UKPC parking ticket now with Debt Recovery Plus

[champo365]

Hi,

 

I'm new to the forum and have read through a fair few posts & threads to see if anyone is in the same predicament but no joy yet so I hope I can get some advice here.

 

My partner got a £90 (£50 if paid within 14 days) ticket on a UKPC controlled site for not clearly displaying a valid pay & display ticket. She was 8.5 months pregnant & desperate for the loo so parked up, ran in to the nearest shop to use the facilities but by the time she came out to get a pay & display ticket, she found the yellow parking charge on the windscreen.

 

I decided that we had valid grounds for an appeal so decided to do just that immediately on her behalf through the UKPC appeals section on their website as we didnt want anything hanging over our heads with our imminent arrival. Little did I know at the time that appeals are never successful.

 

Herein lies our problem - in appealing, I all but confirmed that my partner was the driver.

 

The appeal was rejected (surprise, surprise) but we received no confirmation of this. I tried to speak with the appeals team over the phone on a couple of occasions to find out what was going on but they wouldn't put me through as they couldn't discuss appeals over the phone. A few weeks later, a 'Final Reminder' letter dated 10 days before our receipt arrived, effectively giving us 4/5 days to pay the outstanding £90. When I spoke to UKPC about this & the fact that we received no information regarding our appeal, I was eventually told to appeal again online.

 

By this time, a letter from Debt Recovery Plus Ltd arrived confirming that they had been instructed, by their client, to recover the monies owed. I spoke to a guy at DRP & explained the situation to him so he said he'd speak to UKPC & come back to me.

 

Another letter arrived from DRP, a 'Notice of Intended Litigation' so I decided to chase the DRP guy up. He said that although he spoke to them, there was nothing he could do & the outstanding amount, which has now risen to £150, was still due. He did suggest I put the whole situation in writing on an email to them appealing the charge which was of course, rejected. I have since replied to their email explaining that I thought they were missing my point but they are standing by the fact that the parking terms were breached as a pay & display ticket was not clearly visible.

 

Its only at this point that I discovered this forum & all the advise that has been given to others

 

Am I right in thinking that in contract law, they can only charge for any losses incurred? Bearing in mind the car park is free for the first 2 hours, £150 seems extremely unjust & could be construed as a penalty? Correct me if I'm wrong but penalties in contract law are illegal??

 

What should I do now?

 

Sorry about the hideously long post!

 

Cheers

[dx100uk]

ignore it nw

 

read in this forum

you've done no harm

 

dx

[freakyleaky]

ignore it nw

 

read in this forum

you've done no harm

 

dx

[i hate bailiffs]

debt recovery.......how exciting

 

all they will do is send you beg letters ignore them they will give up eventually

[champo365]

Thanks so much dx

 

Would I be right in thinking that its extremely unlikely to go to court given that the amount outstanding would be considered a penalty rather than damages under contract law?

 

Armed with info I've seen on this forum, such as section 40 of The Administration of Justice Act 1970 & the Unfair Terms in Consumer Contracts Regulations (1999), I am very tempted to construct a letter highlighting all the flaws in their arguments.

 

I won't do this if the over-whelming response in here is to ignore the forth-coming letters even though I've been in contact with UKPC & DRP on more than one occasion....

 

Has anyone else been in a similar position to me?

[champo365]

debt recovery.......how exciting

 

all they will do is send you beg letters ignore them they will give up eventually

 

Even though I may have implicated my partner in my appeals?

 

Sorry to be asking sooo many questions but this is my partner I could be getting into trouble (possibly).

[vax2002]

Private parking tickets work by Impersonating authority, it starts with the sticky wallet on the screen with threats that it is an offence for unauthorised persons to remove, from the off the doubt is cast in to your mind that they may actually have some authority, they dont have ANY.

They impersonate authority characters such as parking authorities, debt collectors, solicitors all in a crude attempt to fool you in to paying what is an invitation to pay a private invoice, they back this up with threats of court action.

The simple truth is the charge is a unlawful penalty and they would loose in court on that defence.

Only really stupid PPC's attempt court and even then most will throw in the towel if a defence is presented of unlawful penalty.

You can safely Ignore them, they will huff and puff and vanish.

 

I was a leading poster on MSE until was banned for exposing the site on parking was been moderated by the wife of a PPC owner.

They could resist me saving motorists money no more.

