A.S. Secrui-T "Ticket" in Flat's Own Private Car Park

jp1181

Hi,

I've read through a lot of the discussions here on these PCN's received from private parking companies, but can't find a comparable situation to this, so would be grateful for your advice:

My girlfriend lives in a flat with a private car park out the front. R

Recently A.S Securi-T have been employed by the flat's managing agent to enforce that the parking is only for residents of the flats (there are 12 flats in the block and the car park must take at least 15 cars, maybe 20+. It is never full to my recollection)

She was sent two 'permits' to display in her car and a visitors car to avoid fines from A.S. Securi -T.

One evening last week I was visiting so had a permit displayed, I am usually there 3 or 4 nights a week so have the visitors permit in my car most of the time. That evening we had friends over for dinner, they arrived at about 8.00pm and we thought we had best put one of the two permits in their car and so took the one from my girlfriends car.

When they went to leave we saw that at 23.30pm a parking ticket had been put on my girlfriend's car (and a few others), the usual one demanding £50 or £70 after 14 days blah blah blah.

Should we ignore this just like all the people who got these tickets in a supermarket or McDonald's car park?

Is the fact that she was parked outside her own flat, regardless of the fact she'd lent her permits to me and our friends, a reasonable case for cancelling the ticket?

Should we alert the managing agent, and ask for them to cancel it on this basis?

Grateful for any advice / stories of similar experience

halibut2209

ignore the ticket completely

But if there are signs saying that cars can be clamped, take more care in future!!

jp1181

Thank you.

If in the instance above they had clamped, what would I be able to do?

AlexisV

Are there signs threatening clamping?

Find out the exact wording of your flat's lease. In a lot of cases the lease grants you right to park, you don't need permits and you can formally tell the private company to get stuffed and withdraw access to your patch of tarmac.

Coupon-mad

jimmiepreston wrote: »

Thank you.

If in the instance above they had clamped, what would I be able to do?

I would have got someone to pick the padlock or cut off the chain to the padlock, to release the clamp.

I really believe no-one should be paying a private clamper! As long as you honestly believe that a private clamping (not DVLA or Court Bailiff!) is unlawful you 'can' (if you are brave) remove the offending clamp:

http://forums.pepipoo.com/index.php?showtopic=61619

It would also be cheaper in many cases, than paying the scammers, to get a local garage to collect your car and remove it to a safe place then pick the lock/remove the clamp and return it via the local Police Station so they can see it is undamaged.

HO87

@OP. It might be useful for you to check the paperwork that you have received. AS Securi-T Ltd are in compulsory liquidation (they have been since 6 April 2011) and the title i.e. AS Securi-T has been assumed as a trading name by VP Parking Solutions Ltd who trade from the same registered office address as AS did and has the same director as AS Securi-T Ltd did (as if that's an enormous surprise).

If the paperwork you have is solely in the name of the AS Securi-T Ltd and it makes no reference to the new company then this might represent a problem. Although companies in liquidation can continue to trade (in certain circumstances) this would have to be agreed by the administrator. In this case the liquidation is being dealt with by the Official Receiver out of the local offices at Waterside House, Town Quay. The reference (somewhat unbelievably) is shown as Case No 1 but if you were to give the name of the company and its registered number (05510810) you should be able to speak to the relevant person.

jp1181

As you can see it has been a while since I first posted on this. That is because we took the advice here and ignored the PCN that we found on the car. Since then absolutely nothing has happened, no letters, no phonecalls, no visits....until today.

Today we received a letter from Roxburghe Debt collectors agency demanding £140 or so. I've done a search on here and seen that Roxburghe seem to be a disreputable bunch (imagine that!) and don't/can't follow up on their threats, but there's so many threads that I can't get a handle on how persistent they are.

I would normally be content to carry on ignoring them if it weren't for the fact that we are now renting out the flat, so if they do begin harassing, it will be the tenant on the receiving end (if they phone or make any visits) and we don't want that happening as it's unfair and scary for them.

