Parking notice passed to Debt Recovery Lt to Collections Company/sheriff officers

Gym_Addict

Got parking notice for Scottish hospital in March 2013. Advice was to ignore this. 3 letters from Debt Recovery Plus (April, May and June) Again ignored.

Now in receipt of letter from company called BPO collections near Glasgow. This advised intention to pass the matter to Walker Love (Messenger at arms and Sheriff officers). Implied threat of freezing wages or bank account

Advice please: Continue to ignore as parking notices not enforceable by private companies?
How can they get my bank/wage details?

Wife wants me to pay but I say no. So she says she'll pay it. Original notice for £40. Now at £64.21 (how'd they come up with that figure?)

Appreciate comment

Gym_Addict

Had some advise which suggested writing to the collecitons company denying any debt to Debt Plus and advising them if they believe there is a debt to issues court proceedings within 14 days or stop contacting me as this is viewed as harassment.

SO ignore or write?

Kite2010

Ah Scotland, the land free of POPLA and "keeper-liability".

Ignore it unless they can be bothered to issue court papers.

HO87

The choice is somewhat stark:

Ignore: Put up with increasingly shrill demands for your money.
Write: Maybe they'll stop.

Debt collectors - whether they are also messengers at arms/sheriffs officers - have no more right or powers to pursue debts that you or I. Of course they do not want you to know that and dress their letters up in legalese to convince their readers that they do have powers. Ultimately, all they can do is ask. Unless and until a decree is obtained at the Sheriff Court in respect of the debt then the rest does not come into play.

Court proceedings in respect of private parking tickets have been very few and far between north of the border and keep in mind that Schedule 4, Protection of Freedoms Act 2012 does not apply and so the private parking company will need to know who the driver was at the time to be able to issue proceedings - assuming that you haven't told them!

If you can bear the letters - understanding that they are designed to get you to pay up - ignoring it all would be my choice. You can choose which ever you please.

Gym_Addict

I haven't contacted any of the companies. your reassurance is appreciated as when they start mentioning sheriff's officers, freezing wages etc it can be intimidating.

Thanks

albaredz

Hi mate, just like you I'm based in Scotland and got a nuisance PPC that we're outright ignoring.

We have it easy up here. As already mentioned, POFA does not apply to us, so the PPCs -have- to charge the driver on the day and can't touch the registered keeper. The debt collector letters and so on are all huff and puff, as are threats of "possible" court letters and so on. In reality the PPC has a major headache with Scottish cases and will simply not bother following through. Only in the 0.1 percent chance of getting genuine sheriff court papers do you need to take action.

To put you even more at ease: there's a greater chance of Hibs winning the Scottish Cup than a PPC taking a Scottish case to court. :P

Gym_Addict

Thanks albaredz. Will continue to ignore unless court papers come through and if the worst comes to the worst and I have to pay, I'll be writing cheques for amounts like 1p.

Thanks

Computersaysno

Write telling them their letters are 'causing you concern and frightening you and could they please stop' [but don't admit anything about the parking].

Then if they send any more letters, issue court papers yourself and they will end up paying YOU for harassment.[About £500-£100].

Coupon-mad

Gym_Addict wrote: »

I haven't contacted any of the companies. your reassurance is appreciated as when they start mentioning sheriff's officers, freezing wages etc it can be intimidating.

Thanks

And what happened when you complained to the Hospital Management about this intimidation? No joke, whether it's a retailer or a hospital or whoever, ALWAYS complain to whoever contracts this scum of an industry:

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/62837690#Comment_62837690

No doubt you were at an appointment or you were a visitor. COMPLAIN about this harassment by their agent under those circumstances and remind the Hospital that in Scotland, hospital car parks are free (aren't they?).

HO87

Coupon-mad wrote: »

And what happened when you complained to the Hospital Management about this intimidation? No joke, whether it's a retailer or a hospital or whoever, ALWAYS complain to whoever contracts this scum of an industry:

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/62837690#Comment_62837690

No doubt you were at an appointment or you were a visitor. COMPLAIN about this harassment by their agent under those circumstances and remind the Hospital that in Scotland, hospital car parks are free (aren't they?).

Not at Ninewells in Dundee they're not. There may be others.

Buzby

AIUI Scotland has only 3 hospitals left that still charge (they are currently serving out their legally binding 5-year arrangements, and are in notice they will not be renewed) and are usually multi-storeys.

What was the reason for the ticket? Notwithstanding the argument about PPC enforcement there are still many cases of inappropriate parking that the NHS Trusts still need to address - if you were morally in the wrong, then there is little point complaining. However if the ticket was the result of sharp practice, by all means highlight this and bring it to the their attention.