UK Car Park Management Ltd - Letter before Claim - Gladstones Solicitors ***Cancelled***

[Zimbird]

Date of Charge:  2.9.2019

Riverside Quarter, SW18 1LP

Client:  UK Car Park Management Ltd

Amount Due:  £170

 

LETTER BEFORE CLAIM

 

I have just received yet another letter from a Solicitor to my address in Bristol.

It is addressed to myself, as the owner of the car, however my son was driving and obviously parked in another private carpark and got photographed.

The car in question has been sold for scrap a year ago in 2020.

 

What do you suggest I do regarding this letter.  I want to avoid being taken to court and getting another CCJ.  My son and I are both back here in England for now, but will be leaving for Zimbabwe in the next four weeks.  

Please help me stop this going any further than necessary.

 

Thank you

 

ps.  Cant attach P3 of the document into this content

 

 

Gladstones Parking P1.pdf Gladstones Parking P2.pdf

Edited September 13, 2021 by Zimbird

[Zimbird]

Gladstones p3.pdf

[FTMDave]

I was just about to merge threads when it clicked with me you now have three cases on the go   Thanks for starting a new thread.

 

You need to reply otherwise you will get another county court claim form.

 

You could tell them your son was driving and take yourself out of the loop, but I'm guessing you wouldn't want to do that.  Also, the fact they are pursuing the wrong person will help you beat them.

 

First can you tell us what the fleecers reckon your son did wrong?  Have you got the original PCN?

[FTMDave]

Sorry, two further questions.  This letter is dated 2 September.  When did you receive it?

 

Have you already booked your flight for Zimbabwe?  If so, what date is it?

 

I'm asking all this to try to outwit the fleecers with their timescales.

[Zimbird]

I know can you believe it - 3 threads on the go.  This one just cropped up now after 2 years!!!

I have contacted my son, we are trying to work out what this one was, but if memory serves me well I think he parked in a MacDonalds car park and went to the gym.  I have asked him to get in touch with me and let me know what he can remember also.

We must have left the original PCN in Zimbabwe as I don't have it here.

 

Just saw your response.  I received it last night when I got back from a few days away.

It must have come in the last 4 days, because I checked the post box bout 5 days ago.

 

I am actually going on 26th September to Guernsey in the Channel Islands to help my father.  He is having a hip op possibly.  I arrive back 1st November into Poole.  I have not booked my flight to Zim yet but it will be shortly after I arrive back on 1st November, I imagine.

Edited September 13, 2021 by Zimbird

[Zimbird]

When I get back on 1st November, I will collect my post from my tenant in Bristol and then head to London for a week or so before flying.  This is the plan at the moment.

[FTMDave]

I can't find a McDonalds at that post code, although it's perfectly possible the fleecers have got the postcode wrong.  Anyway, SAR UKCPM tomorrow and get a free Certificate of Posting from the post office.  That way you'll get your hands on the paperwork and see where you stand.  For example, you weren't the driver, and to transfer liability to the keeper UKCPM have to follow certain legal protocols - and often they don't.

 

You need to get a snotty letter off to rebut the claim but that can wait, you have 30 days from 2 September.  I've made a note to return to the thread in a week.

 

I asked about dates as I thought Gladstones might deliberately have lied about the date of their letter to reduce the time you have to reply, but that seems not to be so.

 

I asked about Zimbabwe as I thought a snotty letter could show your departure date and point out there's no point suing someone who lives in Zimbabwe, but it's best the departure date of November is kept quiet, otherwise they might rush to start legal action in October.

 

Anyway, get the SAR off tomorrow.

[Zimbird]

Thank you for your response.

I spoke with my son and he was visiting his friend at that address and he can't remember well but believes he parked briefly in the parking space without being aware that it was being monitored or seeing the signage.  His friend still lives there, so I could get photographs if necessary.

I have two addresses for CPM UK Car Park Management Ltd

London SE1 OSW, but I think the correct one is:

19 New Road

Brighton BN1 1UK.

