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    • 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).
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      The judge's reasoning is very useful and will certainly be helpful in any other cases relating to third-party rights where the customer has contracted with the courier company by using a broker.
      This is generally speaking the problem with using PackLink who are domiciled in Spain and very conveniently out of reach of the British justice system.

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SPML/Capstone/Ascenden


Jen2603
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I'm presently complaining to the ever lovely Capstone/SPML/Ascenden regarding mortgage arrears charges. Going through the statements has been eye opening to say the least.

 

Since taking my mortgage out in 2007 the total CMI due amounts to £19,034.27.

 

I have paid a total of £19,835.73 (All CMIs due +801.27)

 

Yet despite this my CMI arrears presently stand at £316.92

 

and I have been charged a total of £4792.15

 

of which £3841.00 are late payment/arrears management fees

 

and £951.15 relate to solicitors fees.

 

At their worst my arrears amounted to no more than three months payments roughly £900 or so.

 

I'm happy enough to pay their solicitors fees but the additional charges levied seem somewhat disproportionate.

It also appears that until last year they have been allocating my overpayments to the charges rather than

the missed payments keeping me in permanent payment arrears and walloping on the charges.

 

For example this month I'll pay them £500 which will cover the £316.00 presently outstanding with plenty

left over to pay towards their legal costs but because I cannot pay on the 1st as I don't get paid until the

20th, I'll be getting hit with another arrears charge. Likewise I'll be in arrears again from 1st of June

because I cannot pay until 20th June and so on.

 

I've just sent my complaint off to the ombudsman, however was wondering if anyone here can report the

ombudsman looking at things fairly. I genuinely don't mind reimbursing any out of pocket expenses incurred

by SPML/Capstone/Ascenden but these charges cannot possibly be an accurate reflection of their costs.

Edited by Jen2603
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get reclaiming

 

they are PENALTY fees - end off

 

dx

please don't hit Quote...just type we know what we said earlier..

DCA's view debtors as suckers, marks and mugs

NO DCA has ANY legal powers whatsoever on ANY debt no matter what it's Type

and they

are NOT and can NEVER  be BAILIFFS. even if a debt has been to court..

If everyone stopped blindly paying DCA's Tomorrow, their industry would collapse overnight... 

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get reclaiming

 

they are PENALTY fees - end off

 

dx

 

 

I knew they'd been pretty bad with the charges but I cannot even begin to describe how shocked I am

seeing the total and knowing that all my monthly payments have been brought up to date, yet they continue to charge me for the charges. Had SPM/Ascenden allocated everything I have paid to the monthly payments rather than their charges. I would not presently be in arrears.

 

I have found more than one instance of them putting me back in arrears by allocating my full monthly payment to charges and then adding another £95 charge to my account for 'missing' a payment.

 

I've sent everything off to the FOS I'm just hoping they'll look sympathetically at my situation.

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Hi Jen, have you sent a calculation to the FOS ? i.e. a spreadsheet showing payments made and charges applied to your account each month since you went into arrears ?

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I've just done a breakdown of the charges and requested a refund of interest. I wasn't sure if I should go for the contractual rate or the statutory rate of 8%. Any thoughts?

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pers i'd use:

 

FosCISheet v101.xls

 

and use their mortgage int rate.

 

dx

please don't hit Quote...just type we know what we said earlier..

DCA's view debtors as suckers, marks and mugs

NO DCA has ANY legal powers whatsoever on ANY debt no matter what it's Type

and they

are NOT and can NEVER  be BAILIFFS. even if a debt has been to court..

If everyone stopped blindly paying DCA's Tomorrow, their industry would collapse overnight... 

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The FOS are a bit of a lost cause. I complained & after approx 2 yrs they found some charges in my favour, I accepted & SMPL had until the 25th April to contact me, I contacted the FOS again & they said I would here by the end of the week which was a fortnight ago, STLL WAITING.

 

Hope you have more luck than me

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Good luck Leo1.

 

They are a terrible company.

 

Mind you their incompetence worked quite well for me recently.

I didn't do a SAR.

I just wrote a letter querying the level of charges applied to my account and stated that I felt they were excessive.

I got a couple of standard acknowledgements, then a massive envelope containing all statements,

charges etc with a covering letter saying that was their final response and if I wasn't happy I should go to the FOS.

So I did!

 

They either must be feeling very confident or are overwhelmed by reclaims

and can't be bothered even pretending to go through a complaints procedure.

 

I'm not feeling too great at the moment and have a lot on.

If they'd been smart and spun it out they could have got rid of me for a while longer at least.

