UKCPM/Debt recovery plus letters

[Windowfitter1987]

Morning everyone

 

Back in October Myself and another friend popped into see a friend and drop off/collect some bits and pieces at his flat from a project we working in together.

 

 

At his estate there are many residents bays for the private owners and housing association residents

plus a small area for loading and unloading items as its a fair walk to the flats across the garden if you've got shopping etc

 

As I was just dropping bits off I stopped off in the loading and unloading area

which is not at all sign posted, no warnings etc,

got on with with seeing my friend

 

 

whilst chatting on the way out the door a very well known resident

who is also very unliked but virtually everyone who lives at the estate

burst out the door saying he had photographed my car and was reporting it for not being parked correctly.

 

 

Minutes later he was messaging my other friend, who was parked next to me for the same amount of time

doing the same thing as me (and clearly visible in the photograph as his car is bright yellow!)

saying that he won't report his car as he'll give him a bit of leeway

 

 

but he's reported mine as he doesn't like me (pathetic I know!)

esidents at this estate can have an app on their phones for reporting parking issues on behalf of ukcpm

 

There was many a heated conversation about this subject,

many people involved and even the management committee for the estate

(he's on the residents directors committee)

 

I received a letter from cpm with the photo attached clearly showing both cars etc

But this letter said on it a notice had been attached to my car,

the appeal date had passed and I had no responded, it's now escalated and cost has increased!!

I appealed this anyway outlining the whole story to which ukcpm just sent a standard rejection letter back.

 

I was advised by many other residents to just ignore it, they're not enforceable "fines"

and don't worry

 

 

6 months on I've had a letter from Debt recovery plus.

I've done a fair bit of research and most threads here say ignore and don't pay them but nothing too recent.

 

In the letter they say a landmark court case was won in November 2015

at the Supreme Court which was found in favour of the car park operator

 

after my long story my question is

should I be worried?

I've got messages, phone calls and a video of the reporting resident

having a rant about why he did it etc

nd shows clearly in the notice another car next to me that was not reported

 

Just after some advice and opinions really, thanks in advance

[silverfox1961]

Hi

I assume it was the same management committee that appointed UKPCM so it would be down to them to cancel the ticket however, if this went to court, you could introduce the footage you have as evidence of intimidation by this resident purely on the grounds of not liking them and that it was a malicious act.

 

Then there is the signage or lack of in this case. The landmark case they are on about is a totally different scenario to yours so in my opinion, shouldn't make any difference.

 

Debt Recovery Plus (DR+) have no standing in this matter and can be safely ignored. The only time you should be concerned is if you receive a Letter Before Claim/Action or actual court papers.

In the first 3 months of this year UCPCM have taken 8 cases to court but I don't know the outcomes of these. They average around 1 in 1000 cases taken to court.

 

I would ignore them but make copies of all the texts, recordings and if you can get some witness statements (just in case)

[Windowfitter1987]

Thanks for your reply Silverfox, very much appreciated

 

Ive got everything backed up incase it goes further and will keep my eyes out for anything more

 

I called DRP this morning and the guy on the phone was very nice,

let me explain everything to him and conversation went back and forth,

 

 

he agreed and could see the other car next to mine

then his reply was "well that's all good and well and I've listened to you, so now are you going to pay or what?"

 

 

I just said I'll call him back!

I assume they just want the money and he was being nice in the hope I'd pay

[Bazooka Boo]

Calling them is as much use as indicators on a submarine, it merely encourages the little darlings, all he wanted was his commission from money you don't owe.

[dx100uk]

always best never to ring these people

 

 

just remember the a dca is

NOT A BAILIFF

and have

NO SUCH LEGAL POWERS

[ericsbrother]

DR+ have nothing to do with anything EVER. Ignore them completely and if you do get a letter from CPM threatenting court action come back here for advice of how to see them off.

[Windowfitter1987]

So nothing came of this for a while until today.

 

I've received a letter from DRP saying unless I pay up £149 by 09/05 they will be recommending to the creditor that they start court proceedings

 

Their letter is headed "notice of intended court action - unpaid parking charge £149"

 

It has a lot of talk of what happens if I don't pay, how the creditor can apply more charges at court and go to their site to see all the court judgements they have won

 

Is it time I back down and pay up or can I still continue to contest this?

[dx100uk]

A dca is not a baillif

They have no such powers

Let alone any clout to recommend anything

[Windowfitter1987]

Ive attached the letter removing personal information I think for reference

[Bazooka Boo]

Is it time I back down and pay up?

 

Pay what? You don't owe anything!

 

All you have there is a very lame attempt at extorting money out of you using some big words.

[armadillo71]

So nothing came of this for a while until today.

 

I've received a letter from DRP saying unless I pay up £149 by 09/05 they will be recommending to the creditor that they start court proceedings

 

Their letter is headed "notice of intended court action - unpaid parking charge £149"

 

It has a lot of talk of what happens if I don't pay, how the creditor can apply more charges at court and go to their site to see all the court judgements they have won

 

Is it time I back down and pay up or can I still continue to contest this?

 

You will get a begging letter from Zenith next.

 

Read the feint small print on the bottom of that.

 

You are in the toothless debt collector letter chain, and will be invited to pay various amounts of money....

 

Make no contact with any debt collector. They can do nothing.

[silverfox1961]

DR+ can recommend anything they like. It isn't up to them. Ignore them.

 

"Notice of intended court action." What a load of bowlarks

[Windowfitter1987]

Thanks for your replies

I've read up the other forums and it's just nice to get other opinions too

 

Thanks again, will keep updated if anything else comes of this

[ericsbrother]

reread post #6 and then ignore them some more

[Windowfitter1987]

Hello everyone, thought I'd pop back with an update and not a happy one!

 

It seems ignoring this wasn't the best move as I now have a ccj against me for it!

 

I moved house and it seems they've sent several letters, solicitors paperwork and more to my old house (moved in sept 2016) and the judgement was made without me even knowing!

I changed the address on my v5 etc but apparently they only use the initial address when it comes to court etc

 

So it's just cost me £242, the judgement was made on 28th Feb so I've paid and have enough time for it to be removed but pretty gutted to say the least!

[dx100uk]

opps you should never move without informing 'creditors'

 

 

they saw you'd moved and purposefully issued the claim.

 

 

suppose its the cheapest way out..

 

 

you could set aside but that £255

[ericsbrother]

you should have had your post forwarded. Once they got a letter returned they issued a summons knowing full well you wouldnt be getting it.

Shouldnt have paid up though, you have a fortnight to challenge and you would have been a day inside that time. You could have had the CCJ set aside and they would have probably discontinued once they knew the game was up.

[Windowfitter1987]

I had my mail redirected for quite a while but thought I'd changed everything so cancelled the redirect

 

Lesson learned I guess and I'll be more careful in future, I'm in the process of getting a mortgage and buying my first home so last thing I need is a ccj on my credit file and risking anything going wrong with that

 

Thanks for the replies and help along the way though

[Bazooka Boo]

When you redirect your mail they ARE informed, Royal Mail has a data base that they share with credit reference agencies to ''combat fraud''.