Euro Car Parks pcn. Gatwick nov 2015 now dr+ letters

[equinox380]

Hello,

 

During November 2015 I moved home to a new build premises - the premises is sheltered accommodation and is in a new road which has been given a new postcode. The road wasn't adopted by the council until February of this year.

 

In January 2016, I agreed to collect some friends returning from holiday at Gatwick airport - after a harrowing journey around the M25 I eventually got to the North Terminal with time to spare so I called in at a Shell petrol station to use their facilities and have a snack and coffee .... on entering the carpark it was full of taxis hovering around occupying most of the parking spaces including the disabled bays of which I am entitled to use with a blue badge.

 

After waiting a while I was able to park in a bay left my badge on display and went into shop.

 

Sometime later after refreshing myself I left, picked up my friends and returned home.

 

On the 23rd March I received a letter from a firm called DRP Debt Recovery Plus Ltd asking me to pay £160 for a parking charge that I had incurred on 14 January at the Shell petrol station in Gatwick North - the letter gave details of a parking charge notice and my car reg number with reason for issue being "your vehicle was parked longer than the maximum period allowed"

 

No Parking Notice was received by me at my new address.

 

I rang DRP and was greeted by hostility right from the word go - I tried in vain to explain that I hadn't got any notification but was given a lecture on how it was my 'duty' to see that I received 'important documents' in the post and in any event, the presence of a 'clearly marked camera and clear signage' (none of which I actually saw so they couldn't have been that clear) forewarned me of the penalty of overstaying the time period allowed - which in my case, according to DRP was 20 minutes.

 

The carpark operator is Euro Car Parks.

 

I left it with DRP that I had no intention of paying them just on their sayso and suggested they go back to Euro Car Parks and get them to re-issue a parking charge notice with some proof of time over stayed and I would deal with it accordingly.

 

I received a further three letters from DRP, one in April giving me notice of intended court action and two in May, the first saying that they would offer me the chance to pay the £160 by three monthly instalments and the second (about three weeks later) offering me the chance to pay a 'one-off' reduced payment of £136.00.

 

I have now received a letter from a different company called Zenith Collections marked 'Notice of Debt Recovery Assignment' saying that they have acquired the debt at a 'reduced rate' and that they would accept £100 to avoid the possible necessity and expense of legal action.

 

I'm sorry it's been a long winded tale ... but I was hoping to get some advise on how I should proceed from here - I should also say that the 14 days to accept the £100 reduced rate has just about expired.

 

Thank you in advance ...

Edited July 13, 2016 by fkofilee
Removed Mike From Post

[fkofilee]

Equinox - I have PM'd you, Please read it carefully.

Edited July 13, 2016 by fkofilee
Removed Mike From Post

[dx100uk]

If you've not replied to anything to date

Poss best you don't now

 

DCA's are not bailiffs

And have no legal powers

 

Its an ANPR speculative invoice

 

Dx

[ericsbrother]

it is not a different company that has written to you, same cowboys with a different crayon. Keep ignoring them and if ECP write again using their proper name tell us what they say and we will advise

[equinox380]

Thank you ericsbrother ... I will do as you suggest.

 

equinox.