VCS private parking fine, please help!!

Lydiac

Hi everyone!

I recently got a parking fine from Vehicle Control Services a private company, and googled it and lots of support came up from this website!

Just wanted to know whether anyone had taken this further and won or not paid or been made to pay?

Basically, my college is on a large site with other offices on it, Whitehall Quay Leeds, and does have a notice stating that it is private parking. However, it does authorise loading and unloading. I was taking back some books to the library and was gone for 20 mins, and when I came back had a ticket £60. The ticket states that the car was observed for 30 mins, but could not have been. The ticket was also in a horrendous state as it had been written in ink and left on a wet windscreen and barely legible!

I emailed to complain, (which I realise I maybe should not have done) but stated that I was unloading my vehicle for 20 mins. They wrote back and dismissed the appeal saying that under private land I don't have 20 mins to unload the vehicle, and that as I entered private land I breached the terms and conditions because I parked without a permit. The fine is now £100.

I read recently about a case that was taken to court by VCS and this stated that VCS did not own the land and therefore could not pursue an individual for damages of the land that was not owned by them. Is this correct?? I know that these are private tickets so the law is different but I'm not sure if they can pursue me for breaking the contract, as there was no consideration etc that is required for a valid contract in law etc??

Do I have any rights? I am worried also as it is my partner's car and so she is the registered keeper. Will they go after her if I don't pay?

Just like people's thoughts and to see if anyone has taken these guys to court/won/if they went away if you wrote back??

Please help!!!!!! x

Stroma

You have done some good research and you are right about the legality of parking, hmrc v vcs is binding on lower courts so this won't see the light of the small claims anytime soon. Just ignore them.

pogofish

Many people have taken it further to the rapid end of the scam by ignoring them altogether - just look at the number of threads in here on VCS! The court case you mention is discussed on a great many of the more recent ones.

And private companies cannot "fine" anyone, so you now need to stop taking them seriously and IGNORE them altogether. Now you have made the mistake of taking them seriously by emailing them, VCS cannot start pursuing your partner instead, so don't worry - They will be acting even more illegally if they do!

Lydiac

Thanks guys,

I had read to ignore completely, but something about them being able to pursue the owner rather than the driver if they didnt know who was driving. Now they know it is me I guess that they will just pursue me. I work in a solicitors (not a solicitor though!) and the partner said I should write to them and just state my rights that they do not own or control the land so cannot enforce damages on behalf of someone else, and also that I could not have entered into a legally binding contract with either them or the owners as no consideration, offer and acceptance etc.. and that I should say to them that any further letters and I will sue them for harassment?

I am also worried as I will be moving house soon, so if they do keep sending letters/if it gets to court and legal proceedings are issued then how would I have notice of this??

I am happy to go all the way to court etc but am not sure what that would mean, would it be small claims or not? And could I get a CCJ against me? As I can't afford to do that cause wouldn't be able to have a legal career if it was on record,

Stroma

It's a fair answer from a solicitor to be honest, but you could have ignored it from the start, shame he didn't advise that first. If it went to the small claims they would have to win the case, you refuse to pay normally within 28 days, that is so not going to happen.

Coupon-mad

Lydiac wrote: »

Thanks guys,

I had read to ignore completely, but something about them being able to pursue the owner rather than the driver if they didnt know who was driving. Now they know it is me I guess that they will just pursue me. I work in a solicitors (not a solicitor though!) and the partner said I should write to them and just state my rights that they do not own or control the land so cannot enforce damages on behalf of someone else, and also that I could not have entered into a legally binding contract with either them or the owners as no consideration, offer and acceptance etc.. and that I should say to them that any further letters and I will sue them for harassment?

I am also worried as I will be moving house soon, so if they do keep sending letters/if it gets to court and legal proceedings are issued then how would I have notice of this??

I am happy to go all the way to court etc but am not sure what that would mean, would it be small claims or not? And could I get a CCJ against me? As I can't afford to do that cause wouldn't be able to have a legal career if it was on record,

Like anyone else who moves house, you'd be well advised to set up with the PO to forward your post for say, 6 months, that's what I have done in the past. Also means you won't miss any bills or proper demands for money!

Read these threads and calm down:

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/4360185

http://forums.pepipoo.com/index.php?showtopic=24362

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/2329119

It really is a simple matter of ignoring some junk mail. We wouldn't tell you to do anything we have not done ourselves, I have ignored 2 fake PCNs and laughed each time I saw the pathetic piece of yellow rubbish flapping on my car windscreen! Would very, very happily collect more such junk to cost the scammers money in wasted postage. There is more chance of winning the lottery at the weekend than ever being taken to a small claim court by a PPC (and you'd win if you defended it, if yours was that ultra-rare needle in a haystack case that a PPC tried to make a claim for).


HTH

Lydiac

So should I ignore from now on or should I write back once and state my reasons and the law etc and then say that I will take to police for harassment if goes on for much longer?

Just not sure what best option is? Especially with moving house...

Has everyone on here done this then? How does everyone have so much knowledge?!! Wish I did!

Lydiac

How long do they keep pursuing you for? I mean is it not worth stating you will defend to court? As surely that will cost them more money than the £100 fine it is worth?

Not that I think it makes a difference, but they also have no pictures, (that I know of) of the contravention, and like I said the actual ticket itself was a mess when it was left!

Just worried as I'm a student and cant afford to pay for the fine if it gets that far really! I was always of the opinion that the threat of legal proceedings would stop people, but apparently not with these creatures?!

thanks so much for all of your helpful comments so far! I have just never done this before so am worried but to be fair I really dont want to give these scam artists any money!!! cheers everyone! alll comments welcome and definately help to know that lots of people are doing the same!!

pie_face_2

I'm still waiting for my court proceedings from these people, they gave me something like 15 days to pay before they started. That was last summer though, and Roxhurghe/Graham White have also said the same. And I'm still waiting, I'm literally going grey with the waiting!!!

I know a couple of Sheffield folk who ignored them years ago, not paid a penny.

You'll get a bunch of letters, from VCS/Graham White/Roxburghe, all threatograms mentioning courts/bailiffs/CCJ's. Months worth of letters. Ignore all of them, there's an incredibly small chance of going to court. But statistically you should be more worried about crossing the road.

The only letter you shouldn't ignore would be court papers, in this incredibly unlikely event. Check with the court the authenticity of the papers then come back here or Pepipoo for advice. Or you could bring home made cake into work and get advice from them.

Guys_Dad

Lydiac wrote: »

How long do they keep pursuing you for? alll comments welcome and definately help to know that lots of people are doing the same!!

Here's my comment and please don't take it the wrong way.

You have read lots of threads on here- if you haven't please do it now and save coupon-mad's sanity.

You will have seen the advice. Now ask yourself, "Why is my case different?".

If it is, spell it out.

If it isn't then what more can anyone say to add to your thread?

Either go down the ignore route, and expect more letters, fake solicitors and debt collectors - many threads indicate how many you will get, of go down the appeal route, lose appeal, then either get a POPA appeal in play that will cost them money and you time and, at the end of that, ignore if you lose.

Now, relax and don't worry unless you are the grain of sand on the beach they decide to follow through. AT that point, come back and we will help.

pie_face_2

I mean is it not worth stating you will defend to court?

As far as I can tell, the letters are automated. You can tell them, but I doubt it will change anything. I have read online of people telling in no uncertain terms they'll go to court, only for the letters to keep popping through the door.

If anything, corresponding with them just alerts them that you might be worried.

Time frames I've seen for letter chains are 3-9 months, but that is just what I've seen and nothing more. I think mine was about 7-8 months, might get more yet tho!