Advice regarding PCN?

baltibob

Apologies for the long post..
Back in August I parked in a Supermarket Car Park without a ticket. It was the first time I had parked there and I was unaware that I required a ticket. I now know that tickets are required, and parking is free for up to 2 hours for which a ticket is still required.
On returning to my car I was in the process of being issued with a ticket. I explained to the warden that I was unaware that I required a ticket and asked him to point out to me the nearest pay and display meter and signs. He duly pointed out the meter and sign which were no more than 20 feet away from my vehicle, however crucially the sign and the meter were facing the opposite direction - I have photographic evidence of this.
I only visited the car park for about 10 minutes and there is no reason for me to avoid obtaining a ticket,when the parking was free.
I followed advice on this site and others and ignored the PCN which was for £25, increasing to £50 if not paid within n days. I then received another letter from "Parking Collection Services" (PCS) demanding £110 and another from "Debt Recovery Plus Ltd" (DRP) demanding the same.
I replied using the template from this site, arguing that there was no contract, that the signs and meter closest to my vehicle were facing the opposite direction, that there was no reason for me to avoid obtaining a ticket, and that the amount being demanded was disproportionate to the costs incurred.
I have since received another letter from PCS refuising to cancel the charge, and stating that court proceeding will be started if I dont pay within 14 days, followed by another form DRP giving me 7 days to pay before they start proceedings.

I know that PCS and DRP are part of the same company and they are trying to use scare tactics. I know that the £60 jump from £50 to £110 is there fee as they state on there website "Our fees can often be added to the amount outstanding rather than deducted from the outstanding charge so you don't lose out. "

Would welcome some advice on how I should proceed from this point.

peter_the_piper

More of the same.

The_Slithy_Tove

Since you appear to know about this whole scam, they you probably also know you should simply ignore everything further that is sent to you on this matter. They won't start procedings - it's a standard scare letter the send out all the time.

Communucating with them in the first place only flags you up as someone to hassle more. So you'll get more than the average number of threatening letters. If you just ignore from now on, they'll dry up in the end.

It won't go to court. Any judge would laugh it out trying to claim over £100 for spending 10 minutes in a free car park, just because you hadn't put a piece of paper in the window.

Coupon-mad

You do not even have a real parking ticket, it's just a piece of rubbish. Stop using the templates to reply, we don't recommend them, never have done on this forum. Ignoring the fake PCN is best but you still can now. Stop taking the bait and replying!

Like all the other posters on this board, you have a fake PCN. As long as it's not a company/hire/lease car (which I assume it's not as they sent the fake PCN to you) then you can just ignore it and ignore the other letters that will arrive. The letters are easy to ignore and laugh at, when they arrive at the address of someone who knows it's all hogwash and not a real parking ticket at all.

The whole scam of fake PCNs relies firstly on people's ignorance of the fact that a random private company can't fine anyone, and secondly on their natural fear of parking tickets and the escalating costs/bailiff scenario. So PPCs copy the look of a real parking ticket and - hey presto! - the cash rolls in from victims who know no better.

There is no fine, no CCJ, no bailiff, no debt, no effect on credit rating, no Court, no repercussions at all.

Tick off the threatening letters including PCS under various PPC headings here.

Watchdog clip with expert Solicitor's opinion here.

Barrister's opinion - read the answer at the bottom, it's very clear! - here.

So from now on simply choose to ignore and laugh at the scammer and their debt collectors' attempts to extort money by junk mail. It's like deleting obvious phishing emails from your 'Bank'; it's a very similar con based on impersonation of authority.

Easy to ignore, just play snap with those letters from now on.

baltibob

Thanks for the responses. Will ignore and see what happens.

NBJ

Hi all,

Just after a bit of advice really. My partner and I swapped cars a few months ago as his is better for me to travel with. We didn't swap over any paperwork as we are insured on both cars.

In September my partner lent my car to his friend who then proceeded to park in a residents parking area near his home. My car received a ticket which this friend did not tell us about until my car was put into a compound.

