Graham White Soliciters Over Apcoa Parking Fines

Coupon-mad

Look here for our replies. If you forget the thread title, just click on your own username and 'find posts'.

You are NOT about to send any letter to a PPC now surely, and you are not going to waste your time and money phoning Roxburghe/Graham White again (same people!)?

It's not a fine, ignore it. But you need to do a bit of reading to be ready for the scary letters, which you also file in a drawer marked 'ignore, scam'!

Here's the first page of the current forum posts, almost all about private parking co's (known as PPCs to us). Did you realise how much current info is here on MSE on every subject, there's a new page of PPC scam posts every single day. It's not just this old thread! :

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/...play.php?f=163

Read 'PPC letters' at the top, for your preview of the rubbish they will send to the registered keeper. And read 'welcome, please read before posting' (LOL!) to see the advice and to click on the must-see Watchdog link.

You will soon understand why this is no 'parking ticket'. :mad:

Wingnut101

Hi all, quick thanks for this thread, I've been following it closely over the last 8 months since my girlfriend was served with a PCN after visiting Luton Airport. She has, thanks to you guys, ignored all the debt collection mail, but this morning got her first phonecall from Graham White. She will now be reporting them to the police for harrassment.

So thanks again

[Deleted User]

You can be fined though, what about APCOA working on behalf of the Council and what about the DVLA enforcement this is conducted by NSL and you get a conviction???, so maybe this should read if you are on private land you can not get a fine, but no again because DVLA (NSL) remove vehicles from Council Car Parks (This is in theory private land).

HO87

assj wrote: »

You can be fined though, what about APCOA working on behalf of the Council and what about the DVLA enforcement this is conducted by NSL and you get a conviction???, so maybe this should read if you are on private land you can not get a fine, but no again because DVLA (NSL) remove vehicles from Council Car Parks (This is in theory private land).

I think you need to check the title of the sub-forum that you are on and understand the context within which this thread was originally posted.

No one would dispute that in the context within which you have couched you comments that APCOA and NSL - whilst acting as the agents of councils or an executive agency - have certain powers. However, they do not have such power elsewhere and certainly do not have it when acting as the agent/contractor of a landowner. No private individual or company has the authority to fine any one.

As far as council car parks are concerned the issue is whether they may or may not form part of the highway. Few council car parks are actually "private" in the sense you seem to mean.

[Deleted User]

Agreed, my response was to the point no private company may fine. That was wrong, hence my response :-)

Sirdan

assj wrote: »

Agreed, my response was to the point no private company may fine. That was wrong, hence my response :-)

No it wasn't wrong..if the private company is acting for a Council or the DVLA it is still the Council or DVLA who have the "power to fine" not the private company.
In those scenarios should the penalty remain unpaid it is the Council or DVLA who will take enforcement action using their statutory powers, NOT the private company who is merely there to issue the tickets in the first instance.
That said it is important that readers understand that they should not ignore APCOA and others IF and only IF they are acting as an agent of a body that has statutory powers.
In these cases the ticket should make it clear in that there will be an appeal process to the relevant body and NOT to the private company.

In short if a ticket or invoice issued by a private company directs you to appeal to that same private company then it is NOT a statutory penalty of any sort and can be ignored.

Sirdan

Wingnut101 wrote: »

Hi all, quick thanks for this thread, I've been following it closely over the last 8 months since my girlfriend was served with a PCN after visiting Luton Airport. She has, thanks to you guys, ignored all the debt collection mail, but this morning got her first phonecall from Graham White. She will now be reporting them to the police for harrassment.

So thanks again

Whilst I detest APCOA Luton Airport and their monkeys at Roxburgh / Graham White :-
One phone call is not harassment , I don't think the Police will take kindly to having their time wasted on this.

Kite2010

Sirdan wrote: »

Whilst I detest APCOA Luton Airport and their monkeys at Roxburgh / Graham White :-
One phone call is not harassment , I don't think the Police will take kindly to having their time wasted on this.

One phone call isn't harassment, but you need to say "any alleged debt is strictly denied and under OFT regulations you must now pass the file back to your clients, any further phone-calls will be treated as harassment"

If you can that out before the monkey on the end of the phone presses the cut-call button

Sirdan

Kite2010 wrote: »

One phone call isn't harassment, but you need to say "any alleged debt is strictly denied and under OFT regulations you must now pass the file back to your clients, any further phone-calls will be treated as harassment"

If you can that out before the monkey on the end of the phone presses the cut-call button

Don't let them "harass you" -it's only harassment if it causes you alarm or distress not just inconvience...so....as posted above on the FIRST call only...then just laugh them off ..either hang up or a simple "debt denied now p*** off !!" will do ..they will soon get the message..DON'T take these scamming scum seriously.
If they try the stupid we can't even say which company we are until you confirm the details tell them they have failed YOUR "security checks" and hang up.

Alyraqs

I've just been on the Luton Councillor's website where a constituent of his complained about an Apcoa "fine". A poster there mentioned an e-petition about the new government bill that will make keepers responsible for parking offences etc. If anyone has-like me- missed this e-petition is 2447. on the direct gov web site. As a new user, I can't put up full links.
I'm not sure if MSE has mentioned it on their weekly newsletter, but if they haven't it might be a good idea for them to do so. The more signatures the better. Also, perhaps we could use a standard letter to write to our MPs about the offending schedule. Has one been written?

One other point. As the "fines" (charges) imposed by PPCs relate to the breaking of a contract, posters who have "legal cover" with their buildings and contents insurance may find that this covers them in terms of legal advice and also costs in the case where they are taken to court. I have used my cover to obtain legal advice with regard to my "fine" and the solicitor who gave me the advice said that in all probability I was covered if the case went to a CCJ. As the cover is a separate part of the insurance, your household "no claims" benefit is not affected.