LPS/Brethertons Court Appearance help, Solicitors unpaid charge :(

Christar

Help needed please guys, basically recieved a parking charge from the named company, and after being advised by you guys to ignore the letters they send I have now been sent a letter from a solicitors working on behalf of the company to get the moneys owed after three prior warnings from the company.


Letter recieved from solicitors working on behalf of Local Parking Security Ltd:
______________________________________________________________


Ref numbers and date Bretherons Solicitors
Address


Mr C *******
My Old Landlords Address


Dear Sir,

LOCAL PARKING SECURITY LTD

We act for Local Parking Security LTD who instruct us that the sum of £50.00 remains unpaid in respect of a parking fine issued upon 01/09/2009 - 07:02:00 AM. This relates to the ********** registration number **** *** which was parked in The Lydiard Swindon.

You have already been informed of you legal obligations by a notice dated 11/05/2009. As a result of your failure to satisfy your legal obligations we have been instructed to issue court proceedings for recovery unless payment is recieved within seven days. In such proceedings, we shall seek, in addition to the principal sum already due, court fees, solicitor costs, and interest from the time the sum became overdue to the date of payment.

Please send all payments to the above address, quoting the reference SPJ/LPS/*******. Cheques or postal orders should be made payable to Local Paking Sevices LTD.

Should no communication or payment be forthcoming, we are instructed to commence proceedings without futher notice to you.

Yours faithfully

''B'' (Squiggle)

Brethetons LLP


Office addresses in lower left corner with registration/association numbers of company.

______________________________________________________________

I am firstly concerned about the genuinity of this, can they prove it was me, I have rang them and explained that it was not and that surely it will be too much of a risk for them to take me to court for a trivial £50. I said it was a friend using the car. They don't have my current address, or no telephone numbers. (DVLA details updates since they have gained them).

What would you people do? I see others have had dealings too judging by other posts........

biscuitdunker

This is exactly what all the scammers do. They are trying to scare you into paying. They cannot issue court proceedings unless they have evidence that you were the driver. They only know that you're the registered keeper. Just continue to ignore them.

biscuitdunker

I notice you have called them - bad move. Ignore, ignore, ignore.

biscuitdunker

Please delete that last part of your post!

biscuitdunker

Yup, they have no evidence, they are just trying to scare you. Have no more contact with them. It's highly unlikely they will issue actual court proceedings, but if they do, come back here and lots of people will be more than happy to help you.

Christar

biscuitdunker wrote: »

Yup, they have no evidence, they are just trying to scare you. Have no more contact with them. It's highly unlikely they will issue actual court proceedings, but if they do, come back here and lots of people will be more than happy to help you.

That is the problem though, the letter seems like one heck of a warning that they will actually go ahead with it. Have many people had to actually go to court?

biscuitdunker

Christar wrote: »

That is the problem though, the letter seems like one heck of a warning that they will actually go ahead with it. Have many people had to actually go to court?

They send these letters to everyone. Very few go to court as far as I'm aware. Even when they do, the private companies don't usually win.

Christar

biscuitdunker wrote: »

They send these letters to everyone. Very few go to court as far as I'm aware. Even when they do, the private companies don't usually win.

Its clear now, thanks alot :beer:

Sir_Roger_deLodger

Christar wrote: »

That is the problem though, the letter seems like one heck of a warning that they will actually go ahead with it. Have many people had to actually go to court?

I've collected a file full of letters like this over the last 4 years, and I'm STILL waiting for court papers! It's just a scare tactic. Not heard of Brethertons but if they are true to form you'll get a final final notice next, and if you are lucky a final final final one before they give up.

Coupon-mad

Well, these particular chancers say on their website that:

'We are now members of the BPA approved operators scheme.'

http://www.localparkingsecurity.co.uk/news/news.htm

But they have ignored the BPA code of practice in ascertaining who the driver was at the earliest opportunity. They are now pursuing and harassing the registered keeper instead, who has apparently 'already been informed of your legal obligations'.

Which legal obligations would they be then?

I am just sad that it's getting a bit late to add them to my Christmas card list (see separate thread). But I'll send them one this weekend anyway and if anyone wants to join me then their founder is an ex-Council Car Parks drone called Richard Evans, see here:

http://www.localparkingsecurity.co.uk/about/about.htm

and the only addy they are hiding behind is a PO box (is that allowed for a Ltd company?):

Local Parking Security Ltd
P.O. Box 1752,
Stratford Upon Avon,
Warwickshire,
CV37 0XW

Dizzyduck

I received a similar letter from the same solicitors approx 5 months ago.
I ignored and heard nothing more!

Looking at the website these are standard letters they churn out for £25.