Valley enforcement Parking fine

[buzby]

Your only commitment - is you accepted that they had a contractual right to charge you to park (which you have done by purchasing a permit/ticket), how was it not displayed 'correctly'?

 

Although the advice is to ignore - in your case, a photocopy of the ticket, and the equivalent of a 'go away' intimation as you've discharged your obligation would be enough.

 

It won't go to court, but if it did, you responded giving all the information required and they wouldn't have a leg to stand on.

[adamtheyido]

Thanks buzby

The ticket blew onto the seat, must have happened as the door shut.

I was thinking of using the template letter off moneysavingexpert, the only thing that worries me, is if i say something wrong and shoot myself in the foot. Its basically a letter saying, i wont pay you and heres the reason why, i was just going to say, i had purchased a ticket, here is the proof, i have no intention of paying this outrageous charge and will not correspond with them anymore unless in a court of law.

Something like that anyway!

[letshelp]

I would personally hope and pray they took me to court, but no such luck I suppose.

regards

[buzby]

Yep - avoid a template if you possibly can. Far better to state your own unique angle on the matter. By supplying a copy of your 'permit' your liability is discharged. The fact they are trying to get you for a failure to display correctly, by aping Council procedures is to be expected. However councils will waive a PCN if the relevant ticket is shown to have existed. With PPC's they do not as they desperately need the money!

[adamtheyido]

Thanks, going to sit down and write it out tomorrow, I know it means they will def send another reply. But i feel better letting them know where were at. Then il just leave it until we get a proper court summons. I take it, if any debt collecters or solicitors write, they have the same legal powers as Valley Enforcement, ie none?! Should they all just be ignored after this letter?

Il let everyone know where it goes, unless i get fined so much, i cant afford broadband anymore!

[buzby]

It all follows a pretty predictable path, letters from the (a) Parking Company, (b) Debt Collector © Solicitor for the Debt Collector (e) Offer of a discount in order to close the matter...

 

After that, they move on to other mugs who may be easier to intimidate....

 

 

[lamma]

you still don't get it. its not a fine ! maybe you should post your draft up here first...

[buzby]

you still don't get it. its not a fine ! maybe you should post your draft up here first...

 

Not sure who this is directed at but the fact there has been a permit purchased, tree is no defence of rejecting the assertion of a lawful issue of the invoice, having already complied with the terms. However, there is no harm in pulling their chain in supplying a copy of the ticket, as it may well cut short the letter chain and save a forest.

 

As we all know failure to display a parking ticket/ permit is not a relevant issue or a reason to pursue an issue of the invoice. That said though, it'll be interesting to see if they're that desperate for the money!

[Clauk]

Hello Everyone!

 

I was just reading all those posts as I also got a parking ticket at the Crawley car park, beside Barmed.

 

I post on Thread with the topic "received parking ticket at a fault" as I was very few minutes late.

It was back in February and they never contact me. Then last month I receive a letter from Valley Enforcement demanding a payment of £127. That I just ignored. This week I received on the 21st a letter dated back from 16th July from CCS demanding the payment until 10am of the 23rd July.

I had then sent a reply letter saying that I have never being contacted before and I would like to know from them why they think I own any money to them and denying have to pay anything to them.

I just want to keep some records in case it goes to court. I really hope it won't.

It is great the way everyone share all the information in this site. I will keep you inform if anything else happens relate to it. I would love if they just give up now... but very unlikely...

 

Thank you all for sharing your experiences and knowledge.

[billy bob66]

it wont go to court, just ignore and it will go away.

[piningirl]

WARNING! To anyone who live in Crawley or go there, DO NOT PARK in the open car park adjacent to BarMed. They get you hooked on the fact that they charge 50p an hour but when you are there, they will give you a so called ticket with any excuse they can make up. Always remember, when something looks too good to be true, it often is!

Since my last post I have not heard anything at all. However after reading post from CLAUK, I think I have not heard the last of it. At the time before I found CAG, I contacted them and requested proof but never received anything in the post.

Just wondering if any other victims like myself actually got photo evidence sent to them from Valley Enforcement parking/ Premier Parking solutions?

[kiptower]

just another PPC [EDIT] photo evidence of what , its a term used in the [problem] it means or proves nothing in the eyes of the LAW

 

its nothing more than stupid comment to scare you , so what they have a photo , go back take a pic of the idiot putting the tickets on and tell him you want £80 as you photographed him putting a invoice on a car , or you will pin his pic up on your works notice board

 

thats how stupid their comment actually is

[piningirl]

It just crossed my mind that maybe they do not have the evidence afterall!

[kiptower]

a photo only shows a car with reg ********* had been in the car park, it means nothing else , does not prove that a ticket was aquirred a permit was held etc etc

 

ignore it

[piningirl]

Hi everyone

I was parked in the same car park as piningirl back in may. We recieved a ticket for £70 not displaying the ticket correctly(blew onto the seat), they said it would be £100 if we didnt pay in 14 days. After reading this and moneysavingexpert.com, we decided not to pay these robbers. We only recieved a letter today asking for £127!!

