Small claims notice from private parking company (UKPC) - please help!

request

Hi, I would be grateful for some advice. Just got a letter from SMALL CLAIMS SOLICITORS, 24 Martin Lane London EC4R - about UKPC claiming for my non payment of parking tickets.

(We had a dispute with our freeholders who introduced UKPC a couple of years ago. We feel they are not legally allowed to charge us for parking as we have gained an easement to park there, as residents of our block have done for many years.)

Anyway from all I have read on these forums, everyone says the private parking companies never take people to court. So I am a bit worried - any advice please? Gratefully received

pvt

You aren't being taken to court - You just have a letter from a company called Small Claims Solicitors, who have chosen that name deliberately to make you think the letter they have sent you is a claim via the small claims process.


Suggest you look on the sub-board "Parking Tickets, Fines & Parking" and follow the advice provided in the sticky thread for Newbies at the very top.

londonTiger

cheeky barstewards.

request

OK, I have read up on the forums about this. I am really worried.
We have each got a Letter Before Claim and between us we are being chased for about £1000.

This whole dispute started back in 2011 when there was no such thing as POPLA etc. – I have only just found out about them. So in accordance with all the advice I read back then, I have just ignored all tickets and letters (we have been getting loads of them). And now these Letters Before Claim from Small Claims Solicitors, acting on behalf of Debt Recovery Plus and UKPC.

The tickets have all been given for us parking outside our flats, where the freeholder has brought in UKPC. We challenged our freeholder at the time – our lease says we must not park there, but residents have been parking for over 50 years with no objection from the freeholders, so we maintain we have an easement.
And the planning permission granted for the installation of lockable posts on the parking spaces, makes it clear that the freeholders are not allowed to rent the parking spaces to members of the public – so I feel this means that they cannot claim we are causing them any damage by parking there. (None of the residents pay them so the bays are always empty.)

All the advice on the forums seems to be for people who have gone through the process of appealing to the PPC, debt management company, POPLA etc. But as I say, I have not done any of that.

What do people reckon we should do?

(Another consideration – I hear that county court judgements can mean your credit rating is damaged and mortgages can be denied – does anyone know how long this applies for?)

Really grateful for your help. Over £1000 at stake here – and probably more in the future, based on the amount of tickets/letters we have received.

request

PS Apologies - I am reposting on a new thread in the PPC section of the forum - I put this one here by mistake. Please reply here or at the new thread (I am not allowed to post a link being a newbie.)

Nodding_Donkey

Here's a link to your other thread https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/5014151

It will be best if any replies go there to save confusion

I've asked the board guide to merge the threads