Unpaid parking ticket

fchristensen

Hi

I have a big problem (i think) and was wondering if you could shed some light on the situation i am currently in and tell me if there are any solutions to this.

About 1 year ago i received a parking ticket which i obviously should have paid then and there. Now one year later i get a letter from Equita Bailiffs saying that they want £140. I was told this a few days before payday (30 April). I had completely forgotten about this because it happened 1 year ago!

I inform them that i have every intention of paying the parking ticket. But i cannot pay until i get paid which was on the 30th April. They say fine, you can call back on the 30th and pay your outstanding debt then.

I call back on the 30th April only to be put on hold twice for 15 minutes and i was also told that the case was now out of their hands? How does that work then? I called back exactly when i was supposed to but is now passed on to the actual bailiff himself which i spoke to. He told me all of the £460 has to be paid right now otherwise he would come around and take my bellongings. I am 20 years old and still live in my parents house.

I'm !!!! scared at the moment! I am willing to pay the £140 which was originally owed but have no chance of paying £460.

Someone please help shed some light on this.

Sorry for the long description

Fredrik

downhiller

First question: Council parking ticket or a private parking ticket?

fchristensen

I think it's council parking ticket as Northampton Court issued a CCJ

downhiller

Ok.

Between receiving the ticket and receiving the letter from Equita, did you have any other correspondence?

fchristensen

no i don't recall there being any anything in between, but it's been over a year so i can't say for certain.

downhiller

Hmmm. I'm no expert on Council issue tickets, but I imagine there has to be some form of correspondence between issuing the ticket and sending in bailiffs.

Any experts around to offer advice?

fchristensen

anybody? please?

Neil_B

downhiller wrote: »

Hmmm. I'm no expert on Council issue tickets, but I imagine there has to be some form of correspondence between issuing the ticket and sending in bailiffs.

Any experts around to offer advice?

well yeah there is and he needs to explain exactly what has happened, been received and when. it's pointless him just saying 'dunno'.

the other issue is making a verbal agreement with the bailiff. You just can't do that. Got anything in writing? maybe refer that event to the Council but I doubt they'll be interested.
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fchristensen

well i don't know what more i can explain then what i have in my original post above. I did receive a letter from Equita Bailiffs saying that a CCJ Warrant had now been issued and that i have to pay £146. The next day i called them up saying i'd be able to pay this in a couple of days time which they said was fine. I call up 2 days later and they say they are not allowed to speak to me cause the case has now been referred to the bailiff.

Neil_B

fchristensen wrote: »

well i don't know what more i can explain then what i have in my original post above. I did receive a letter from Equita Bailiffs saying that a CCJ Warrant had now been issued and that i have to pay £146.

Ok I see. Let's see if I've got this straight.

You don't know when you got a PCN
You don't know who it was from.
You don't know the original amount.
You can't remember if you contacted the council who issued it
You don't know if they responded
You don't know if you received a Notice to Owner
You don't know if you made representations against the Notice to Owner
You don't know if you received a Charge Certificate or when the Council may have issued one.
You don't know if you received an Order for Recovery or when the Council may have issued it
You don't know if the bailiff has visited (the only way the charges could have increased to that level)

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I think that's it. what should you do? Don't know!

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wake up and smell the onions mate! you need to start explaining or lose a lot of money.
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Neil_B

If that all sounded a bit harsh - it is just the reality mate!

In answer to your opening question -'solutions' - yes there are possibilities but not without knowing exactly what has happened.

further reality is that £460 will be increasing for every visit, eventual clamp, release (or removal) etc.

Quite how the bailiff arrives at such an inflated figure suddenly when you seem to know nothing of subsequent visits - is strange. They do 'try it on' by inventing visits.