It was left there for 3 days before my partners friend told me, at which point I went and paid £375 to release it. As you can imagine I was fuming as to no fault of my own I was now £375 down and the friend could not afford to pay me back. I must mention now that my car is a banger and only worth about £250!!! (Hence why I'm driving my partners nice car!)

As mad as I was, I thought that it was all over and have just gone back to using my car as I don't want my partners friends to get me any more debt!!

Well yesterday I returned from work to find a 'Notice to Owner' letter from the council stating that I have not paid the PCN and owe them '£110'. Now, as I didn't see the car being removed, I do not have the initial ticket. I went to the compound to get my car released and paid in full. So why am I still being asked by the council to pay a further £110? Surely if I owed them money I could never have had my car released??

Can someone enlighten me!? I need advice on what to do! I have called the council today but they are only open Monday to Friday.

My partner and I are in no position to pay this fine, especially as it says if I don't pay it will jump by another 50%!

HELP!

taffy056

NBJ

Please don't hijack a thread that is not about a council ticket, create your own on the link below, just click on new thread

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

pogofish

NBJ wrote: »

Hi all,

Just after a bit of advice really.

You have posted this in totally the wrong place. This thread is about a private and totally non-enforceable ticket, whilst you have a legal and potentially fully enforceable council ticket - a very different situation.

Either start your own thread, or better still, take it over to Pepipoo, who are probably the best prepared to help you with council tickets and this time - follow the instructions for new posters, post in the correct forum and be ready with scanned and depersonalised copies of all paperwork for examination.

carolynexx

Can anyone help just been to my local Asda I was driving around for 20 mins trying to park in a Mother and baby space but none available due to people parking there without kids, I couldnt park in the normal bays as had 3 kids in the back, 3 year old had wet his pants as I couldnt get parked so pulled into a disabled bay while I tried to get child sorted came back from the toilets to find a penalty notice saying £70 due now or £40 within 14 days, what I couldnt understand was the ticket says time of parking 14:48 and when I looked at my watch it was only 13:50 can I ignore this or should I appeal

edward123

carolynexx wrote: »

Can anyone help just been to my local Asda I was driving around for 20 mins trying to park in a Mother and baby space but none available due to people parking there without kids, I couldnt park in the normal bays as had 3 kids in the back, 3 year old had wet his pants as I couldnt get parked so pulled into a disabled bay while I tried to get child sorted came back from the toilets to find a penalty notice saying £70 due now or £40 within 14 days, what I couldnt understand was the ticket says time of parking 14:48 and when I looked at my watch it was only 13:50 can I ignore this or should I appeal

The first questions are: Who issued the 'ticket' and did it actually mention the word "penalty"? If it is from a Private Parking Company it won't be a "penalty" and so the advice from this forum, well to heed it lest you wish to be poorer and make a cowboy company richer, is to IGNORE it, the unenforceable 'parking charge,' and any letters however threatening they might send you. Just get on with your life and don't worry at all about this. Period.

Coupon-mad

carolynexx wrote: »

Can anyone help just been to my local Asda I was driving around for 20 mins trying to park in a Mother and baby space but none available due to people parking there without kids, I couldnt park in the normal bays as had 3 kids in the back, 3 year old had wet his pants as I couldnt get parked so pulled into a disabled bay while I tried to get child sorted came back from the toilets to find a penalty notice saying £70 due now or £40 within 14 days, what I couldnt understand was the ticket says time of parking 14:48 and when I looked at my watch it was only 13:50 can I ignore this or should I appeal

Ignore the fake PCN of course. Town & City have no authority to fine anyone and will just send the usual letters. Ignore them.

But you can park in a normal space. I have 4 kids and never used a Mother and Baby bay until occasionally when I had my last child. You can get babies out of a vehicle - car seat carrier and all - without a special space of course. And you can strap them back in as well with a normal gap to lean in.

Mother and Baby spaces mean nothing; people now expect to use one like it's some sort of right - well it's not. They are a gimmick by the Supermarkets.

Disabled bays are for disabled motorists and they have a right to use them. Never take a disabled bay unless you need it.

Disabled rights rant over. :eek: