Parking Charge Notice -Parking Direct LTD

amanda712 · 1 March 2010 at 12:40PM

Hi all,

Sorry this has probably been discussed but would just like some advise/reassurance, as I am in a bit of a state about it!

I got a "parking charge notice" last week form a company called Parking Direct LTD. This is a private company, and they sent photos of my car outside Ealing Broadway station. Now, I say they sent photos of my car, but from the quality, there is no way you can read the registration plate, it's just a silver renault clio.
The date of the contravention was 03/11/09 yet I only got the notice last week.
My boyfriend dropped somebody off at the station, was there 2 mins (yes, i have told him off about it!) and now I have this notice. However, when I went to call them and pay, the two week period where you can pay a reduced charge of £60 had passed and they now wanted £150! I was upset at this as I didn't get the letter in time to pay the reduced fee!

Anyway, when I called up, the man was extremely aggressive, wouldn't let me speak and demanded I pay the money. I literally couldn't even get a word in edgeways and he was absolutely horrible. I like to think i am a strong minded 33 year old who is not easily flappable but came away from the call feeling very shaken and tearful.

After researching the company and parking charge notices on the net, it seems that as they are a private company, they cannot legally enforce me to pay (I cannot afford £150 and besides, do not want to give any money to such a vile man).

I have read Martin's guide who not only suggests ignoring the notcie, but also states that "if you were not the driver, you do not have to pay and are under no legal obligation to tell them who was driving".

This is the route I'd like to take, as I was not the driver, i was in work when the photos were taken.

Can anyone reassure me that this is the right thing to do? Do I just ignore the notice and any further notices/threats etc?

What I am worried about is that they have my contact details (phone number from when I called them as well as my address).

If anyone could please advise me I would be so grateful as right now I am feeling very stressed and worried!

Thanks

peter_the_piper · 1 March 2010 at 12:56PM

As per your pther post ignore
don't contact
don't reply
don't appeal
DONT PAy
don't worry
do file
do have a good day.

amanda712 · 1 March 2010 at 1:20PM

Thank you Peter, I really appreciate it. I shall be able to relax now, it's just nice to have the reassurance.

Thanks again

peter_the_piper · 1 March 2010 at 2:52PM

Ealing Broadway is well known for this scam. Search on Pepipoo and you will find quite a few. Never known them to go past the letter stage though. I expect enough pay up anyway to make it too much trouble.

amanda712 · 25 May 2010 at 9:28AM

Hi it's me again. So after another demand notice (which i ignored, as per the advice form you guys), yesterday i recieved a letter from "Debt Recovery Plus". here is what they said...

Dear

Our client has instructed us to recover the above monies (£150) due to an unpaid parking charge.
It is essential that you settle this account without delay or contact our offices on 0844.... to discuss your proposals for payment.

As a member of the british Parking Association (BPA) and it's Approved Operators SAcheme (AOS) we adhere to its code of practice. Therfore we now invite you to declare whther or not you were the driver involved in the above contravention or to disclose the identity of the driver so that we can avoid pursuing the wrong person. If you choose to not contact us on this invitation and in the absence of any other evidence, we will continue to pursue the vehicle keeper.

If you fail to make a full payment or make contact with your proposal for payment, this account will be passed to our litigation team and legal recovery may commence. A typical case will be referred to the County Courts for an application for a county Court Judgement. If we are successful with our application, enforcement options will include:

an attachment of earnings order
county court bailiffs being instructed
Your items being sold at public auction to pay the judgement

It will also be requested that the court award statutory interest, court fees and legal fees which will significantly increase the amount outstanding. Any court judgement lasts for 6 years and may severely affect your ability to obtain credit in the future.

You can view a selection of CCJ's we have successfully obtained againsty people who have ignored our correspondence on our website the 3 wwws dot drpl dot co dot uk
Please can someone advise what i do now???? Do i write to them and tell them I was not the driver?? (which i wasn't, I was at work)

Thanks in advance for any advice!!

amanda712 · 25 May 2010 at 9:41AM

Hi all,

Sorry if I am not doing this in the right way but I have also recieved a letter yesterday from a debt recovery plus.

I got a parking charge notice from Ealing Park Direct for £150 (got it in march and the charge was for last November). i wasn't driving my car and, after reading forums on this site, I ignored the first demand notice, as well as the second.

Then yesterday i got a letter from Debt Recovery Plus, and I have typed out what it says here (pls see below). please can anyone advise me on what i should do? The thing that worries me is the bit about "see our website for CCJs we have successfully bought against people".

Do i ignore, or should I write to them and state i was not the driver (and i have evidence I was at work on the date and time) and that i am under no obligation to say who was driving?

Any advice would be VERY gratefully recieved as i am rather stressed!

Dear

Our client has instructed us to recover the above monies (£150) due to an unpaid parking charge.
It is essential that you settle this account without delay or contact our offices on 0844.... to discuss your proposals for payment.

As a member of the british Parking Association (BPA) and it's Approved Operators SAcheme (AOS) we adhere to its code of practice. Therfore we now invite you to declare whther or not you were the driver involved in the above contravention or to disclose the identity of the driver so that we can avoid pursuing the wrong person. If you choose to not contact us on this invitation and in the absence of any other evidence, we will continue to pursue the vehicle keeper.

If you fail to make a full payment or make contact with your proposal for payment, this account will be passed to our litigation team and legal recovery may commence. A typical case will be referred to the County Courts for an application for a county Court Judgement. If we are successful with our application, enforcement options will include:

an attachment of earnings order
county court bailiffs being instructed
Your items being sold at public auction to pay the judgement

It will also be requested that the court award statutory interest, court fees and legal fees which will significantly increase the amount outstanding. Any court judgement lasts for 6 years and may severely affect your ability to obtain credit in the future.

You can view a selection of CCJ's we have successfully obtained againsty people who have ignored our correspondence on our website the 3 wwws dot drpl dot co dot uk

HO87 · 25 May 2010 at 9:55AM

Hi

Appreciate that this looks even more scary than what you've had before but that's just part of the ploy. The same advice applies. Ignore (That is, file it away and get on with your life).

The letter contains empty threats so don't concern yourself because the word "bailiff" is mentioned. This is all part of the "scare them into submission" approach. Above all they do have to win their case in court which is far from certain and, besides, the effort in taking a case to court is not cost-effective when they have so many - ignorant of the advice on here and elsewhere - who simply pay up.

Do not worry. They cannot affect your credit file as they allege.

trisontana · 25 May 2010 at 10:02AM

And they can't seem to be able to get their head around the difference between the registered keeper, the owner and the driver of the car. Even the BPA guidelines (for what they're worth) is unclear on that point.

trisontana · 25 May 2010 at 10:03AM

See the answers on the other thread you posted on.

king100 · 25 May 2010 at 10:12AM

amanda712 wrote: »

You can view a selection of CCJ's we have successfully obtained againsty people who have ignored our correspondence on our website the DRPL

Excellent a Debt Recovery Company who say they have issued CCJs against people.

I cant seem to find which ones relate to parking tickets. But personally I would say none.

No details given concerning what they were taken to court for.

We can all join this

DRPL Joins Facebook

DRPL Has joined the social networking site Facebook.

amanda712 · 25 May 2010 at 11:13AM

I love this forum! I didn't get stressed about the second notice I got, but have to say the debt recovery one made me rather worried but after reading these replies I feel so much better and the knot in my stomach has gone, so thank you very much for taking the time to put a sensitive person's mind at rest!

Parking Charge Notice -Parking Direct LTD

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