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    • The private submersible industry was shaken after the implosion of the OceanGate Titan sub last year.View the full article
    • 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).
    • Thanks for all the suggestions so far I will amend original WS and send again for review.  While looking at my post at very beginning when I submitted photos of signs around the car park I noticed that it says 5 hours maximum stay while the signage sent by solicitor shows 4 hours maximum stay but mine is related to electric bay abuse not sure if this can be of any use in WS.
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Tax Credit Fraud


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Hi

i am hoping someone reading this will be able to help me and give me some desperately needed advice.

Basically, for around 2 years i have still been claiming and receiving additional tax credit payments to cover childcare costs i no longer pay. My son stopped going to his childminder around 2 years ago, he used to go after school and school hols. I didnt inform tax credits that i no longer paid for childcare and now am terrified of the consequences.

I am too scared to ring them as i keep reading horror stories of people being sent to prison and am convinced this will happen to me.

Can someone please please give me some advice or personal similar experiences.

I cant sleep, eat or do anything for worrying.

I am a single mum, and work full time, but struggled without assistance from my ex. This is no excuse i know, but really needed the extra money involved. Now, i guess i am in big trouble.

Please help someone

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The short answer is that you need to declare it, because sooner or later they are going to discover it, and the longer it is left, the bigger risk of a criminal invesitgation. They write to childminders periodically to ask if they still care for children registered on the claim. There is no childminder who is going to admit to caring for children that they no longer have because to do so would bring tax implications upon the childminder and place the childminder also at risk of being prosecuted for fraud. Once they write to your former childminder for a review of childcare costs, she will of course inform them that she no longer cares for the children. She will then be required to provide the end date of care along with any further evidence she has of when the contract terminated. This is only one manner in which you will be caught.

 

Childminders are self employed and have to complete a tax return to HMRC - the same people who are paying your tax credit. Which means the risk of them discovering your fraud is higher because not only can it be discovered if they do a review of your childcare claim (and they don't always tell you they are doing this), they can also discover a fraud during a data match because the childminders tax return figures will not match the income figures claimed for tax credit childcare element against her childminders registration number. Not only are you placing yourself at risk, but also your former childminder. Although this fraud is nothing to do with her (assuming she's not in collusion with you) she can still be investigated because they will seek to establish if she is party to the fraud if they find out about it without you coming forward of your own accord.

 

Tax credit prefer civil investigations to criminal investigations. If you declare it now and provide a full disclosure there is a very good chance that they will recover the overpayment with a penalty on top - which can be reduced if you disclose matters fully, and without criminal proceedings being brought against you. If you don't declare it now, and they find out (which they will sooner or later - I have dealt with claimants who have been caught and prosecuted for fraud years after their claims ended), the chances of them performing a criminal investigation and raising prosecution proceedings gets higher every day.

My advice is based on my opinion, my experience and my education. I do not profess to be an expert in any given field. If requested, I will provide a link where possible to relevant legislation or guidance, so that advice provided can be confirmed and I do encourage others to follow those links for their own peace of mind. Sometimes my advice is not what people necesserily want to hear, but I will advise on facts as I know them - although it may not be what a person wants to hear it helps to know where you stand. Advice on the internet should never be a substitute for advice from your own legal professional with full knowledge of your individual case.

 

 

Please do not seek, offer or produce advice on a consumer issue via private message; it is against

forum rules to advise via private message, therefore pm's requesting private advice will not receive a response.

(exceptions for prior authorisation)

 

 

 

 

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  • 2 months later...

Hi Im in exactly the same position as you - i have done the same thing and claimed for child care costs for nearly 2 years and now have just received a letter asking for proof of my childcare costs. Im so frightened that im going to end up in prison. I know Ive been really stupid. Please can you let me know the outcome of your situation??? Thanks

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I have recieved a letter this weekend from the compliance team asking me to send in receipts for my childcare between 2010 - 2011

My childcare stopped last september however I completely forgot and didn't tell them until March this year. My childcare costs were on ave 50 a week, I am now really frightened of being sent to prison and I don't know what to do, I can't even speak to anyone until Tuesday which is a nitemare. I am preganant with my 2nd child & fear I am harming the baby by over stressing.

 

Please can anyone help.......xx

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Thank u for your reply, will they start an investigation or do I just phone them and explain I failed to tell them in time (as soon as i realised in march I did phone & cancel the child care claim) before I recieved this letter so will that go in my favour?

How will I have to pay it back in 1 lump sum or will they take money from my tax credits or will this be stopped now?

 

Thank u very much for helping, this feels like the longest weekend ever, wish I had the letter Friday so I could have rang then. xx

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I would be honest with them, if you go saying you forgot childcare had stopped, sorry but that's just going to come across as a bit far fetched. Others on here have been upfront & said they were skint & took the p basically, & have only had to pay it back. No mention of prosecution. I think they got CAB to communicate with the Tax office for them. x

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Thank u 4 your response, do u think I should let CAB ring them or would I be ok to just ring them and explain on Tuesday, I am just so so worried and can't function so just desperately want to know what is going to happen to me. If my claim is stopped I will loose my home, I only work part time so can't live without my tax credits. I know all of this is my fault I just want to get it sorted before anything else bad happens.

 

Thanks again xx

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If you think you can deal with it ring them yourself, I just remember someone recently saying they went to CAB & got them to ring on their behalf. And it was sorted.

