Retail Park Penalty Charge Notice

sgtivypie

Last November I received a penalty charge notice on a retail park from a private company. They say that I had parked in a disabled spot without displaying a valid badge. I honestly don't know if I did or not so it is possible that I did. I never do this on purpose but I remeber that day my toddler was poorly and had just been sick all over himself so I hurridly parked and rushed off to get him some water and clean clothes.
Anyway, I ignored the penalty charge notice letters that they sent me in the post as per the advice on this site. Today I have now received a letter from a Solicitors stating that they have been instructed to get the money from me and the cost is now £207. It also says that if I don't pay then they may be instructed to take legal action against me.
Does anyone have any advice?

muckybutt

Was it really called a penalty charge ? very very naughty if it was.

Let me guess the solicitors........ Graham White per chance ?

Regardless of who it was / is you can still ignore them - 1000's have gone there and done that before you including me and many of us regular posters on this thread.

Very rarely do they actually follow the alleged debt all the way to court, so rest assured and keep ignoring.

trisontana

It's not a penalty charge notice, it's an invoice which you don't have to pay. Could you tell us the name of the parking company and their so-called solicitors.

SodG24

sgtivypie wrote: »

Last November I received a penalty charge notice on a retail park from a private company. They say that I had parked in a disabled spot without displaying a valid badge. I honestly don't know if I did or not so it is possible that I did. I never do this on purpose but I remeber that day my toddler was poorly and had just been sick all over himself so I hurridly parked and rushed off to get him some water and clean clothes.
Anyway, I ignored the penalty charge notice letters that they sent me in the post as per the advice on this site. Today I have now received a letter from a Solicitors stating that they have been instructed to get the money from me and the cost is now £207. It also says that if I don't pay then they may be instructed to take legal action against me.
Does anyone have any advice?

I've highlighted the key word. Continue to ignore them.

sgtivypie

Sorry, my mistake.... it's called a Parking Charge Notice.

The letter is from Graham White Solicitors. I have just been reading all about them on here. I'm just going to keep ignoring them and hopefully they won't start with the harassing phone calls.

The parking company is called CMS UK Ltd.

The debt collection company is called Roxburghe UK Ltd.

Stephen_Leak

Roxburghe are under investigation by the Office of Fair Trading, who are "minded to revoke their licence".

Graham White are under investigation by the Solicitors Regulation Authority for threatening people with legal action that they can't actually take.

If either of them do call, just say this, “The alleged so-called debt is denied. You now need to refer this matter back to your client. Any further communication on this matter will be regarded as harassment under terms of the Protection from Harassment Act 1997.”

For the record, disabled bays in a private car park are just spaces with a picture of a stick man in a wheelchair painted on them. Anyone, who’s disabled with a long-term condition under the terms of The Equality Act 2010 can use a disabled parking bay in a private car park. The Equality Act doesn't say that able-bodied drivers can't also use disabled parking bays. OK, maybe they shouldn't, but they can. It's a nice idea not to use the last one, though.

Graham White's more unpleasant threats usually include mentioning that, if the case goes to court, a county court judgement (CCJ) will be issued, that bailiffs will be appointed and that your credit rating will be ruined. For things to actually get to this stage, the car park owner would have to take you to court and win the case. Then, you would have to refuse to pay, to get a CCJ issued after 28 days. Then, you would have to still refuse to pay, to get bailiffs appointed.

Continue to ignore everything you get from them. Soon, they will run out of empty threats and stop throwing good money after bad.

sgtivypie

That's exactly what the Graham White letter said, that they may take legal action. Also that failure to pay may result in CCJs and would seriously affect my credit rating and any attempts to get credit in the future

trisontana

To get a CCJ the case would have to go to court (very unlikely) you lose (very, very unlikely) and THEN you fail to pay whatever the judge orders with 28 days. This is such a remote possibility that it's not worth worrying about.

bondy_lad

roxburghe cowboys are simply on the next desk along to the phoney solicitor graham white,ignore these idiots 100%,simple as.

sgtivypie

Thanks everyone for all the advice, reassurance, and support

devonlad

bank the money you would of paid, stick it out. in couple months when they stop sending you letters etc go treat you and kids to a nice day out with YOUR money