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Debt Recovery Plus

Sorry for yet another posting about DR + but I received a PCN over a year ago for parking on a private car park and overstaying by 13 minutes. As the parking fee was £1 per hour I felt that the £60 parking charge by Athens Security Services /AAS Parking was exorbitant. I wrote and told them this and that I didn't intend to pay. I have had several letters from them since then, some increasing the parking "fine" to £160 then another offering to reduce it to £80. I have ignored these subsequent letters. I have heard nothing from them since before Christmas last year but on return from holiday at the beginning of May I received a letter from Small Claims Solicitors saying that unless I now pay £149.99 in the next 14 days their client (Athens Security/AAS Parking) may issue legal proceedings and obtain a County Court Judgement for the sums owed plus legal costs.


As I failed to open a POPLA dispute with the company last year is it likely that I am going to have to pay this "fine"?


Many thanks for your help.

Comments

  • Coupon-mad
    Coupon-mad Posts: 152,788 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    SUNNYJIM wrote: »
    is it likely that I am going to have to pay this "fine"?


    Nope - highly unlikely:

    http://forums.pepipoo.com/index.php?showtopic=87052


    HTH
    PRIVATE 'PCN'? DON'T PAY BUT DON'T IGNORE IT (except N.Ireland).
    CLICK at the top or bottom of any page where it says:
    Home»Motoring»Parking Tickets Fines & Parking - read the NEWBIES THREAD
  • Umkomaas
    Umkomaas Posts: 43,433 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    First off, this is no fine, private companies cannot issue fines. It is just a speculative invoice and has no statutory underpinning.

    You are so far down the road of 'ignore' (unfortunately you could have so easily got rid of it from your life via POPLA) that there's little else you can do (although see following paragraph) than to carry on ignoring and hope it all fizzles out. If you get a letter from the PPC, or their solicitors, headed Letter Before Action, or similar, come back.

    The other possibility is if the driver was anyone other than the RK - if so, come back for further advice.

    To get shot of the debt collectors you can send a 'cease and desist' letter, telling them the debt is denied and for them to refer it back to their client; any further letters from them will be deemed as harassment and you will take legal action, as required, to force them to stop continued contact.

    HTH.
    Please note, we are not a legal advice forum. I personally don't get involved in critiquing court case Defences/Witness Statements, so unable to help on that front. Please don't ask. .

    I provide only my personal opinion, it is not a legal opinion, it is simply a personal one. I am not a lawyer.

    Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day; show him how to catch fish, and you feed him for a lifetime.

    Private Parking Firms - Killing the High Street
  • Thank you Umkommas for your response. You did say to come back if the driver was anyone other than the RK. Well the RK is my husband (the letters have all been addressed to him apart from initial emails to myself) and I was the driver. How does this change things. I haven't informed them that I am not the RK.
  • Redx
    Redx Posts: 38,084 Forumite
    Eighth Anniversary 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    all explained in the NEWBIES sticky thread at the top of this forum
This discussion has been closed.
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