Private Parking Tickets discussion

Orford

How did they manage to get my address

From the DVLA

and whats the worst that could happen?

In theory, they could issue a court summons, they win, you don't pay, have a CCJ against you, bailiffs visit - all scary stuff.

Of course, in practice, none of the above will happen, other than several threatening letters after which they will give up. Just ignore the lot.

trisontana

clg86 wrote: »

Thanks for the speedy reply!

Thats what i know i should do, and after spending half an hour reading through all these threads im 99% sure if i ignore it, it will go away, however, the letter has my parents address on it and my mum is now worried. How did they manage to get my address and whats the worst that could happen?

The worst that could happen is that your mother's recycling bin will fill up faster that usual from all the junk mail she will receive from the parking company, their "debt collectors" and "solicitors".

Tell her not to be worried by the words "debt collectors" . They are just private citizens and if on the remote off-chance they do turn up at the door just tell them to leave or you will call the police.

Coupon-mad

clg86 wrote: »

Hi, Im new to these forums and am glad I have found it!

I got a PCN from a private company just before xmas, it was the second one i have received but managed to get rid of the first. I unfortunatley didnt ignore them and e-mailed to say i refuse to pay it as i genuinely believe it was wrongly issued.

I thought id got away with the second one too until i received a debt letter from a company called Roxburghe Debt Collectors! I have an e-mail ready to send them but haven't yet after reading through these threads.....

Any ideas on what i should do???

Doesn't matter who the PPC is, they tend to follow the same well-trodden path of standard letters designed to frighten you.

By way of illustration, here is a pictogram of the Euro Car Parks letterchain:

http://www.violetmount.com/scam.jpg

and here's the same sort of letterchain by NCP:

http://www.violetmount.com/ncpscam.jpg

(many thanks to Alx*27 for posting these links ages ago).

Notice that they all use 'debt recovery' letter-heading and some use 'solicitor' letter-heading - don't fall for the scam now you've got this far - you are near the end and they'll give up!

The private parking company will NOT take you to Court, and a Debt collection agency cannot do anything at all except bother you (which can be construed as harassment, which IS illegal)!

There is zero effect on your credit rating, nothing happens at all. Do NOT contact them, don't worry about this scam another jot.

reese

Hi, I've received a PCN today from Parking Eye. I'd parked for 1.40 mins in an Aldi car park when the time limit was 1.30 mins. I wasn't even aware they had these cameras in their car park! Anyway, I rang them up to say that I wanted to challenge this and was told to write in and that they would look at it but send a cheque with it but if they accepted the 'challenge' the cheque would be sent back to me! I have since read this thread and the message is loud and clear not to contact them. Can anyone advice me of the consequences of having made contact - have I just shot myself in the foot?!

pollypocket1_2

reese wrote: »

Hi, I've received a PCN today from Parking Eye. I'd parked for 1.40 mins in an Aldi car park when the time limit was 1.30 mins. I wasn't even aware they had these cameras in their car park! Anyway, I rang them up to say that I wanted to challenge this and was told to write in and that they would look at it but send a cheque with it but if they accepted the 'challenge' the cheque would be sent back to me! I have since read this thread and the message is loud and clear not to contact them. Can anyone advice me of the consequences of having made contact - have I just shot myself in the foot?!

It doesn't matter that you have contacted them, just DO NOT send the letter as advised, especially a cheque! You will receive three letters from parking eye with the 'charge' increasing each time £40/£70/£110. After this they will simply give up!

Kite2010

Hats off for the private parking company employed to 'manage' the car-park for the railway station, I can't think of any other company who will bring in charges on Saturdays (previously the car-park was free parking on saturdays & sundays, it's been like that for at least 10 years) with the only thing mentioning it are at pay-machines no-where near the station entrance!

I wonder how many people they have trapped with their 'penalties' whom didn't know that you have to pay to park on saturdays now!

(I think it's CP parking is the company whom runs it on behalf of South-West Trains)

(Off course it could have been SWT whom started decided to charge for saturday parking, but they could give some more warnings, like signs on the station gates)

GlynRoberts

Civil Enforcement Notice
Notice To Owner
Just received a demand for £90 from National Parking Control (P.O BOX 404, M/CR M15 4XH) for unauthorised parking at an address in Reading on 20/05/2009
As myself and partner was on holiday abroad at the time the culprit was easily found and we believe him when he says there was no notice fixed to the windscreen
Is the current advice
Do not pay
Do not contact them
Ignore any letters you receive from the parking company or their debt collectors, no matter how threatening
Kindest regards Glyn
24/01/2010

Crabman

GlynRoberts wrote: »

Civil Enforcement Notice
Notice To Owner
Just received a demand for £90 from National Parking Control (P.O BOX 404, M/CR M15 4XH) for unauthorised parking at an address in Reading on 20/05/2009
As myself and partner was on holiday abroad at the time the culprit was easily found and we believe him when he says there was no notice fixed to the windscreen
Is the current advice
Do not pay
Do not contact them
Ignore any letters you receive from the parking company or their debt collectors, no matter how threatening
Kindest regards Glyn
24/01/2010

Hello Glyn, yes, that's the general advice regarding private parking tickets.

Take a look at how some PPCs work (and how many letters and how threatening they become before they give up) here:

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=2214803

tgon

tgon wrote: »

Thanks for all advice in this forum. It has helped me a great deal. May I recap my understanding and ask a couple of questions?

1. My car received a parking charge from ECP yesterday for staying in a retail car park 18 minutes over the maximum time limit.
2. I am the registered keeper of the vehicle and ECP can ask the DVLC for the address of the car registration plate.
3. As the registered keeper, I will eventually receive multiple demands for payment by post based on an ECP assumption that the registered keeper and the driver are the same person.
4. I am not obliged by law to disclose the driver of the vehicle to ECP.
5. It is the responsibility of ECP to determine the driver at the time of the charge and have legal evidence that links the driver to the registered keeper should they wish to take the matter to court.
6. As ECP is a private company, the "invoice" is unenforceable in a court of law as breach of the implied contract is between the driver and ECP, not the registered keeper.
7. I should not contact ECP by any method as this may prejudice any future actions by myself.
8. Eventually, ECP will cease to contact me as it is not in their interests to waste further money on administration costs to recover the "debt" or on a court case they cannot win without the evidence stated above.
9. Bailiffs cannot act without a court decision in ECP's favour.

Is my logic correct here?

Update: Three months and six letters later - all has gone quiet. For all those doubters, the advice here is solid.

Lara

Received a third and this time it's a final notice in which it states if payment's not received within 14 days they will proceed with Court Action and at this point there will be a further administrative fee of £120 on top of the £95 they're asking for plus court fees.

They are true to their word and send letters out as soon as the 14 days are up.

I can see how people get very worried and pay up - I read the letter and my first thought was perhaps we should have paid this in the first place :undecided but then brain became engaged and I'm sitting still and waiting to see what happens in the next 10 days or so.