Penalty Charge Letter, never delivered, help needed

[JudyG]

Hi,

I am new to this forum and would like some help. On Tuesday, I received a letter from a company called Collect Services Limited, based in Ickenham, Middlesex. They require me to pay their company £267 for an overdue, unpaid Penalty Charge. The Penalty Charge was for a Bus Lane Violation from Reading Borough Council. I quickly looked up the road that they allege is a Bus Lane. The road being Blagrave Road (East to West Section).

To my surprise, I have found that in fact it is NOW a ‘Bus Only’ lane, way back on the 18th June 2011, it was not clearly marked or in fact was not marked that the road I was on, is a bus lane, no signage on the sides of the road on the pavement, tarmac was not marked clearly by using a painted coloured surface and up until then it was a normal thoroughfare for both buses and other vehicles, including cars.

I have in the meantime, written to Reading Borough Council (sent them a registered letter), informing them that I had never received the Penalty Charge notification and that until I receive evidence that I have actually contravened the Bus Lane laws, I have no intention of paying the Penalty Charge. I await their response. I now have to write to Collect Services to inform them of this new development in the case and to somehow get them to hold off their harassment, which they will undoublty try to do.

Can somebody please help me with a letter that I can write to Collect Services to stop them from further action.

Thanking you all in advance,

Judy

[sailor sam]

Hi and welcome to CAG

 

did you not get an NTO either? This would of followed if you didn't appeal orpay the PCN. Have you moved address since the alledged offence? In anyevent, you may need to get the recover order revoked which will rewind the situ to the PCN stage. You may need to contact the Nothampton CC bulk motor penalties unit to do this. obviously if bailiffs are involved, a revovery order has been issued via the court.

[JudyG]

Hi and welcome to CAG

 

did you not get an NTO either? This would of followed if you didn't appeal orpay the PCN. Have you moved address since the alledged offence? In anyevent, you may need to get the recover order revoked which will rewind the situ to the PCN stage. You may need to contact the Nothampton CC bulk motor penalties unit to do this. obviously if bailiffs are involved, a revovery order has been issued via the court.

 

Hi Sailor Sam,

 

Thank you for replying. A couple of things

 

1. I have not received any type of documentation regarding this alledged offence, the letter from Collect Services to pay the amount of £267 is the first we have heard of this.

2. I have already sent Reading Borough Council, Bus Lane Enforcement Team and a registered letter asking the reason for not sending me a notice,

3. I have lived at the same address for 6 years.

4. Why would I have to contact Northamptopn CC builk motor penalties, not sure.

5. Are Collect Services, considered as baliffs or just a collection company?

 

Regards

Judy

[sailor sam]

Ok, well something has clearly gone wrong. Obvioulsy the PCN wasn't dealt with so a NTO will have been sent out which again hasn't been dealt with. So basically you havn't defended the offence as far as the council are concerned so they will of applied for a recovery order via the court. This then gives the bailiffs the power to recover the debt plus their fees. You need to get the recovery order suspended which can only be done at the court so you need to contact them. Then you should contact the council to tell them that you never received anything and would like the opportunity to deffend the PCN. They then should send you the evidence. You could contact the council first but I think they will refer you to the court. But in any event, you need to act fast before the bailiffs knock on your door.

 

Hopefully others may comment.

[ManxRed]

If its a bus lane offence, it could well be a camera job, so the PCN would have been a postal PCN and hence would have been the NTO as well. However that still doesn't explain why the OP wouldn't have received the Charge Certificate or the Order for Recovery either.

[sailor sam]

If its a bus lane offence, it could well be a camera job, so the PCN would have been a postal PCN and hence would have been the NTO as well. However that still doesn't explain why the OP wouldn't have received the Charge Certificate or the Order for Recovery either.

 

I agree which is why I asked if there had been a change of address or something. OP, do you get reminders for yor tax disc ok?