Parking Fine

jambojen_2

Hello,
My boyfriend got contacted about 1 month ago with a letter saying he had a parking ticket, he parked out side a shop in town, (where he goes every lunch so this must have been a new thing) and got a ticket. it was for £135!!!! He never receievd a ticket on his car or anything. This letter was poorly written, with spelling mistakes and poor grammer (like this post) lol. These letters want his bank details.
so he phoned the number on this letter and it put him through to a foreign man who spoke litle english, saying that kids must have taken the ticket off the car. blah blah blah.
Basically, he is now refusing to pay this without proof that he was parked where they say he was...and he has now recieved a letter from a solicitors saying that the fine is now £240.
He still hasnt recieved the proof, and this fine is getting more and more.......what can we do, they seem to be able to make up there own rules?!?!?!
£135 sounded scandalous for parking somewhere for 5 minutes but now £240!!!!!
Please help!
Jen
x

fudgem

This sounds like a scam to me, contact the police and/or the citizens advice bureau.

I've not heard of a solicitor chasing up a parking fine before, does the letter have the name of a firm you know?

newlywed

So this letter was poorly written, asking for his bank details?
Have you been back to check that where he parked has any parking restriction signs, double yellows etc?

Optimist

Who is this letter from ?

lush_walrus

Hhhm, it sounds very scam like to me too. Even fines in London arent that much, well unless you have the pleasure of being towed in with it! Is it from parking on private land or a highway? If it is a highway, then speak to the local council and ask them if they are aware of x company, they will know if they have subcontracted parking to someone else.

I would definately take a copy of the letter to the Police and tell them, it sounds 99% scam to me and the fact that the fine is getting larger so quickly, could just be that they are playing on peoples fears to get the money out of them before they have a chance to think.

I have been fined before, and never have I been told to hand over any bank details....Just doesnt ring true, until you know for definate hand over absolutely no details.

robnye

newlywed wrote:

So this letter was poorly written, asking for his bank details?
Have you been back to check that where he parked has any parking restriction signs, double yellows etc?

hear hear....... this smells of scam.....

Throbbe

That sounds like a scam, especially if they want bank details. I'd contact the police.

lol. Sorry. Went to make a coffee and by the time I'd replied so had half the forum!

Sting_2

This has all the makings of a scam, but there are a few things you could check.

Firstly, how did the person sending the ticket know your address? Does your BF drive a van with contact details on the side? Does he leave letters on the front seat? or is it down to chance that the 'scammer' saw him parked and also knows where he lives.

Secondly the solicitor, as fudgem says, solicitors don't chase up parking tickets. Check out the solicitors, do a search on Yell.com and see if they exist, or ring them and ask who they are working for. Or just put their details on this board, someone will be able to tell you if they are legit.

Finally the bank details bit is dubious, when you pay a fine they give you the option of sending a cheque (well, did last time I was caught.)

Depending on where he parked it would be either the local council issuing the ticket if it was a public highway, or if it was on private ground it could be a private company. Your post suggests it was on the road and therefore it would be the council who 1. would not charge £135, 2. Would not use a solicitor and 3. can speak English when you ring them!

waster_2

Where exactly was he parked. If it was on the public highway then the enforcement is now usually by the local authority. This sounds like a scam. Do not pay anything or give any details to anyone, especially bank details.

If he was parked on private land then potentially he could be "charged" (as in having to pay) for the "damages" for the use of the land. This is normally enforced by the dreaded clampers when you have no choice but to pay up to get your car released before they tow it. If in your boyfriend's case he was parked on private land then the owners could well try and impose a charge on him. However, they would have to demonstrate that it was reasonable and represented the loss they had incurred by losing the use of the land he had parked on. Additionally they would have to prove that he was parked where they say and that they are in ownership/occupation of the land concerened.

This in my opinion is just an elaborate con trick.

Finally, I would advise that your boyfriend finds somewhere else to park. That should be lawfully on either the public highway or an official car park where he should pay any fee as appropriate. It is probable that the next trick these "crooks" will employ is to clamp any cars if they are on private land. It may not be their land, but you try and prove that if you want your car back in one piece within the next 6 months. If they know/recognise his car they will certainly want to clamp it and will try and charge him £££££ for its release. Steer clear at all costs as these are normally sub human neanderthals that deal in these scams.

But what is tickling my curiosity is how they obtained his details. Either they followed him home and took a chance that this was his address, they obtained them through the DVLA, who have already been warned about releasing data to shady individuals/organisations on using the guise of parking enforcement or they have access to the PNC!! Very worrying. Whichever way it is I think, as stated before, a word with either the police or Trading Statndard would be sensible.

BUT DO NOT PAY ANY MONEY OR GIVE ANY DETAILS WITHOUT SEEKING ADVICE. IMO THIS IS A SCAM.

Good luck.

waster_2

Sting wrote:

This has all the makings of a scam, but there are a few things you could check.

Firstly, how did the person sending the ticket know your address? Does your BF drive a van with contact details on the side? Does he leave letters on the front seat? or is it down to chance that the 'scammer' saw him parked and also knows where he lives.

Secondly the solicitor, as fudgem says, solicitors don't chase up parking tickets. Check out the solicitors, do a search on Yell.com and see if they exist, or ring them and ask who they are working for. Or just put their details on this board, someone will be able to tell you if they are legit.

Finally the bank details bit is dubious, when you pay a fine they give you the option of sending a cheque (well, did last time I was caught.)

Depending on where he parked it would be either the local council issuing the ticket if it was a public highway, or if it was on private ground it could be a private company. Your post suggests it was on the road and therefore it would be the council who 1. would not charge £135, 2. Would not use a solicitor and 3. can speak English when you ring them!

Agree with most of the above, but not sure about 3. in the final paragraph!!!

MrSmartprice

Don't parking control firms need to be licensed now?