Can you confirm.

Also I am not quite sure what I am writing to say - Can you confirm if this is OK below:

 

To whom It May Concern

 

I wish to ask for an SAR (Subject Access Request) of the unpaid charge notice, Ref.........

 

I have never been to the address stated in your "Letter Before Claim", Riverside Quarter Eastfields Avenue SW18 1LP and the car concerned has been taken off the road and scraped a year ago.

 

I live most of the year abroad, and am just about to travel back to Africa until spring 2022 again.  

 

Yours  ...........

[FTMDave]

I've looked at their site  https://www.uk-carparkmanagement.co.uk/privacy  and it seems the address is: UK Car Park Management Limited, 49 Station Road, Polegate, BN26 6EA.     

 

In this message simply click where SAR is written and the template should pop up.

Edited September 14, 2021 by FTMDave
Problems with the SAR link

[Zimbird]

No template pops up - I hope I am not being stupid!

I think the template says it has been locked.  I am just off to print my other letter so is it possible to copy and paste?

[AndyOrch]

Click the word > SAR

[Zimbird]

I did numerous times but it takes me to a title:

"Full Subject Access under new GDPR" - just a title only

Then under that - a big orange square saying "Thread Locked"

and then under that " Explanatory Note" - that I read, but when I press the word SAR in these notes it brings me back to the beginning again!!!

 

I can't find the letter I am meant to write to:  UK Car Park Management Limited, 49 Station Road, Polegate, BN26 6EA.     

 

Please can you help copy and paste it - I am not understanding how to write the letter about requesting a SAR - I told you I am new to this and the site can be a bit confusing at times 

[honeybee13]

Does this work. Zimbird?

 

We don't copy and paste our SAR template because it's meant for members only. Read all of the posts in the thread. HB

 

 

 

 

[dx100uk]

you must be logged in.

yes thats the correct thread

 

the sar wording is in post 3 there.

 

 

[Zimbird]

Thank you - got there in the end - found the sample letter.  Have rewritten and will send it off tomorrow.

Do you think it is worth mentioning as a PS.  That I have tenanted my house from 25th September, so they need to respond to an address in the Channel Islands up until 1st November and then to Zimbabwe after that?

[honeybee13]

Rather than doing that, which they might not understand, do you think you could give the PPC one address where someone could open your post or possibly arrange a redirect by the Post Office? It could make your life easier.

 

HB

[FTMDave]

I've got a bad head through trying to think through what the fleecers could do in the time windows that are open with three different addresses in play.

 

I'm beginning to think that the least bad alternative would be just drop the SAR idea and get a snotty letter sent from someone in Zimbabwe now under your name, given you'll be there soon enough, to try to bat this claim off completely.  I see Zimpost talk about six days to deliver airmail to Europe, although obviously i don't know how accurate that is.  I suppose an alternative would be to e-mail them from a Zimbabwe domain.

 

Let me sleep on it.  I'll be back on the site at lunch time tomorrow.

 

The time to tell the fleecers - and anyone else you may be in legal dispute with - about Zimbabwe was in October 2020, not now at the very last minute when there are Letters of Claim arriving.  In fact I'm concerned the fleecers might think you're lying to try to avoid the debt (and for once I wouldn't blame them) and will continue to write to the tenanted house. 

 

However, long term as HB says you need a UK address where your post will be reliably checked and opened promptly, where mail concerning any vehicles you, your husband or your son own would arrive, the same going for UK licences if any of you have kept a UK licence  ... but IIRC on one of your threads you mentioned you'd already taken this step?

[Zimbird]

Ok luckily now the response box is opening and I can reply - sorry but could not work out what was going wrong!

 

I think the best thing is to send the letter asking for the SAR and then I will go to the post office and get the mail sent to my fathers address in the Channel Island where I will be for October.

Or if I can't organise it for a month I will get my tenant to forward my mail.

