UKPC fine - Dundee, Scotland

Coupon-mad

tsugi wrote: »

I know - it's fairly pathetic. TBH - I doubt whether the names on the list are even real.

But it's good fun, and I thought it might help others if I chart the course of the adventure letter by letter.

Did you read the Dundee Courier?

http://forums.pepipoo.com/index.php?showtopic=88446

HO87

I haven't recommended this for quite sometime but we found years ago that shredded debt collection letters (together with letters from TV Licensing and assorted banks and credit cards - they weren't chasing us, btw, but a previous occupant) made fine bedding for the HO87-lets hamsters. The best use to which such letters could ever have been put. They were surprisingly absorbent and I often congratulated one debt collector on their choice of stationery. I also advised them that were they to write more frequently I would have been happy to tear the letters into squares and hang them on a nail in the smallest room. Like my dear old Dad used to say "Daily Mirror? There's a fine paper to wipe your ar*e with". Yes, and debt collectors letters are just as good.

tsugi

Nice courier article - ta. A lot of folk doing the "Never ignore these things." But they seem ill-informed. Anyhoo - Part the Third:

"Reduced payment offer to avoid court proceedings....
.... we referred your case to the creditor with the recommendation that [sic] they appoint their solicitor to commence court proceedings against you.

"In order to comply with all aspects of 'pre-action protocol' and to demonstrate to the courts their attempts to settle this matter before the need for court proceedings, our client is prepared to accept a reduced payment of..."

And the rest is as before.

Hey ho again. I'm fairly sure they read these threads, so...

Even ignoring the unenforceable nature of your nonsense in Scotland - WHY DIDN'T YOU PHOTOGRAPH THE SIDE WINDOWS??

:-)

Coupon-mad

And did you see/hear this?

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/4921235

Word is getting out in Scotland, about this whole scam.

Shivermetimbers_2

Tsugi,

Thanks for the information, I'm at the Debt Recovery letter stage. At least I now know what to expect through the letter box, and to firmly ignore.

tsugi

No worries, Shivermetimbers.

Previously, on Game of Drones...

Car parked by driver (not me) - displayed ticket on passenger window. Lacklustre/!!!!less/incompetent (delete where applicable) "parking attendant" photographs windscreen six times, fails to see ticket; issues "parking fine" (mwah ha ha ha).
Ignored.
Letters.
Ignored.
Reduced payment offer.
Ignored.
And now, the continuation...

Debt Recovery Plus having apparently made a G4S of it, we can now welcome (drumroll) ZENITH COLLECTIONS.
I'm assuming they are a stab at a debt collection company, and not a seasonal clothing fashion design team.

"Without prejudice

We write regarding an outstanding amount relating to A parking charge issue on… on behalf of UK parking control Limited

Details of the parking charge are shown below. The current amount outstanding is £160. Please accept this letter as official notification that Zenith collections are now responsible for the recovery of this debt. As for the date of this letter all communication and payments in respect of any amounts outstanding regarding to this charge should be made to ourselves.

It is our intention to collect this debt and pursue it to a legal conclusion if necessary.

However, as debt recovery has been transferred to Zenith collections at a discounted rate, we are prepared to accept a reduced settlement figure of £80 to avoid a possible necessity and expense of legal action.

Please note that this will be our only offer of payment at a discounted rate and that payment must be made within 14 days of the date of this letter. If we do not receive payment or contact from yourselves within this period then your account will revert to the full amount due.

We would urge you to act now to take advantage of our discounted settlement offer of £80.

etc..."

bod1467

Have you had the letter with RED BLOCK CAPITALS yet?

tsugi

I have!! It was the first one I mentioned in the thread! Very pretty.

tsugi

And now....

"Without prejudice

We note that despite our offer of a reduced payment of £80 to settle this account, payment regarding this matter has not been received. I am therefore writing to inform you that if payment of this amount is not received within the next seven days then we will be withdrawing our reduced payment offer and the outstanding balance will revert to the previously due amount of £160.

Please be aware that if payment is not received this matter will be passed to our legal department with the recommendation that legal proceedings are commenced to recover this amount.

We would urge you to act now to take advantage of our discounted settlement offer of £80

You should note that if the case reaches court and County Court judgment is obtained the amount outstanding will increase approximately as follows:

£30 court fee to issue CCJ
£50 solicitor's costs on claim
£22 solicitors costs on entry of judgement

If at County Court judgement is issued it may seriously affect your ability to obtain credit such as mortgages, credit cards, bank loans etc in the future"

This all from James Wilkins - the Litigation Manager. I think he's managing very well.

I'm trying very hard to help them, but weirdly, I can't find a reference to County Court, or to a CCJ in Scots Law anywhere. Weird, eh?

Also - isn't the bit about CCJs etc a lie even in England, as far as private parking invoices are concerned? I don't know, but I'd read that that wee section is a big fat porky.

Hey ho!

da_rule

It's such a load of rubbish it's unbelievable. Firstly, they will only get a CCJ if they file a paperwork with the County Court in England/Wales and no defence is received or the defendant losses the case and then doesn't pay up.

As you say, in Scotland there are no CCJ's, they are known as Decrees. Also, there is no County Court, it is the Sheriffs Court.