Help have debt recovery notice didn't realise things had changed

saver35

Help, beginning to panic. Didn't realise that things had changed and ignored the first letter from Smart parking. I have now received a debt recovery plus letter.

I wasn't driving, it was my husband who parked (although I did drive the car out of the car park). I was with him and we have a ticket that we purchased at the end of our stay. For some reason there were no pay and display notices and we thought it was pay as you leave. I have the ticket we bought at the time and the original letter they sent, but not the one stuck to the windscreen (there was one, but I can no longer find it.). I stupidly did not take photos of the notices in the car park at the time, although I could probably go back and do so fairly easily.

I gather from reading things that I should have appealed the original letter. Not sure whether I am too late now. Most of the threads I am following seem to relate to Parking eye or ones that didn't get the ticket on the window. Neither of which apply in this case.

My questions are what do I do now?

1. pay up?
2. phone or email debtrecoveryplus and explain?
3. respond to the initial letter from smart parking?

If I do appeal to either Debt Recovery or to SMART parking as above do I say we paid and send a copy of the ticket paid or just say it wasn't me driving?

Or is it all too late and I should pay?

I would be grateful for any advice.

Redx

I would read through the "lovenorfolk" thread I have just been posting in for help and advice about this, as yours is similar

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/4833470

also I would reply with the date of the contravention, the first NTK date and any other subsequent dates of letters etc

also indicate if this was in england or wales

Coupon-mad

Just search the forum for a keyword, 'Recovery'. That's the word you would pick out from 'Debt Recovery Plus' and search the forum for.

Sorry but I am now soooo bored with these 'I didn't realise... and I got a DRP letter' threads when we seem to get them every other day.

I know your case is new and you are a newbie, but simply searching a forum for the most unusual keyword in the company you are asking about would be a great idea and you'd find MUCH more than just the Lovenorfolk thread from today.

saver35

Thank you, I realise it must be a pain, but knowing what is the best search word will help tremendously.

Coupon-mad

Just put it in the 'search this forum' heading immediately above the sticky threads, to the right of 'forum tools'. And for best results, I always change the default search to 'show posts' instead of 'show threads'.

You will be amazed how common this is but my sticky thread 'NEWBIES, READ THIS FIRST' does attempt to show you links to your options even at your stage.

In fact I have just noticed you weren't driving which is marvellous because one of the options is to rewind the clock by naming the driver (if there was never any windscreen PCN and all PCNs/letters went to the keeper only). In that case it means the driver is NOT too late to be sent a new notice and to appeal and win at POPLA!!!

Search the forum for 'rewind' as a keyword!

saver35

Sadly there was a windscreen pcn, I just can't find it now and we ignored it at the time. Just been looking through the various debt recovery plus stuff and still can't find anything helpful. The newbies thread is great, but it does seem to assume that you haven't ignored either the windscreen notice or the first letter "notice to owner" unless I've missed it.

I could really do without this having just returned from my mother's funeral. I'm inclined to pay the £130 (even though I already paid £1) to avoid more stress although it is against my principles.

Am I too late to appeal?

Coupon-mad

The newbies thread is great, but it does seem to assume that you haven't ignored either the windscreen notice or the first letter "notice to owner"
unless I've missed it.

Firstly I am so sorry about your Mum. I have also suffered a close bereavement this year and have no birth family now (and I'm not ancient either!).

You have read the stuff about DC - debt collectors on there and the links given to show your options?

You do seem to have missed the info about comparing your Notice to Owner to the POFA 2012 wording, and sending a complaint to the BPA about any non-compliance. If you had read other Smart Parking threads recently where a NTO followed a windscreen ticket your would find in fact that their NTO is indeed flawed. It doesn't state the contraventon does it?!! You can complain to the BPA as registered keeper but give yourself the weekend to relax first.

And you are never too late to appeal with receipts and complain to Asda or whever it was there. I have just added two cases today about Smart Parking PCNs being cancelled after an assertive complaint to Asda:

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

Click on the 'Successful complaints about PPCs' and read the dozen or so recent cancelled SmartParking tickets, all linked for you to read in post #2.

Stress of a Smart fake PCN?! Don't make me laugh. They are useless. Keep your money in your pocket and treat yourself.