VCS PCN Liverpool Airport - No Stopping area

[Baal]

Good morning,

 

On the 21/12/2018, I brought back my rental car to the agency and I stop on the way to the rental car park to drop off a friend (less than 10 sec). Unfortunatly, it was a prohibided area with a double red line and I received the 23/05/2019 (6months later!!) a reminder saying that I didn't pay the fine in the first place, and now the parking charge is £160.

 

On the 05/07/2019, an other letter before court action, at this point I called them to ask more explanations. They sent me the pictures where we can see my registration and my friend getting out from my car.

 

On the 19/07/2019, I received the final statement before court action. On this letter that you can see attached, they mentioned a letter dated the 10/07/2019 that I never received. We can also see a discount? why?

 

I read this thread, https://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/topic/408248-vcs-pcn-liverpool-airport-no-stopping/#comments before posting

 

I'm not british and the car was renting by my company during my time in england (who push me now to pay because they don't want problems)

 

I don't really know what to do to be honest, should I continue to ignore them? Or in my case I should pay because they know that I was the driver at the exact moment

 

Thank you in advance for your help

 

Baal

Liv airport fine.pdf

[Mrs O'Frog]

You don't have to pay this - there will be several reasons why. This will be subject to byelaws, so not relevant land (means they can't  issue parking charges, it has to be a prosecution and it's past 6 months so they are too late). Even if it was relevant land (it isn't) they won't have issued the paperwork correctly, they never do for hire cars. The fact that you are not in the UK is a big plus - are you in the EU? If so,  if they wanted to take it to court you have a right to have it heard at your local court. Can't see them travelling overseas to chase £144.

 

Others more experienced will also offer advice, but I would think that if these letters are going to your company and they are leaning on you, you should ask them to name you as the keeper of the vehicle at the time, that will take them out of the loop and we can help you fight it yourself from there.

 

P.S. It's not a "fine", only a speculative invoice

Edited July 24, 2019 by Mrs O'Frog
Use of the "F" word 😯

[Baal]

Thanks for your reply.

 

32 minutes ago, Mrs O'Frog said:

The fact that you are not in the UK is a big plus - are you in the EU? If so,  if they wanted to take it to court you have a right to have it heard at your local court. Can't see them travelling overseas to chase £144. 

 

The thing is, I'm living in UK but my company is based in France. All the letter arrived at my company adress. Do I have to gave my adress to DRP ltd so they can send me the "speculative invoices" directly to me?

[ericsbrother]

you dont say anything to DRP but if you fancy taking this on you WRITE to VCS and tell them that you were the driver,

give them an address for the service of documants in the EU and tell them that they are wasting their time and money chasing anyone as you know that the land is not " relevant land" under the POFA

 

and that a sign saying no stopping is not an offer to park but prohibitive in nature and you will enjoy a day in court at their expense and French courts are very comfortable with generous parking facilities etc but they dont provide translation services for idiots.

 

Do not try being nice, it wil get you nowhere., just use this phrase and nothing else

 

I assume that someone is at home in France to pick up your post if they want to try and bluff you.

 

Dont use email EVER.

[dx100uk]

tell your company they cant pay it for you as its NOT A FINE

 

I've removed that word from the thread title.

 

 

[Baal]

Thank you all!

 

So should I keep ignoring them because they didn't take any action in the past 6 months and now they can't do anything?

 

Or write a letter directly to VCS saying that they losing your time with me?

 

[Mrs O'Frog]

Well they'll keep writing to your company with the first one.

 

The six months only applies to a prosecution under the byelaws

- VCS don't get the money if they prosecute you under the byelaws, that would be a "fine" and the money would go to the government,

 

so they say it's a parking charge (which they can't issue - not relevant land) and they will keep chasing hoping you don't know they are lying and they get some money out of you.

 

The time limit for parking charge notices is much longer

- they can keep writing to your company and issue a court claim anything up to six years,

 

so if you want to get your company out of the loop, do the second one

- using EB's wording above.

 

Use an address in France (I assume you have one that you can use).

 

[ericsbrother]

 as said, you WRITE to VCS and tell them you were driving and that all correspondence should be sent to you at...... and then supply an address in France.

Once you have doen that you can tell your employer/lease co that you ahve accepted liability for this matter and any further letters to them should be sent back with a snotty covering letter stating that they know this has been properly dealt with and any further harassment will be acted upon

[Baal]

Hi all,

 

I send a letter to VCS ltd yesterday with my new adress, I'll let you know if I have any update :)

 

thanks again

 

 

[ericsbrother]

your new address in France i hope!

make sure your employer has told them you were driving and to take it up with you

[Baal]

Hello everyone,

 

Here a update of the siuation.

 

After sending the letter to VCS asking them to send me all the mails to my french adress, I asked my company to return the letters for this case to them.

 

I never received anything to my adress in France, but my company keep receiving letters, this time from Zenith colletion. (see attached)

 

Do I have to ask them to return the letter with one saying that the they know this has been properly dealt with and any further harassment will be acted upon? like suggested ericbrother

 

 

zenith collection.pdf

[dx100uk]

nothing a powerless DCA can do to anyone

they are not bailiffs.

very std letter in just about every VCS thread here already

get reading up.

[ericsbrother]

It would be worthwhile just to create a paper trail that proves your company has doen the right thing. I wouldnt mention the harassment at this stage.