PCN & letter from Gladstones Solicitors

Gingerninja_Mum

Hi All
have been reading through some of the threads re PCNs. My husband had a PCN from a hospital in Cardiff (he is an employee and has a staff parking permit), he was parked in an area which Vinci deemed to be for patients but the signage is poor. He had paid the correct staff parking rate although he has since cleaned out his car and thrown out the ticket. He was told to ignore the PCN by colleagues (something I was uncomfortable with) and he is now at the stage where he has had a letter from Gladstones advising that "their client may now take legal action in County Court".

Can I use the letter posted by zzzLazyDaisy in the post to mnkuton 19th Feb - is this appropriate in his case, just wan't them off our backs to be honest.

Thanks

ColliesCarer

Hi Gingerninja Mum,

Do you mean this one?

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/64748310#Comment_64748310

It would be best to post an image of the letter first so you can be advised whether it's a debt collection letter or a Letter Before County Court Claim - post it up on an image sharing site such as photobucket or tinypics and then post the link here.
As a newbie you will need leave off the http:// bit as you will not be able to post direct links
Make sure you blank out any personal/identifying information before uploading.

Also have you seen the LBCCC fightback link in crabman's sticky linked below

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/4896178

Your OH should also see if the Hospital can get Vinci to cancel this

Gingerninja_Mum

Thank you ColliesCarer, after checking the link you recommended it looks like the letter is a debt collection letter not an LBCC (technology not my best trait so wouldn't attempt to upload letter, goodness knows where I'd end up sending it!!).

I'll get him to write to the hospital about this as suggested, does anyone know who it would be at University Hospital of Wales?

In the meantime what would be my best course of action in response to the Solicitor?

Thanks again

ColliesCarer

If you're certain this is a debt collection letter then sending the zzzLazyDaisy letter you referred to, to Gladstones will be fine as the one to Mknut was a debt collector letter too - the final wording after a couple of typos corrected is in post #21 of the thread

also check this paragraph

'In the meantime, and in the absence of a compliant Letter Before Claim, you should place a note on your file to the effect that this charge is disputed and your firm is required to cease and desist all further contact with me. For the avoidance of doubt, the same applies to the debt collection agency, referred to in your letter.'

and modify if no other debt collectors were mentioned in your letter by taking out the last sentence beginning 'For the avoidance of doubt ....'

Replace references to abbreviations/acronyms with the full text e.g. ADR to Alternate Dispute Resolution procedure

Also send the template 1st appeal in the NEWBIES thread to Vinci - they probably won't accept and give you a POPLA code but it can help later to show that you tried to resolve matters and they turned you down - thus failing to try to mitigate their loss. if posting anything take to post office and get free Cert. of posting

Try using the Search the Forum function using 'Vinci Cardiff' as the search terms to see if you can find others who have dealt with the same hospital.

ColliesCarer

Found some information that may be of use to you - it seems the trust manage their own parking with the exception of UHW who have the contract with Vinci, however, there is a trust car parking office, so they will probably know who you should send a complaint to at UHW regarding staff getting parking tickets


Trust Car Parking Administrator, Monday to Friday between 09:30 - 12:00 and 12:30 – 15:00 via:

Telephone Number 029 2071 6714
E-mail - trustcarparkingoffice@cardiffandvale.wales.nhs.uk

Don't let them fob you off by saying you need to contact Vinci though - insist on being given a contact at the hospital who is responsible for managing the contract with Vinci.