Advise on PPC - respond to solicitors/debt collectors? PLEASE HELP!

Sput2001

trisontana wrote: »

I have just found this job advert for VCS.

So, according to them they are "one of the most recognised and respected Car park Enforcement companies in the UK. We aim to deliver first-class services to all our Customers and Clients."

I suppose that's another name for con-merchants.

I like their address though - Cemetery Road. The company is staffed by a load of zombies and the un-dead.

I have also found this little gem about "Graham White":-

The PO Box number for Roxburghe is actually for the nearest sorting office to Graham White Solicitors' supposed office - which is actually Roxburghe's offices. As far as the Law Society is concerned this iteration of "Graham White Solicitors" is not registered with them.
There is a Graham White Solicitors in Hertfordshire which is registered with the Law Society but they are nothing to do with this crowd and are somewhat miffed that someone else is using their name. There is however a Michael Sorbell who is a solicitor - according to Law Society records he works for the housing department at Hackney Council - it is apparently the same chap.

How this can be permitted to continue is beyond us. Solicitors are supposed to have compliance officers which ensure cases are dealt with in a certain way. For example the post has to be opened on premises where a solicitor works from. We remain uncertain as to how Mr Sorbell fulfils his many duties. Perhaps you should ask the Solicitors Regulation Authority and Hackney Council?

Graham White (the Roxburghe version, not the Hertfordshire one) does now appear on the Law Society website, details below. It's an alias for Michael Sobell. Not that this makes any difference to the advice given to the OP, i.e. don't panic.

GRAHAM WHITE - Head Office


Phone Number: 01932 332 020
Fax Number: 01932 352 617

At this office:Wheelchair Access: No
Legal Aid: No
Fixed Fee Interview: No
Authorised Trainer: No ID:272121 Address:Manor House
Lavender Park Road
WEST BYFLEET
SURREY
KT14 6ND
ENGLAND
Number of offices:1
Number of regulated principals in this organisation:1
Number of regulated principals at this office:1
Number of solicitors and lawyers at this office:1
Areas of law:Civil litigation
Commercial property
Conveyancing residential
Landlord and tenant - residential
Lexcel Accreditation:No

EM_C

Yes the Graham White Solicitors letter is signed Michael Sobell and their address is Manor House, Lavender Park Rd KT14 6ND. SRA Reg no 272121.

Interesting that Roxburghe is so close - and possibly linked to Mr Sobell (?!) - the correspondance address for them is also a PO BOX on Lavender Park Rd. They use the same reference number on their correspondance.

Does the fact he is registered increase the chances of being taken to court?

usignuolo

What does the law society think about solicitors sending letters demanding money with menaces which have no legal standing?

Crabman

usignuolo wrote: »

What does the law society think about solicitors sending letters demanding money with menaces which have no legal standing?

The Law Society exists to protect their own. They tend to come down hard on smaller/sole practitioner firms whilst turning a blind eye to the antics of big-shots (e.g. Michael Napier) whilst masquerading to the public that they actually do care about complaints and take them very seriously.

Coblcris

The reference to Upmann v Elkan is quite frankly laughable.

Utter tosh.

Sput2001

EM_C wrote: »

Yes the Graham White Solicitors letter is signed Michael Sobell and their address is Manor House, Lavender Park Rd KT14 6ND. SRA Reg no 272121.

Interesting that Roxburghe is so close - and possibly linked to Mr Sobell (?!) - the correspondance address for them is also a PO BOX on Lavender Park Rd. They use the same reference number on their correspondance.

Does the fact he is registered increase the chances of being taken to court?

They're in the same building. My guess is that their desks are about a metre and a half apart...

Your chances of going to court remain negligible.

Coupon-mad

EM_C wrote: »

Does the fact he is registered increase the chances of being taken to court?

No, do a search of this board re 'Graham White' and you'll find plenty of people in your shoes - and none have been taken to Court AFAIK. I think from reading other threads, you may get 2 or 3 alarmist letters from G White then as Sir Roger said, they'll crawl back from whence they came.

Sir_Roger_deLodger

EM_C wrote: »

Does the fact he is registered increase the chances of being taken to court?

Well I've been waiting for nearly 3 years. Come on Mr. Sobell, wheres my court papers?

Bluemaximus

I wouldn't worry about Mr Sobell. I am a solicitor and got one of these so called fines. I checked the law society website, as I do now and then, and Michael Sobell is qualified as a solicitor on his own account and the firm he has is graham white, bizarrely. However, this is not the Graham White Solicitors in Hertfordshire as so many people keep getting confused with. They must be tired of all the enquires. The funny thing is though is that Michael Sobell was admitted as a Solicitor in 1962 so he must be over 70 years of age by now and that is if qualified in his early twenties. I doubt he is practising and there are no other solicitors at the graham white solicitors he is apparently a part of. I suspect they company just uses his name, legitimately, as he just pays for the indemnity insurance with the law society and can be used on the letterheads.

usignuolo

sounds a bit like madoff's auditors!