 

Going over the statements

 

I note that they've refunded charges at seemingly random intervals.

As I hadn't complained I'm not sure why they've done this.

There doesn't seem to be any pattern to it.

One month they'll refund an arrears charge,

the next they impose it even though the payments made within each month are the same.

 

I've not heard back from the FOS yet, though it's still early days. Will keep thread updated with progress of a hopefully successful reclaim.

 

Dx100uk-

Thanks for the calculator.

 

It's been an amazing help.

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Hi

 

We have sent Acenden a cheque for £4666.32 for fictious arrears charges to clear them as we are sick of been takin to court by them, Acenden claim they have never recieved the cheque even though it was sent recorded post and signed for as recieved On the 8th May, The cheque was cashed on the 10th May and was cashed by them and still they say they have never recieved it thus leaving us still in arrears and had the balls to ask us for a £65 administration chrge cheeky sods

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Did you write your mortgage account number and name and address on the back of the cheque ?

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Did you write your mortgage account number and name and address on the back of the cheque ?

 

yes we did and they no they have recieved and cashed it. The holding on because we are in court with them again on the 25th May so more charges 2 be added

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Have you done an up to date statement for court with proof of them receiving and cashing the cheque ?

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OK, if you need help with writing a statement for court to go with the proof of payment etc, please let me know and I'll happily draft one

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OK, let me know what proof you intend to use and we'll take it from there. If possible you should try and get the statement and supporting proof to the court a few days before the hearing so the judge can read it before you go in.

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Hi

 

We have sent Acenden a cheque for £4666.32 for fictious arrears charges to clear them as we are sick of been takin to court by them, Acenden claim they have never recieved the cheque even though it was sent recorded post and signed for as recieved On the 8th May, The cheque was cashed on the 10th May and was cashed by them and still they say they have never recieved it thus leaving us still in arrears and had the balls to ask us for a £65 administration chrge cheeky sods

 

That is appalling! Follow Ell-enn's advice re the court action they're taking as obviously that's the priority just now. However I would strongly recommend going through their complaints procedure and then putting a complaint into the Financial Ombudsman's Service to try and recover these charges. It might also be helpful for you in court if they can also see there is a dispute on the account with regard to charges and the true arrears.

 

With regard to my own situation i received a letter from them today asking me to contact them urgently to discuss my arrears. Hell will freeze over before I talk to them on the phone and in any case I have once again cleared my payment arrears and paid a total of £189 to my charges this month. Next month they'll get the same again and so on. I'm just crossing my fingers the FOS rule in my favour and fairly quickly. I grudge every penny I pay over my CMI knowing how badly I have been ripped off.

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Hi,

 

Just to let everyone no today went really well in court we got an absolute discharge by the judge she was discusted at what acenden had done to us.

We are also in the process of going to the fos re all there ficticious charges.

we have had £7700 added to £2000 in missed payments these payments were missed when we had a serious house fire 5 years ago and to date they still say we owe £4666.32 even though we have been paying our cmi plus £78 off the arrears every month it dosent add up but nothing acenden does adds up. we were only taken back to court because of the level of arrears and this is the 13th time since 2005.

At least my husband has calmed down now. :whoo:

I also grudge paying every penny to these idiots as they sit there wondering what else they can do to make every customers life a living nightmare

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Just woke up this morning to find a letter from our chums at Ascenden had arrived. Curiously after five years of refusing to change my mortgage payment date......they have changed my mortgage payment date!

 

I'm relieved that this means I won't be hit with a monthly charge of £65:00 for paying 'late' but still somewhat cheesed off that I have paid charges running into thousands which in part have been down to their refusal to change my payment date. Naturally they've not made any mention of refunding me so I'll just have to wait for the FOS getting back to me on that.

 

On the subject of the FOS can anyone advise how long they normally take t acknowledge receipt of your case? I sent everything off to them about a month a go and to date have not received a response.

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Have you not even received an acknowledgement of your complaint? Did you send it by recorded delivery?

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This site is run solely on donations

 

My advice is based on my opinion and experience only. It is not to be taken as legal advice - if you are unsure you should seek professional help.

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  • 1 month later...

Fingers crossed for you!

My complaint is very similar to yours.. though I have tried to deal direct with Ascendon rather than the fos route.

So far they have reimbursed only £140 out of the thousands I believe they owe me.

Similar to you situation I had 'paid off' my arrears within a few months of them occuring but due to them adding charges all the time my arrears balance never seemed to reduce leading to a suspended repossession order and ultimately forcing me to sell my home.

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