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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).
    • 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.
    • Not sure what to make of that or what it means for me, I was just about to head to my kip and it's a bit too late for legalise. When is the "expenditure occured"?  When they start spending money to write to me?  Or is this a bad thing (as "harsh" would imply)? When all is said and done, I do not have two beans to rub together, we rent our home and EVERYTHING of value has been purchased by and is in my wife's name and we are not financially linked in any way.  So at least if I can't escape my fate I can at least know that they will get sweet FA from me anyway   edit:  ah.. Sophia Harrison: Time bar decision tough on claimants WWW.SCOTTISHLEGAL.COM Time bar is a very complex area of law in Scotland relating to the period in which a claim for breach of duty can be pursued. The Scottish government...   This explains it like I am 5.  So, a good thing then because creditors clearly know they have suffered a loss the minute I stop paying them, this is why it is "harsh" (for them, not me)? Am I understanding this correctly?  
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Import handling charges


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Hi

sorry if this is the wrong forum, I couldn't really find a match-fit

 

I imported some goods from the US a while back and they were delivered straight away by DHL International. Some time after this, I received mails saying that I owed them for Import Duties & VAT.

 

I rang them and the person I spoke to said that DHL would never under any circumstances release any shipment that required payment(s) without that payment first being made in full. He advised me to ignore any future mails.

 

Mails kept coming but I ignored them.

 

I have now had two correspondences from an outfit called controlaccount plc who are claiming to be acting on behalf of DHL International for the recovery of monies owed. Here is the first letter:

 

IMPORTANT NOTICE

DHL International (UK) Limited have recently written to you in relation to an outstanding invoice for Import Duties & VAT.

 

According to their records this invoice still shows as unpaid therefore this matter has now been passed to us for collection. An administration charge of 7.5 has now been levied in addition to the original invoice sum.

 

The sum was incurred and levied by HM Customs & Excise upon your shipment arriving in the UK. As the recipient of these goods and with the sender not having nominated to pay the required duty, you legally became liable for these charges.

 

We confirm that under current regulations the cost of delivery was added to the declared value of the product to make the shipment 'value for customs'. In addition a VAT value adjustment may also have been calculated which represents the cost of the transport with the EU borders.

 

Further information with regard to Import Duty & VAT invoices can also be found within the 'Information tab' on our client's website at (link removed).

 

We must now insist that payment of this invoice is made immediately to us. Payment can be made online via credit/debit card, Paypal or one of our payment methods detailed overleaf.

 

DO NOT CONTACT DHL DIRECT - we are their appointed agents. We can deal with any queries that you may have.

 

In the even that no response or payment is received within the next seven (7) days, this matter will be passed for further action

 

Yours sincerely

 

 

 

Controlacount plc

 

 

 

There is a second correspondence which I can type in if you wish to see it but what do you think so far? The whole thing reads vaguely and I get the impression that they know they don't have anything and are trying the 'vaguely legal-looking' approach in an attempt to intimidate

Edited by wild_goose
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Letter No 2 (again typed verbatim):

 

Act now - this won't go away

 

Outstanding Import Duty & VAT

 

Our records show that despite our recent communications, the Invoice in relation to Import Duty & VAT remains outstanding.

 

We now have no alternative but to pass this account to our Legal Department for assessment. To prevent potential Litigation being commenced, you must settle the above sum within fourteen (14) days. Payment can be made online via credit/debit card, Paypal or one of our payment methods detailed overleaf.

 

Should you have any queries regarding this matter then please contact our offices on the above number.

 

Further information with regard to Import Duty & VAT invoices can also be found within the 'Information tab' on our client's website (website removed, I don't have enough posts).

 

In the event that no response or payment is received within the next fourteen (14) days this matter will be passed to our Legal Department. At this time litigation may commence with a County Court Judgment sought. The costs of these proceedings would increase your current liability and with Judgment in place, would allow enforcement to be taken.

 

This is your final opportunity to remedy this matter prior to further action being taken.

 

 

 

Controlaccount plc

Edited by wild_goose
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Its control account.... Trust me... They are toothless...

 

How much is it for? I have never heard of them doing anything to anyone.

 

With the 7.5 (I'm assuming pounds sterling) it comes to £33.82

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Ignore them

 

They have no legal powers whatsoever

They are a dcaa and not bailiffs

 

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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There are similar threads regarding this type of problem. You might want to have a quick look to see how they have responded.

 

I find it very strange that they have released the goods without first obtaining any payment. I have purchased items from the USA and Canada, and have always been forced to cough up before they would deliver.

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...I find it very strange that they have released the goods without first obtaining any payment. I have purchased items from the USA and Canada, and have always been forced to cough up before they would deliver.

That is my concern for the most part

I buy the same item regularly from the US and that was the first time they (appeared to) waive the import malarky. I was told categorically by a DHL staff member that they wouldn't release any shipment under any circumstances prior to monies due being paid in full, which sounded fair enough to me so I left it at that - I didn't owe them anything.

 

Nothwithstanding that, it was nobody's fault but their own if that is precisely what they did.

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They could reclaim the money from HMRC and then you would have to pay them and they wont be forgiving.

Lets be clear about something, if you import goods from abroad YOU are responsible for paying the import tariffs and VAT. Most shipping companies clear items and then charge you afterwards otherwise they would have a warehouse full of stuff that they cant deliver. Basically they have done you a favour and now you arent paying what you owe in tax. If they do decide to take the matter further you wont have a leg to stand on so I would be getting back to DHL (not credit control co ) and sorting the problem out or you may well find that the next time you order something that is due to be delivered by DHL you wont get it

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What happens if someone sends you a box with the customs label it with a huge commercial value printed on it. Are you still automatically liable for customs charges on it? Even if you didn't order it and the box contains nothing.

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What happens if someone sends you a box with the customs label it with a huge commercial value printed on it. Are you still automatically liable for customs charges on it? Even if you didn't order it and the box contains nothing.

 

You can refuse it on delivery when you get a box with a huge value printed on it that you aren't expecting.

 

If you are expecting a box with a huge value & it turns out to be empty:

1) chase the sender

2) reclaim the duty (or arrange to be exempted when they send the items you have already paid the duty for).

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  • 1 month later...
What happens if someone sends you a box with the customs label it with a huge commercial value printed on it. Are you still automatically liable for customs charges on it? Even if you didn't order it and the box contains nothing.

 

No, you are not if you refuse to accept delivery. If you do accept the box then you do become legally liable and without a leg to stand on - except to sue the sender.

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I purchased some Bose Speakers on EBAY last month and paid through pay-pal. They were coming from America

 

They handle everything, they work out any duty, customs clearance etc. You make one payment.

 

PayPal then pay the seller and the balance to the shipping company direct

 

The buyer does not have to worry about anything, mind you this was eBay

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