parking ticket - debt recovery stage

bubblessoph

hello,

I've seen a lot of success stories on here and really hope you can help me.

I received an e-mail through my head office at work saying that I owe £149.00 because I was parked without displaying a valid parking permit. This came from parking collection services on behalf of park direct uk limited. Now they said this was back in June and yet it's October when I first know anything about it. I have said I'll happily pay the original fee because they sent photo evidence but I have refused to pay them £149. Surely they should send confirmation in the post otherwise any passer by can remove a ticket from your car windscreen thinking it's a funny prank!

So they said I had my chance to pay the reduced amount so now the fee is £149.

What's frustrating is that there were no road markings. There was a sign on the wall but I was doing a viewing on one of the apartments as an estate agent and the clients who I was with also know nothing about a ticket which also proves neither of us had one when we returned to our cars.

Now I have Debt recovery company now chasing me. Debt recovery plus limited.

I spoke to citizens advice and they said to send them a cheque for £60 as my final offer. If they reject it then to appeal through popla.

What do you think?

Thank you

Coupon-mad

PCS are the same firm as DRP.

''I spoke to citizens advice and they said to send them a cheque for £60 as my final offer. If they reject it then to appeal through popla.''

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!! Complain about that advice!!!!!!! Jeez!!!! They haven't a clue about POPLA do they?

Please read the ''NEWBIES read this first'' thread at the top of this forum first, look at the appeals information and the debt collector info. Consider when the PCS letter was received, was it less than 28 days ago? The PCS letter was your chance to appeal so when was that received? Are the letters still coming to the workplace?

Umkomaas

I'd take a guess that, at the moment, this is beyond the PPC's time limit for appeal (albeit an arguable point).

I presume this a company car? With your company being the Registered Keeper?

Whilst this seems to have been a Notice to Driver (windscreen ticket, even though it wasn't there for you to pick up), I think I'd take a chance on your company replying and naming you as 'the driver'. I'm not convinced that all PPCs are bright enough to spot the fine-line difference between appeals' procedures for keepers and and those for drivers.

All you need is for the PPC to accept your company's nomination of you as 'the driver' and we've reset the clock and we're up and running for a soft appeal and POPLA code.

Worth a try, CM?

Coupon-mad

Well I suspect Park Direct will allege there was a windscreen ticket for this 'contravention' and I doubt they will allow the driver to appeal this late. That's the only problem.

If anything I think 'the keeper' should appeal to that PCS letter immediately, but I am wondering if it's still within 28 days? The OP can write as 'the keeper' by way of challenge to that letter.

Also I am wondering if it was a NTO or an NTK from PCS? Any mention of POFA2012 and registered keeper liability? Plenty of scope for complaint to the BPA/DVLA if so.

Guys_Dad

To prevent someone at your company panicking and paying them, I would give some serious consideration to writing to the PPC and DRP, copying your company in as well, saying that you were the keeper at the time and have only just been informed.

It would be better if your company could be persuaded to do this, but if not, then you can do it.

I know this puts you in the frame, but it could reset the POPLA appeal clock and it does smooth things over with your company.

Coupon-mad

Yep, the PCS letter is the only thing that can be construed as a NTK but I would like to know the date of it and whether it's a NTK or a NTO (one version - NTK I think - used by PCS, mentions POFA2012 and registered keeper liability, and the other version does not).

The OP should show it to us or at least tell us the date of it, the title of it and whether it mentions POFA 2012 & registered keeper liability or not.

bubblessoph

The first letter I received from PCS was on the 21st October. Notice to owner. I went back and fourth with them via e-mail before it went on to debt recovery. My last e-mail with PCS before it was passed on was 27th November. Does this mean it's too late to appeal through popla?

Coupon-mad

Did they never include a POPLA code when they rejected your appeal to that 'NTO'?

If not then they have failed to comply, not you, and so you will have to report the AOS member (the PPC who issued the ticket, not PCS) to the BPA and DVLA. This situation is already mentioned in two sticky threads, with email addies for the DVLA and BPA. Read the 'NEWBIES read this first' thread right down to the bottom, and read post #3 in the 'Successful complaints about PPCs' sticky thread. You need to get this complaint investigated, to dig out a POPLA code by hook or by crook - the POPLA code is what you want, as long as you follow forum advice when you do that stage appeal.

bubblessoph

thanks, theres no popla code on the first notice to owner letter or any of the e-mails which followed. Will have a read through this thread you've mentioned now

bubblessoph

Ive just had a read through and came across this

As long as you or a family member is the registered keeper, WAIT!!! Only send an appeal or challenge when the PPC send you the postal 'Notice to Keeper' (NTK) or 'reminder to keeper' or Parking Charge' or 'charge notice' or whatever they call their first letter. It has to arrive by day 15 if there was no windscreen ticket, and between day 29 and day 56 if there was a windscreen ticket (so you have a to wait a while and have time to read a few threads on the forum!).

They took way over 56 days to write to me. Is there anything I can do here?

Coupon-mad

bubblessoph wrote: »

They took way over 56 days to write to me. Is there anything I can do here?

Well it means that they haven't bothered to establish any keeper liability - so as keeper you are not legally liable! I did already say as much in my post yesterday about whether it was a NTK or an NTO from PCS (one is a POFA 2012 version and one is not).

Make sure at all times, including in the complaint to the BPA/DVLA, that you write purely as the registered keeper, about the letters you received (not about the parking incident, signs, windscreen ticket or driver).