You can safely trust my advice on this matter as countless thousands have on the forum that sought to ban me.

[i hate bailiffs]

Even though I may have implicated my partner in my appeals?

 

Sorry to be asking sooo many questions but this is my partner I could be getting into trouble (possibly).

 

debt collectors have no powers all they will do is send a few love/beg letters cost them a bit of money postage letters ect

 

they will give up

[champo365]

Many thanks for the responses so far guys, I feel much more reassured now.

 

Enjoy the sunshine!

[Coupon]

 

I was a leading poster on MSE until was banned for exposing the site on parking was been moderated by the wife of a PPC owner.

They could resist me saving motorists money no more.

 

 

 

Really Vax? Tell me more please, I didn't know that? Which PPC owner, which Mod?

 

May have been in July when I was on hols as I had missed that but saw you weren't there recently...

[champo365]

So,

 

My other half's had a chaser email trying to scare us again......

 

 

I write further in this matter.

 

I note your account remains unsettled and I am now minded to advise the account will today be transferred for legal action and this will incur further charges as a result.

 

Payment Methods

 

Cheques / Postal Orders: Should be posted to the address below, made payable to Debt Recovery Plus. Please write your reference number on the back.

 

Telephone Payment: RING 0844 561 0965

 

Claire Smith

 

Debt Recovery Plus Limited

 

Globe Lane

 

1st Floor

 

Globe Square

 

Dukinfield

 

SK16 4RG

 

T: 0844 561 0965

F: 0161 339 5722

 

 

I guess as normal we just sit back & try not to worry?

 

Is there any chance they might actually take this further??

 

Please reassure me that I have nothing to worry about!

[instrumentsofjoy]

So,

 

 

I guess as normal we just sit back & try not to worry?

 

Is there any chance they might actually take this further??

 

Please reassure me that I have nothing to worry about!

 

 

 

Correct. Ignore. You have nothing to worry about. Even if they send out signed Court Papers (which is extremely unlikely) there is still nothing to worry about. They will lose.

Edited August 29, 2012 by instrumentsofjoy
Formatting

[dx100uk]

i am minded to totally ignore you

 

as we know its a 'speculative invoice'

 

Regards.

 

dx

[diskmandave]

So,

 

My other half's had a chaser email trying to scare us again......

 

 

I write further in this matter.

 

I note your account remains unsettled and I am now minded to advise the account will today be transferred for legal action and this will incur further charges as a result.

 

Payment Methods

 

Cheques / Postal Orders: Should be posted to the address below, made payable to Debt Recovery Plus. Please write your reference number on the back.

 

Telephone Payment: RING 0844 561 0965

 

Claire Smith

 

Debt Recovery Plus Limited

 

Globe Lane

 

1st Floor

 

Globe Square

 

Dukinfield

 

SK16 4RG

 

T: 0844 561 0965

F: 0161 339 5722

 

 

I guess as normal we just sit back & try not to worry?

 

Is there any chance they might actually take this further??

 

Please reassure me that I have nothing to worry about!

 

HERE IS THE *ONLY* BUILDING ON GLOBE SQUARE IN DUKINFIELD....

 

http://goo.gl/maps/7WKHt

 

Is there any chance they might actually take this further??

WHAT DO YOU THINK NOW ??!!!

 

Globe Square is less than 100 yards long, running off Globe Lane.

 

From another angle.....

http://goo.gl/maps/p4EpM

[i hate bailiffs]

HERE IS THE *ONLY* BUILDING ON GLOBE SQUARE IN DUKINFIELD....

 

http://goo.gl/maps/7WKHt

 

WHAT DO YOU THINK NOW ??!!!

 

Globe Square is less than 100 yards long, running off Globe Lane.

 

From another angle.....

http://goo.gl/maps/p4EpM

 

:lol:

[champo365]

HERE IS THE *ONLY* BUILDING ON GLOBE SQUARE IN DUKINFIELD....

 

Brilliant

 

Just thought I'd check here again as we've today received another begging letter, this time from Zenith Collections who are at the same address!

[Bang!]

Even though I may have implicated my partner in my appeals?

 

Sorry to be asking sooo many questions but this is my partner I could be getting into trouble (possibly).

 

Could you not have implicated someone generally disliked in your pointless letter to them?

 

David cameron 10 downing st was the driver etc.

ITS A RACKET - THEY JUST WANT MONEY BY SCARING YOU!!!!!!!!!!

 

Also - if you do feel compelled to entertain them by replying to their letters etc, remember to forget a stamp.

[diskmandave]

0161 330 5561 - The Globe Hotel, Dukinfield..

 

Why not call it and ask for DR+ or Zenith collections ??

[Gazmaz]

I have been following this thread with interest as I to received several letters from UK Parking prior to then receiving several letters from 'Debt Recovery Plus Ltd' 'based' in Dukinfield.

 

I have today received a "REDUCED PAYMENT OFFER" which reads

Further to our "Notice of Intended Litigation" letter in relation to the parking charge above.

 

We have referred your case to our client and have proposed issuing County Court proceedings against you. If the case reaches court and judgement is obtained costs may increase the debt shown:-

 

In order to prevent this, our client is prepared to accept a reduced payment of £124.19 in final settlement of the outstanding balance, providing this amount is paid within the next 7 days.

 

If payment is not received blah blah blah.

 

Has anyone else got to this stage and seen further letters?

 

I assume I continue to wait to see if a court summons appears?

 

The case is a little confused as I was driving a company car, and out stayed my welcome, hence the letters, I have recently left the company which is where the are and have been sent. They only have my name and not where I live, I have asked the people at the company to forward the letters, and not make any contact with the Company. I have at no point contacted either UK parking or the debt recovery company.

 

Cheers.

[instrumentsofjoy]

I have been following this thread with interest as I to received several letters from UK Parking prior to then receiving several letters from 'Debt Recovery Plus Ltd' 'based' in Dukinfield.

 

I have today received a "REDUCED PAYMENT OFFER" which reads

Further to our "Notice of Intended Litigation" letter in relation to the parking charge above.

 

We have referred your case to our client and have proposed issuing County Court proceedings against you. If the case reaches court and judgement is obtained costs may increase the debt shown:-

 

In order to prevent this, our client is prepared to accept a reduced payment of £124.19 in final settlement of the outstanding balance, providing this amount is paid within the next 7 days.

 

If payment is not received blah blah blah.

 

Has anyone else got to this stage and seen further letters?

 

I assume I continue to wait to see if a court summons appears?

 

The case is a little confused as I was driving a company car, and out stayed my welcome, hence the letters, I have recently left the company which is where the are and have been sent. They only have my name and not where I live, I have asked the people at the company to forward the letters, and not make any contact with the Company. I have at no point contacted either UK parking or the debt recovery company.

 

Cheers.

 

There may be further letters but if the registered keeper is forwarding letters to you then you have no need to worry. Personally I would write to them - and tell them you were the driver. That way there is no way they can chase the registered keeper. Some companies have been known to pay up.

 

You don't have to pay up - you can ignore the letters quite safely no matter what they say. Think of them as emails telling you that you have won the lottery.

 

These companies rarely take people to court. That's because when they lose as they almost invariably do - the resulting publicity means that more people learn that they are not obliged to pay.

[Gazmaz]

There may be further letters but if the registered keeper is forwarding letters to you then you have no need to worry. Personally I would write to them - and tell them you were the driver. That way there is no way they can chase the registered keeper. Some companies have been known to pay up.

 

You don't have to pay up - you can ignore the letters quite safely no matter what they say. Think of them as emails telling you that you have won the lottery.

 

These companies rarely take people to court. That's because when they lose as they almost invariably do - the resulting publicity means that more people learn that they are not obliged to pay.

I've seen lots say not to admit to anything, I think I was the registered keeper at the point the overstay occurred, so not sure how that makes it all pan out. I'll await more letters with eager anticipation

[kaandaro]

Hi

 

I am new to the forum, and have ready everything with interest over the last few months after receiving my letters etc.

 

I have now ignored it all, but today I have received the NOTICE OF INTENDED LITIGATION letter.

 

This has once again put doubts in my head, that actually ignoring all this is not a good idea?

 

Can someone just come back to me with some advice??

 

thank you

[dx100uk]

intended, might, could, instructed

 

not WILL

 

 

dx

[kaandaro]

Yes it says IN THIS SITUATION OUR SOLICITOR MAY ISSUE COOUNTY COURT PROCEEDINGS AGAINIST YOU

[kaandaro]

So you are advising against paying?

 

thank you