Happy New Year Indeed!

Jimmytwoshoes_2

This site has occasionally provided me with some guidance but none more so than following the "PCN" I received today!

First and foremost Happy New Year to anyone reading this, and many thanks in advance if anyone can offer their opinion, which is actually all I'm after, I think I have researched the options.

I won't bore you too much with the background, suffice to say I am a law abiding citizen, never been arrested never mind a record, have paid parking fines in the past (when I have blatently been in the wrong) however, the fact that I was away from my car for under 5 minutes and returned to find two blokes working out of a barely marked transit van, issuing me a ticket I felt the need to see if I could do something about it. They want £120, kindly reduced to £85 if I pay it within 14 days!

The parking fine has arisen from me parking on a road that leads to a retail/trade carpark, which also serves a Royal Mail collection office, which was my reason for parking there, I needed to collect a parcel for which delivery had been attempted but I wasn't home. The collection depot only has two parking spaces available, and as usual they were both full. I say as usual because I have parked in the exact same spot on several occasions when making exactly the same trip.

Upon my return to discover these chaps doing their business I was pointed to a sign, tied to a lampost, possibly 10-12 feet in the air, approx 10 yards away from my car. If it helps I'll upload photos (I'll have to re-enact the scene as I drove off without taking any pics) and I haven't been back to see if there is further signage.

My car is a company car, the registered keepers are a leasing company. I have no issues with my work receiving correspondence, I have a good relationship with my employers. It won't be an issue, the lady who would receive any correspondence is as good as gold.

The PPC in question is London Parking Solutions Limited.

I have checked as to whether they are BPA registered and it seems not, further backed up by some small print on the "PCN" itself, stating "London Parking Solutions Limited. Membership of the BPA and AOS has been applied for and are registered in England and Wales"

I have a couple of questions.

As I understand it, if a PPC is NOT BPA registered they cannot obtain the RK's details through the DVLA? And if they do, I can complain to the DVLA? Presumably making this very difficult if not impossible for this mob to obtain the RK's (leasing company) details?

Secondly, and this is more opinion than fact based, would you, if in this position, write to the company explaining you are refusing to pay this charge, on the grounds of a lack of signage, mitigating circumstances (no parking available and away from the car for less than 5 minutes, as well as not causing an obstruction) and also a dispproportionate fine (£120 for less than 5 mins parking) OR...Would you just ignore it?

I'm massively favouring the latter but would appreciate some experienced back up opinion!

Thanks again in advance and for reading.

Jimmy

Stroma

They are not in the bpa aos so they have no way to get your RK details from the dvla, unless you contact them. So just ignore it completely. If they do obtain your details it would have been done illegally, Mike Butler from the dvla would be very interested in this if it happens.

Is this road a private one by the way ?

Happy New Year to you also

atilla

Just tell your boss, or whoever, to pass any correspondence - if they indeed get any - onto you. And on no account are they to pay anything.
Other than that, Have a Good New Year.

Jimmytwoshoes_2

Stroma wrote: »

They are not in the bpa aos so they have no way to get your RK details from the dvla, unless you contact them. So just ignore it completely. If they do obtain your details it would have been done illegally, Mike Butler from the dvla would be very interested in this if it happens.

Is this road a private one by the way ?

Happy New Year to you also

Thanks so much for your swift response, it is appreciated.

I did wonder whether the road was private or public actually and that was going to be my next task just in case I needed to add credence to any refusal to pay (note how I dodged the word appeal there ) but I'm unsure how to go about finding out if it's private or public. The road actually serves a McDonalds as well as the Royal Mail depot/trade park, not that it makes any difference I suspect. I'd hazard a guess that it is private land.

Jimmytwoshoes_2

atilla wrote: »

Just tell your boss, or whoever, to pass any correspondence - if they indeed get any - onto you. And on no account are they to pay anything.
Other than that, Have a Good New Year.

Again, thanks for the swift response

The ONLY concern I have is if the leasing company get their knickers in a twist about having said that, I imagine all they'll do is send on any correspondence to my firm, who will pull me up about it.

But surely, if they're not BPA registered, they won't attempt to obtain the RK's details, knowing if they do get caught knowing details they legally shouldn't, they'll be in a world of s**t?

Not sure exactly what the repercussions are for a company not BPA registered revealing they have RK's details is but I imagine it isn't something they want to have to deal with. I suppose all they are after is a fast, cheap buck. I nearly gave it to them until my gorgeous GF pointed me in the direction of this forum.

Stroma

The way to find out about the road would be to ask the local council, if it is a public road they are in a world of trouble, next stop would be trading standards as this would be illegal.

In regards to the leasing company, take a look at the hire agreement I would put a large wager on them not covering private parking fake invoices, so if any money was taken they are in breach of their own T&Cs. But it's not going to get that far as these cowboys have no means to get your RK details from the dvla.

So don't contact them as that is the only way they could get your details.

atilla

Jimmytwoshoes wrote: »

Again, thanks for the swift response

The ONLY concern I have is if the leasing company get their knickers in a twist about having said that, I imagine all they'll do is send on any correspondence to my firm, who will pull me up about it.

But surely, if they're not BPA registered, they won't attempt to obtain the RK's details, knowing if they do get caught knowing details they legally shouldn't, they'll be in a world of s**t?

Not sure exactly what the repercussions are for a company not BPA registered revealing they have RK's details is but I imagine it isn't something they want to have to deal with. I suppose all they are after is a fast, cheap buck. I nearly gave it to them until my gorgeous GF pointed me in the direction of this forum.

Don't for one minute think the chancers won't try it on with DVLA, they will try anything. Likewise, don't assume the DVLA care - they don't.

Just inform your boss and don't worry.

Jimmytwoshoes_2

Thanks chaps, I will take your advice and ignore.

In some respects I'd happily take them on, giving my details out so that they would avoid sending the lease company (and subsequently my employer) correspondence however I feel that would just make life easier for them.

I think if I receive anything through I'll contact the DVLA. No point in telling the person at work who will receive anything (if it comes) from the leasing company, she'll only get confused and will probably forget I told her anyway

Feeling a lot better about this now

Stroma

atilla wrote: »

Don't for one minute think the chancers won't try it on with DVLA, they will try anything. Likewise, don't assume the DVLA care - they don't.

Just inform your boss and don't worry.

You are wrong there, I have had many discussions with the dvla guys, it's through those discussions from many many forum members of here and pepipoo that 6 companies got suspended from data access.

atilla

Stroma wrote: »

You are wrong there, I have had many discussions with the dvla guys, it's through those discussions from many many forum members of here and pepipoo that 6 companies got suspended from data access.

As have i. However, i was generalising. Invariably they ignore.
Mike Butler refused point blank to suspend TCP even with clear evidence. Mind you, he'll have a problem wriggling out of the evidence against them this time.

Stroma

atilla wrote: »

As have i. However, i was generalising. Invariably they ignore.
Mike Butler refused point blank to suspend TCP even with clear evidence. Mind you, he'll have a problem wriggling out of the evidence against them this time.

You probably speaking to the wrong person, Mike deals with specific things regarding these companies I gather, try sending it to the other addresses instead. Also I don't think it's just him making the decisions others are involved for the final say.