Private Parking Ticket - Debt Collector Seeking legal advice - Assistance needed.

[Acky85]

Im writing this on behalf of a friend (really I am!)

I have previously received a ticket from a private parking firm and after my initial letter never heard from them before. My friend recently received a ticket from a pay and display car park at a local cinema managed by a private firm.

A letter was received chasing up for payment (one of the generic mass distribution letters) from parking and not displaying a ticket. Following the various sticky’s on the forum we sent a reply along the following lines..

I have received an invoice from you dated XXXXXX in the sum of XXXXX. Would you please advise on what basis you feel that I have entered into any contract with either your company or the landowner.

They replied with the same generic letter to which we replied:

I refer to previous correspondence.

 

Unless you provide evidence to substantiate your claim against me I shall be unable to assist you further in this matter and I restate my denial of this claim. I note your comments about debt collectors. Given that this debt is in dispute I shall simply advise them that the debt is in dispute and they will have to refer back to you.

A generic debt collector letter was then received. I informed them that the claim was in dispute with the owners of the car park and added a line to cease and desist from contacting me. I also sent a letter back to the parking firm stating to cease and desist on the grounds they didn’t supply the info I had requested, I said any further communication except to supply the info that was requested would be seen as harassment and pursued.

My friend has just received another letter from the bailiffs saying unless payment is received they will seek legal advice on whether they have grounds for prosecution.

Ive never had a ticket taken this far before. Which route should we take now? I requested they supplied evidence of the driver (3 people can and do drive the car) and on what grounds they were charging me but they never replied with anything except a generic letter.

[BankFodder]

firstly, don't worry. It is not nearly as serious as you think.

 

I think that you will to let us know a little bit more about the generic letters. I suggest that you scan and put them up on the forum or link us to an image of them so we can see them.

 

I would also very much like to know the name of the company you are dealing with because I am interested to know the visit is using tactics which now apparently are using bailiffs to assess whether or not there should be a prosecution. Are they really using that kind of language? Please will you post the letters.

[Acky85]

Im at work at the moment but Ive text my friend to see if he has a scanner so he can email me the letters. If not I'll do it this evening.

 

He has text me back saying the debt collectors are called Roxburghe. I will post the letters as soon as I can though.

[Al27]

My friend has just received another letter from the bailiffs saying unless payment is received they will seek legal advice on whether they have grounds for prosecution.

 

Bailiffs = company who have court warrant to remove goods

Prosecute = where police charge an individual under suspicion of committing a crime

 

None of this has anything to do with your situation!

 

All you have are some begging letters from powerless debt collectors (they are NOT bailiffs).

 

Roxburghe are well known. Expect some letters from 'Graham White Solicitors' next.

 

Ignore they lot and they will go away.

 

You're taking this far too seriously and have really wasted your time in corresponding with them. Just ignore, relax and get on with your life.

[Acky85]

Sorry thats my bad I didnt mean ballifs! I meant debt collectors. The debt collector letter has stated they'd seek legal advice on grounds for prosection.

 

If anyone is able to edit the title from Ballif to Debt Collector that would be great! Sorry!

[Al27]

The debt collector letter has stated they'd seek legal advice on grounds for prosection.

 

Nobody has committed any crime

 

They don't sound very sure of anything if they are stating they aren't sure the money they are demanding is owed or not!

 

Just ignore the clowns.

[BankFodder]

I think that they probably meant persecution

[dw190]

I think that they probably meant persecution

 

Or Prostitution.

 

After all they will do anything to get hold of others money legal or not.

[asmodeus]

Or Prostitution

- This must be why they are called solicitors from all that soliciting they do

 

Seriously : know Roxbuggers from a number of communications and all were ignored. If it gets to the stage where the dreaded GW Solicitors (same person diferent hat and desk) get involved (don't confuse them with the genuine GW of Hemel Hempstead) then you may even get a couple of phone calls. Last I had from them was over a year ago when I requested they expedite the matter to court with all haste and guess what - am still waiting for the papers to arrive

 

Ignore works well

[Acky85]

Ha-ha. Id have loved to seen the guys face when he opens a letter asking for the case to be hurried along.

 

I think my mate it happy to sit and let them send letter after letter. Sometimes its just good to get someone else to confirm what Ive been saying to make sure Im not talking about my rear! Thanks for the help guys.

[Cardiff Devil]

To the best of my knowledge and having read hundreds of threads on this forum and other similar forums, I can't find one documented case of PPC appointed debt collectors ever turning up on someone's doorstep. They have no right of entry anyway, nor any rights to remove goods/collect payment, despite whatever they may claim.

 

In the million-to-one likelyhood of someone turning up, all you would need to do is politely state that they have no right to be there and for them to leave. If they don't, or if they threaten you or attempt to enter your property, call the police.

[DBC]

There have been a couple of cases documented about debt-collectors turning up at somebody's house. One concerned Newlyn - see post #37 of this thread and another was a long- gone company called PCN-UK which sent a debt collector to somebody's house and left a message saying that they "had a warrant to seize goods" . In both cases the debt collectors appear to be acting illegally..

[Al27]

Unless you live across the road from their portakabin, nobody will be calling.

[Sidewinder]

Thread title edited as requested

[Acky85]

A further update from my mate who has had a letter from Graham White just as you all said lol

 

The basic gist is a Notice of intended legal action - additional costs £207.25. Ballifs may attend your residence and seize goods if this costs is not settled.

 

Again I know this is all threats of 'we will do this and we will do that bla bla bla'.

 

Shall we just ignore these as they are just empty threats or is it time to write back at all?

 

Cheers, Jared

[honeybee13]

Hello there. I don't think there's ever a good time to write back, having hung around this forum. I stand to be corrected by one of the gurus, but I understand you would risk unleashing another onslaught of letters because they [Graham White] think you're listening.

 

I'm sure someone will be along soon.

 

My best, HB

[Al27]

Just ignore.

[Coupon]

A further update from my mate who has had a letter from Graham White just as you all said lol

 

The basic gist is a Notice of intended legal action - additional costs £207.25. Ballifs may attend your residence and seize goods if this costs is not settled.

 

Again I know this is all threats of 'we will do this and we will do that bla bla bla'.

 

Shall we just ignore these as they are just empty threats or is it time to write back at all?

 

Cheers, Jared

 

Ignore the whole letter-chain. You can see many examples of your friend's letters from Roxburghe/Graham White (same company in fact, just another set of headed paper) here on MSE:

 

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.php?t=2214803

 

Send him/her the link so they can see which letter comes next and just play snap when the matching letter arrives.

[bondy lad]

just check out the addresses of these people,, i bet they are not the same??????shucks ime wrong, again,,,,mr sobell and excell parking no doubt $cumbags of the first degree, now file it under r for you know what,,ignore.

[asmodeus]

Graham White do NOT do court even when personally requested to do so

 

They may try phoning in which case find an excuse to keep them hanging on as it costs them money e.g. "I'll go and find him" and go make a cup of tea, mow the lawn, do the weekend shopping

[Acky85]

Great cheers guys, Ive sent them on.

 

What happens after the final warning though? Do you get a Final, final warning, then a final final final warning? Im intrigued to find out how far they take this.

[Cardiff Devil]

Have a look here;

 

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.php?t=2214803

 

Doesn't say on this thread who the initial PPC was, but it's a fairly safe bet that copies of the same letters will be on here somewhere. From past experience you usually get two "final" demands, along with a last grovelling letter ("please pay up, think of the children!").

 

Once they've realised that you have no intention of paying, they'll usually bugger off.

[asmodeus]

 

Do you get a Final, final warning, then a final final final warning?

 

Good - you are getting the idea how it works

 

It is really a big game where they hope you do not know the rules so they can con you out of some cash which is one very good reason it will not go to court. If it did and even if they knew who the driver was they would have to show you accepted the terms of contract and that the amount demanded did not equate to a penalty and was a fair amount that equated to their actual loss

[Acky85]

Double post

[dpick]

I said they could have my kids in payment I never heard from these twits again.

 

dpick