What can/shall we do? any help greatly appreciated

HO87

Just keep the faith. Roxburghe's seem to follow a strict letter chain and on occasion - presumably where numbers are available - resort to phoning alleged debtors. if they do tell them to go away as you will consider any further calls as harrassment. It's likely that the gf will receive letters from Graham White, solicitors but fret ye not this is just another guise that Roxburghe's use and the letter will almost certainly have been produced by the same person as wrote to your girlfriend from them originally but just pressed a different button.

Graham White's do not exist in the traditional sense of a High Street solicitors and the only qualified person associated with the "company" is now well into his 70's and to all intents and purposes "rents" his company name to Roxburghe's. Ultimately they give up - check some of the letter chain examples in the "stickies" at the top of this board for the sort of thing to expect.

Roxburghe's are just debt-collectors at the end of the day and have no more power than you or I to enforce a debt (especially where none is owed). At worst all they can do is to stamp their feet and scream and shout but they cannot "send the boys round" or blackened your (or your gf's) credit record. Roxburghe's will try really hard to convince people that they hold their financial futures in their hands when, of course, the exact reverse is true. Debt-collectors only get paid if they collect the debt, so if they don't collect they don't profit.

Just to add to Roxburghe's joys their practices are currently under investigation by the OFT who have told them that they are minded to revoke their debt-collector licence.

jp1181

HO87, thanks for the reassurance.

My only worry really is for the new tenant in my gfs flat, how likely is it that they will turn up at her door, or phone her?

I understand from other threads that the DVLA don't give out phone numbers, and we haven't written to them so they shouldn't have the number for the flat, but I hear from other examples of them phoning people after getting their number from somewhere.

I really don't want the tenant to have to worry about this as she is a single girl living on her own and we don't want her to feel unsafe.

Is it really very unlikely that they will phone or visit?

Driver8

jimmiepreston wrote: »

HO87, thanks for the reassurance.

My only worry really is for the new tenant in my gfs flat, how likely is it that they will turn up at her door, or phone her?

I understand from other threads that the DVLA don't give out phone numbers, and we haven't written to them so they shouldn't have the number for the flat, but I hear from other examples of them phoning people after getting their number from somewhere.

I really don't want the tenant to have to worry about this as she is a single girl living on her own and we don't want her to feel unsafe.

Is it really very unlikely that they will phone or visit?

You are taking this far far too seriously. Listen, they are PRIVATE CITIZENS out to try and basically rob you. They have NO special powers whatsoever, they do NOT carry warrant cards, they will NOT turn up at anyone's door let alone your's. If they ring, just give them some very very choice language. Keep a loud whistle by the phone too.

Just carry on with your life and laugh at them for being so stupid in chasing you for a NONE existent "debt".

I honestly don't know how to make it more plainer. IGNORE them.

I am getting so disillusioned with so many people taking bits of colourful paper full of quasi legal crap as something akin to a death threat. It is a SCAM.

AlexisV

jimmiepreston wrote: »

As you can see it has been a while since I first posted on this. That is because we took the advice here and ignored the PCN that we found on the car. Since then absolutely nothing has happened, no letters, no phonecalls, no visits....until today.

Today we received a letter from Roxburghe Debt collectors agency demanding £140 or so. I've done a search on here and seen that Roxburghe seem to be a disreputable bunch (imagine that!) and don't/can't follow up on their threats, but there's so many threads that I can't get a handle on how persistent they are.

I would normally be content to carry on ignoring them if it weren't for the fact that we are now renting out the flat, so if they do begin harassing, it will be the tenant on the receiving end (if they phone or make any visits) and we don't want that happening as it's unfair and scary for them.

What can/shall we do? any help greatly appreciated

It's fairly normal for anybody who's renting to get debt collection letters from previous tenants. I had to wade through them every day when I got back from work! Now I only get one every 6 months.