Can't remember who was driving

stargirl73

I received a Parking Charge Notice on 3rd Oct 2009 for parking in a free car park for 20 minutes too long :mad:

I have ignored the increasingly threatening letters because I don't know who was driving my car on the day of the "offence". But now they're getting really threatening and I feel I need to reply to them, but I'm unsure how to word letter.

I can't definitively say I wasn't driving, it could well have been my husband, but I don't want to lie and say i wasn't.

Any thoughts on what I should do? I don't want to pay the £120 fee - but do I have any recourse?

I was trying to be strong - but I'm terrified of the threatening letters!

Thanks for any advice.

Quentin

Read the advice on here to others faced with these notices.

(The short answer is overcome your fear of threatening letters, and ignore them completely, eventually they will stop)

Chippy_Minton_2

They can't enforce them so don't pay.

Out of interest what difference would it make if it were you or your husband?
Wouldn't payment come from the same household?

Coupon-mad

Chippy_Minton wrote: »

They can't enforce them so don't pay.

Out of interest what difference would it make if it were you or your husband?
Wouldn't payment come from the same household?

The difference would be that the scam PPC company can only have a 'hope' of alleging a contract if they know who the driver is. All the time they don't know, they cannot do anything except write to the registered keeper. Even if they did know, the OP could still ignore letters from most PPCs of course, as most don't 'do' Court', they only 'do' threats.

But stargirl, put your mind at rest by reading all the other stories of other MSers in your position here:

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/forumdisplay.html?f=163

Read all the cases where it's a private parking ticket. See what people are saying, and what happens (the PPC gives up if you don't respond).

Ignore the threatening letters, someone in my family is doing the same as you right now and I am not the slightest bit bothered when another letter appears. In fact the Solicitors/Debt/Collectors/Legal Action idle threats make me laugh now!

If it would help, pm me or someone else who has got at least one of these tickets. Share news of each letter, get it off your chest, and relax. After 5 - 6 letters, give or take a few, they will just give up.

DO NOT write to them at all. That just tells them they have rattled you and that their letters are being received and read by someone. It encourages them to write even more.

stargirl73

Thanks for your comforting replies

Has anyone ever been taken to court over these things?

Just knowing my luck, I'll be the first!

It's really scary isn't it though? I might have been able to afford the initial £40 fine - even though that seemed steep, but £120 is out of the question.

They say they have photographic evidence.

Feeling a bit weak kneed!

But thanks again

Sir_Roger_deLodger

stargirl73 wrote: »

Thanks for your comforting replies

Has anyone ever been taken to court over these things?

Just knowing my luck, I'll be the first!

It's really scary isn't it though? I might have been able to afford the initial £40 fine - even though that seemed steep, but £120 is out of the question.

They say they have photographic evidence.

Feeling a bit weak kneed!

But thanks again

Once you know how the scam works its not scary at all, it becomes laughable. Which bunch of muppets is it?

Chippy_Minton_2

Thanks for that coupon.

It was more towards the OP's logic. If the notice was enforceable either one of them may have had to pay.

stargirl73

Thanks again.

I know my logic seemed odd - it was just I'd read Martin's article about it and the letter template was about not having to disclose the identity of the driver thereby unenforceable. It's just that I wasn't sure who was using the car that day. We ony have one car in the household and we use the particular car park on a regular basis.

The company is Highview Parking Ltd - based in Borehamwood. Anybody know them?

Chippy_Minton_2

It's not odd now you've explained, thanks.

Quentin

stargirl73 wrote: »

I know my logic seemed odd - it was just I'd read Martin's article about it and the letter template was about not having to disclose the identity of the driver thereby unenforceable.

Read the threads here and at peppipoo and you will see lots who don't agree about sending any letters at all, and advise that the best decision is to do nothing at all.

stargirl73

Following on from my previous posts about this matter, I recently have had a couple of letters from Debt Recovery Plus LTD threatening legal action.

The first letter was full of coulds and mays - which I thought was a bit wishy washy.

But the second one which came a week later was much more definitive - saying they will now take action etc. There is a link to their website of successful cases which has really frightened me.

They are asking for ridiculous amounts of money now which I don't really have spare.

What should I do? Please help if you can - I feel very scared