 

My husband is going back to Zimbabwe on 22nd September and he might be able to find the original  paperwork with the first PCN.  

 

However the letter asking for the SAR - wont this save us a bit of time to get our ducks in a row.

 

The only last option is, do I just pay this one for £170 as I am still fighting another CCJ and I can't risk getting another.

 

Will wait to hear all advice.  Thank you once again.

 

It will be such a relief when I get through all of this - and none of them are mine - sods law!

 

[FTMDave]

Whatever you do there are pitfalls but what really worries me is this.

 

The fleecers reckon you owe them money (you don't owe them anything of course but they think you do).  If someone owed me money, and after years of silence, at the very last minute when we were about to go to court, they told me they were moving from England to the Channel Islands and after a few days were moving to Zimbabwe I'd think it was a likely story. 

 

I think we need a quick, direct, "I live in Zimbabwe and I'm not paying".  If we convince them of this they'll realise there is no point in pursuing someone living in Africa for a measly £100.  Plus they will leave your tenants in peace.

 

PLAN A  On 22 September your husband sends a letter, obviously in your name, from Zimbabwe, both to Gladstones and to UKCPM as it's vital that both know you are not at the English address:

 

Dear Will and John,

 

re: PCN XXXXX

 

cheers for your Letter Before Claim.  I creased up at the idea you actually really believed I'd take such bilge seriously.

 

You have obviously been too bone idle to do any due diligence because if you had, you would have seen I don't live at XXXXX, England, but at XXXXX, Harare, Zimbabwe.  I haven't just moved to Zimbabwe - I've been resident there for 21 years.  Epic fail on your part!

 

I am formally informing you here of my correct address.  Judges don't look kindly on companies that deliberately send communications to an address where they know full well the other party doesn't reside.

 

Not only have you written to the wrong address, but you've written to the wrong person.  I was not the driver of the car during this incident.

 

I hope your client has deep pockets because they will end up paying my air fare back if they want to be hammered in court. 

 

I look forward to your deafening silence.

 

COPIED TO UK CAR PARK MANAGEMENT LTD.

 

PLAN B  You will know how reliable Zimpost is, I haven't a clue, as Plan B send it by e-mail, again to both Gladstones & UKCPM, but from a .ZW domain.  We have to convince them about Zimbabwe.

 

Forget about the SAR for now.  It's not essential.  Your husband will see the details in a week.  You can always ask for a SAR by e-mail later.

[Zimbird]

Ok I have sent the email from a ZW domain address and told them the original letter is coming by snail mail in the post.

Fingers crossed we don't hear from them again.

I will let you know.

Plus will be getting my husband to check the Zim mail boxes regularly now!

Thank you for your help.  Will get back to you if I receive anything more on this subject.

It would be too good, if that was the end of it.

My head has been buzzing this week too with 3 parking fines and threats to court on the go and none of them mine!

 

[FTMDave]

Yes, it's been a hectic week!

 

Hopefully two down now with only VCS to go.

 

Any competent company would think "Zimbabwe, only £100, not worth pursuing it".  My only worry is that the whole disgraceful industry is based on misusing the legal system and thinking up ways to carry out litigation on the cheap.  Without being paranoid, if you can, I think it would be worth checking mail at the tenanted accommodation say up till Christmas, just in case.  I don't know if you could ask the tenants to forward anything that arrives or get someone to pick up mail once a month say.  I really do not trust the PPCs. 

[Zimbird]

Thank, I will be back the first week in November, so will check mail then and will chat to the lovely Aussie lady renting and make an arrangement going forward.  Will keep you posted.

[Zimbird]

Just to keep you in the loop - both letters to UK Car Park Management Ltd & Gladstones Solicitors were posted today from Harare, Zimbabwe and I have a receipt in ZWL from Zimpost.

[honeybee13]

Well done, Zimbird. I hope you had a good journey back.

 

HB

[AndyOrch]

Topic open