We have still decided not to pay, but we are not sure if we should write to the company or not. We have a decent template letter to use and just wondering if it did eventually go to court, would it look better if we had replied or not, or would it make no difference?

We understand that to make us do anything, they have to take us to court, and were not particularly worried. But we have to save just incase, anyone know whats the worst damage they can do in court, in the way of fines?

Many thanks

 

Wish Popcorn had responded to let us know wht happened!

 

Although I did not act on the advice of trading standard, it is still worth reporting them. Hopefully they will pick up there is some sort of malpractice on these daylight robber's part.

[piningirl]

Oh yes, I am ignoring it alright. Have not been on here for a while but noticed there are more people who fell into the hands of them at the same car park!

[Clauk]

Just to keep you all update,

 

I receive this week on the 12th a letter from CCS dated 6th August giving me a 72 hour notice for home visit. That I suppose should have being on the 9th. Until now, nobody showed up. If they show up I'll send they away, without accepting talk to them. If they insist I will call the police.

 

They say on they letter: "Your account will not be overlooked or forgotten and we intend to resolve this matter to our client satisfaction."

The funny thing is that they did not reply to my letter where I asked them why they think I own them any money.

 

Let's wait and see now...

xx

[Al27]

72 hour threat is a load of cobblers. Seen it many time before.

[buzby]

Just intimidation. These are form letters and are crafted to make the weak cave in. Of course the've not replied to your query, that would require an individual reply and outwith the scope of their 'scheme'.

[philbridges]

I also received a ‘fine’ back in June for not displaying a ticket (it fell off the dashboard.zzzzzz) . 3 letters so far so I ran them by my divorce solicitor. OK, so not her area of expertise but she said just ignore all the letters and threats and let them take you to court.

 

She says the fact the ticket is not self adhesive is evidence the ticket is not ‘fit for purpose’, which perhaps explains why most local councils use self adhesive tickets.

 

She also said this a is civil matter relating to trespass so can’t attract a County Court Judgment whatever the outcome, and even if I lost I wouldn’t wind paying their full costs, seems to be a no brainer doesn’t it?

 

Small Claims court judges tend to use common sense where the law permits, she reckons a judge would take a very dim view of ‘bully boy’ tactics.

 

And finally the court case would have to be heard where the event took place, in my case Argos, Totton, Hants, no problem for me , and in any event I'd claim loss of earnings and my correspondence time regardless of the outcome.

 

Looking through these posts it’s clear these pests use a template letter as specific queries are never answered, guess I should spotted that earlier. Don't take my word for it.. test them with a question! I’m willing to bet 9 out 10 pay this supposed ‘fine’ as any honest law abiding citizen would.

 

So, it seems the best way forward is for one of us to bring this to court and see what the outcome is and fire it of to the likes of BBC Watcdog and the media in general. Now that I’m clued up I’m up for it and will publish my findings both here and on my blog http://philbridges.com which gets amazingly high Google hits (never figured why that is?)

[Al27]

Hi Phil

 

99.9% of ticket (unenforceable invoices) result in no court action. With the others, the PPC invariably loses.

 

You can have a CCJ against you IF you lose AND you refuse to pay within 28 days. The law is pretty clear though and they have no legal claim to any money for not displaying a ticket, not having a permit, not displaying a blue badge etc. etc.

 

It's a [problem].

[philbridges]

As stated previosly.. "this a is civil matter relating to trespass so can’t attract a county court Judgment whatever the outcome."

 

Sadly I’ve heard of 2 local people who have coughed up, I’m guessing 9 out 10 people pay up, this is screaming for a test case and some national TV coverage, come on media, where are you when we need you? it's a shamed this thread doesn't get a higher page rank when you Google "Valley Enforcement" or "PPS Premier Parking Solutions Ltd' .

Edited September 19, 2010 by philbridges

[buzby]

90% pay up? You really think so? Consideting the number of parking companies citing 'difficult market conditions', and local councils where tickets are fully lawful (well, most of the time) report a 70% success rate on collection, I'd guestimate 25-35% would be abought right for PPC's, but as they're not going to disclose actual figures it's all guesswork.

 

Similarly, the media has done good service as I recall a One Show piece barely last week on it (misrepresenting the legality of PPCs). So if people want to pay up they're simply the (same?) bunch who are ripe for most scams out there.

[philbridges]

In case anybody's interested I had the first debt colletor letter today from "CCS Collect". My Solictor said ignore them and let them take you to court as I'd done nothing wrong and had a valid ticket!

 

I'm guessing I should expect some more threatening letters now.. ?

 

I'll keep you all posted anyhow..

 

PS To Buzby, I hope you're right and I'm wrong, we're all guessing here but even at 25% it must be money for old rope as far as they are concerned.

[buzby]

This company are well known for trying to entice motorists to pay up. Nothing unusual there, as they are quite cheap to use. Are you sure your solicitor said "you had done nothing wrong". This is a most unusual thing to say, as all you've received was a demand for payment.

 

There's no guilt or liability for an unenforceable invoice, and he should have known that.