfully to appeal (once) by proving I was a customer and shopped in lidls. Now I just ignore the letters. Should I continue ignoring this debt collection? I did send a email a few months ago asking them to prove who was driving but they ignored that email

[lamma]

replied in your duplicate post.