Advice please over 1 year down the line.

minniemoo

Over a year ago I had a parking ticket from NCP in a railway station. I had paid but put the wrong part of the ticket on the window.This was just around the time where there was a lot of confusion and although I initially appealed to them (refused of course), I did not go down the POPLA route. I certainly would have if it had been a few weeks down the line as the advice then was to make sure to put in a POPLA appeal.
In any case, the series of letters came and went but this morning I got a letter from 'SMALL CLAIMS SOLICITORS' telling me to pay or QUOTE 'Unless our client receives full payment from you within the next 14 days, we shall advise them to issue legal proceedings against you' blah, blah.
Looking further I find this
http://www.thesmallclaimsservice.co.uk/about

but the letter tells me to contact Debt Recovery Plus first. Of course there is no real signature on the letter. I just need to make sure that I should send them the letter contained in Daisy's post (ie: the second letter).

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/4814108

It has been a pretty tough road for me as the journey that day was the first after chemo, but of course the fact that I paid and told them this didn't matter a jot.(I know that now)
I just need to know that I am doing the correct thing even at this stage. Thanks for your help.

The_Slithy_Tove

Are they real solicitors? Who do they claim to be their client?
Probably just another threat, it doesn't seem to be a Letter Before Claim.

minniemoo

They do seem to exist.They say that they are acting for NCP and say that 'at this stage do not contact them but Debt Recovery Plus' Have a look at the first link if you don't mind. What do you think?

Hot_Bring

I agree with S.Tove - it appears a threat.

If it were a true letter before claim they wouldn't be asking you to contact a set of toothless debt collectors.

minniemoo

Thanks to you both. My only question is then, do I leave well alone or at this stage follow the advice set out in Daisy's post?

Hot_Bring

If it were me, I'd leave it until a real LBC appears.

You mention not going to POPLA but did NCP provide you a POPLA code when they rejected your appeal ?

minniemoo

They did provide a POPLA code and I read the forums avidly. I made an appeal directly to NCP (this was Dec2012/2013) before the advice was to definitely then proceed to POPLA. I suppose I did it out of naivety really as I was so ill and was appealing to their better nature - didn't know how personal circumstances were irrelevant and that they don't give a damn. I didn't proceed to POPLA as barely anyone was then. A further question - have NCP been doing court cases recently, or are they still smarting after their big thumping in court?

Hot_Bring

Fine - if NCP issued the code then they aren't relying on Railway Bylaws and so you should be safe to ignore unless you get a real LBC.

Coupon-mad

Can you show us this letter as a broken link? Remove the http.

Of course there is no real signature on the letter.

Could be a real solicitor's letter as they never have a person's signature.

minniemoo

I'm not very techy but the link to my photobucket account identifies me. CM, I have sent it to you in a PM. Thanks to everyone for your help.

panzza

I too have received one of these letters almost exactly one year later. Any advice/information greatly appreciated.