It is a worry, but by the sounds of it, yours is not a kings ransom compared to some. 1200 pounds roughly? Not worth the tax payers money to take you to court, I wouldn't think. Especially if you offer to pay it back.

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Thank u 4 your response again, I will phone them Tuesday just have to try and figure out what to say as I don't know how to go about these sorts of things, do I just say, I claimed for longer than I should have, I will pay back in installments?

Do you know if I will still be allowed to claim tax credits?

 

Thanks xx

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If you're still entitled to them, they have to pay them. They'll possibly take your over payment out of them in installments though.

But Tax credits aren't sanctionable.

Edited by jadeybags
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Do you know if I will still be allowed to claim tax credits?

 

 

If you receive maximum tax credits (you will be if you are reliant only on income based DWP benefit) they can only reduce your payments by up to 10%. If you receive less than the maximum tax credits, but more than the basic amount (which is £10.50 a week) then they can only reduce your payments by up to 25%. If you are receiving just the basic amount (£10.50 a week), they can stop your tax credits entirely until the overpayment is paid back.

 

There are some examples here - you'll need to scroll down the page to find them.

My advice is based on my opinion, my experience and my education. I do not profess to be an expert in any given field. If requested, I will provide a link where possible to relevant legislation or guidance, so that advice provided can be confirmed and I do encourage others to follow those links for their own peace of mind. Sometimes my advice is not what people necesserily want to hear, but I will advise on facts as I know them - although it may not be what a person wants to hear it helps to know where you stand. Advice on the internet should never be a substitute for advice from your own legal professional with full knowledge of your individual case.

 

 

Please do not seek, offer or produce advice on a consumer issue via private message; it is against

forum rules to advise via private message, therefore pm's requesting private advice will not receive a response.

(exceptions for prior authorisation)

 

 

 

 

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thanks for you're help, I am preparing myself to ring them tomorrow, just hope they don't cancel my claim and make me do another :(

What an awful weekend, can't wait for this to just all be sorted and never be in this mess again xx

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Brilliant, I tried ringing this am, the guy who is dealing with my case is on hol until next Tuesday, no one else can deal with my case, another week of stress, sleepless nites & not eating, god knows what this is doing to this baby, I am trying so hard not to worry but I can't, any advice on what I can do until then, is there a letter I can write to say what I have done or do I have to speak to them over the phone?

 

Thanks

 

XX

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You can send a letter to them if you prefer. Send it to the address on the letter they have sent to you, I'd advise recorded delivery.

My advice is based on my opinion, my experience and my education. I do not profess to be an expert in any given field. If requested, I will provide a link where possible to relevant legislation or guidance, so that advice provided can be confirmed and I do encourage others to follow those links for their own peace of mind. Sometimes my advice is not what people necesserily want to hear, but I will advise on facts as I know them - although it may not be what a person wants to hear it helps to know where you stand. Advice on the internet should never be a substitute for advice from your own legal professional with full knowledge of your individual case.

 

 

Please do not seek, offer or produce advice on a consumer issue via private message; it is against

forum rules to advise via private message, therefore pm's requesting private advice will not receive a response.

(exceptions for prior authorisation)

 

 

 

 

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jck:

 

I am in the same situation, claimed it foe two and a half years and had a letter saying the last year is under review, I am phoning first thing to admit everything, I am so scared of going to jail and losing my child, please please please keep updated with your case, I am so ill with worry an fear.

 

Good luck to you and hope everything works out okay

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I am in the exact same position, terrified isn't the word, haven't slept all night and I'm planning on phoning to say I have commited fraud for the last 3 years by saying my child still attended a childminder when she didnt. I have never been so scared in all my life , I reallyndont want to go to jail, I think I owe about 20,000. Please keep me updated o. Your progress and hope everything works out okay foe you, good luck

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I really hope so, I want to pay this money back starting now but I am so scared what to say to them. I'm terrified how much I owe and also that I lose my job and child. I have heard so many horror stories. I have been so scared to phone them incase they knew I was committing fraud, I have wanted to stop the payments for ages :( in a way I have relief knowing I won't be claiming the money I am not entitled too.

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  • 3 months later...
I am in the exact same position, terrified isn't the word, haven't slept all night and I'm planning on phoning to say I have commited fraud for the last 3 years by saying my child still attended a childminder when she didnt. I have never been so scared in all my life , I reallyndont want to go to jail, I think I owe about 20,000. Please keep me updated o. Your progress and hope everything works out okay foe you, good luck

 

Hi hope everything went well with you!Am in the same situation but with more money and am really scared!But am going 2 c a lawer next week!Can u tell me if u called them?And what happen .

My hearth is with you :)

Best of luck for all of has :)

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im no expert on tax credits or childcare claims and costs i do claim tax credits but not childcare but what i will say is ive seen pleanty of people posting about claiming childcare when they no longer need it (and personally know of people who have done it as well) there must be so many people over the country and although im not saying its ok cos everyone does it as its not ok, i think if they had to send everyone to jail it would have to be a pretty big jail! best thing i would do is write a letter send it recorded admitting everything, explain why and how sorry you are and you would really like to get the money paid back to them in installments say how scared you are etc and im sure it will be ok they will work out your overpayment and sort it out. I feel really bad for people when i read they are scared of loosing there kids and going to jail, we have all done things to make ends meet with our kids (i didnt pay my electricity bill this month so i could get my daughters school uniform). I hope it all turns out ok for you all and you can stop worrying about it xxxx

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