4 CMSUK parking tickets- please help!

Junior_Doctor

Hello all,

I am a junior doctor living and working in hospital accommodation (my application for mortgage has turned into a nightmare, but thats a whole other story).

I recently started a new job and have had to move in hospital, which itself is a miserable experience and at £412 a month is hardly cheap. I'm currently unbanded, which means i am on basic salary. When I moved into the hospital, I was given a parking permit, which i forgot to display on the first day. parking ticket- £100.

I was told to appeal, which i did. it failed. then the IPC also failed.

I have 2 cars at the moment, and transferring my parking tickets every time i change cars has been something I have forgotten to do, starting the new job and being in semi- autopilot. I've ended up with a further 3 tickets, all from the same operative. the monthly parking permit is £25 to put this in perspective.

The last 2 times I got a ticket, the permit was clearly displayed and valid.

I appealed all 3 of them, using a fake address, as I don't want this company having my actual address. they have rejected them all saying I must provide my actual address.

Essentially, I have appealed to the housing association who run the hospital accommodation and they have told me to just put up and pay the fines and will not intervene. others are in the same boat and have been bullied into paying. i offered to retrospectively pay for single days permits on the dates that I have tickets and was accused of fraud by the HA.

I know not having a displayed permit is grounds for a legitimate parking ticket, but I have owned a permit at all times I have ended up with a ticket. the parking attendant from CMSUK that i spoke to said that the tickets should be cancelled as I have brought a ticket and a phone call should have been enough to sort this out.

I know that humanity and compassion are something of a rarity these days, but £400 for a human error, when I have had brought for permits for the month when these were issued, is surely extortion. if someone could help me I would be eternally grateful.

Coupon-mad

I was told to appeal, which i did. it failed. then the IPC also failed.

So you are simply in ignore mode, like people ALWAYS did quite happily, for years before there existed a so-called 'independent appeal' (hmmmm IAS isn't considered by some regulars here, to fit that description). But you could try the new tactic I have suggested here and - if the parking event was since 13th June - just send a letter cancelling the alleged 'contract' (not the whole 'appeal', just a short cancellation letter as explained in a Schedule of the new Consumer Cancellation Rights regs I have linked). Such a letter with proof of posting, would do no harm and may well help later on:

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/5079146

and keep ALL the paperwork including saving any email 'evidence' they sent, for up to six years. If they try a small claim you will have all the evidence you need and we will help you to defend this one.

Is it this bunch:

http://www.comprehensivemanagementservices.co.uk/

or this bunch:

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/5038346

Neither are court experienced and we help people defend such drivel if court papers ever arrive.

Coupon-mad

I have 2 cars at the moment, and transferring my parking tickets every time i change cars has been something I have forgotten to do, starting the new job and being in semi- autopilot. I've ended up with a further 3 tickets, all from the same operative. the monthly parking permit is £25 to put this in perspective.

The last 2 times I got a ticket, the permit was clearly displayed and valid.

I appealed all 3 of them, using a fake address, as I don't want this company having my actual address. they have rejected them all saying I must provide my actual address.

Re these ones you need to keep the appeals live and then tell us when the PPC says you can appeal to the IAS. We will help.

Also you could send a cancellation letter about all four of them right now as part of your responses/appeals. Se the thread I linked and the new Consumer Regs which have an example 'model cancellation letter' in the Schedules at the bottom of the Govt link.

Expect the PPC to laugh at/be confused/ignore/deride this approach. Who cares?

As regards your address, if you have appealed as driver you are allowed to use any convenient address where you can be contacted.

Junior_Doctor

Hi, thanks so much for the reply! its the first one comprehensivemanagementservices.co.uk - I won't forget that website anytime soon!

Its really good to know that theres some nice people out there who will help each other

Junior_Doctor

the only thing that I am worried about is when I met with the manager of the housing group, she said that the permits that we buy must always be displayed and it is in our handbook that we received when we moved in. i have to be honest, I didn't read this until after the meeting we had yesterday. would this invalidate my chances?

I'm sorry if i sound scared, honestly, £400 is a lot of money for me- if I have to pay this, I can't afford to take my postgrad exam in March and I will end up a year back on training

The_Deep

When you say you used a fake address what do you mean? Is it a mickey mouse address, or one from which you can retrieve letters? If the latter than its use is perfectly legal.

As neither the PPC nor the hospital have suffered any loss as a result of your actions, they are most unlikely to take you to court, indeed, they would be foolish so to do, so ignoring is a valid option.

These invoices are a scam designed to con the sort of people who shop in Brighthouse and play on-line Bingo.

Junior_Doctor

That is really awful that they are allowed to do this. I mean I think my parents (bingo players!) would have probably just paid them because they even use council style notices!

It was a mickey mouse address, but I have just re-appealed to the tickets using this address.

if its valid for 6 years and I have moved so don't get their letters (I hope to god I leave this place sooner rather than later, because its horrid!!), what happens? do i inform them of any address changes?

Coupon-mad

You could do yes, update any new address later on (not admitting any liability for any 'debt') unless you can get these latest 3 quashed at IAS which is in my view right now, more of a lottery than court!

Have you admitted in every case who was driving?

When you 'just re-appealed using your real address' did you send the cancellation notices I mentioned as well? If not then send four copies/4 emails one for each PCN number, cancelling the 'contract' (using the Model Cancellation Notice in the Schedule of the law explained in the link). As explained above - it could well help a court defence and can't do any harm - and will confuse the PPC. It would be interesting to see their response to a cancellation notice for each PCN as I suspect they won't get it and may dig a hole or two for themselves about the validity of their own 'contracts'! Only really valid if the parking events were after 13th JUNE 2014.

Please stop thinking you have to pay these. Keep fighting, we will help. Even if a court claim is started in the end, it's defendable and doesn't involve very much more at stake than the current £400. And IMHO it is somehow 'easier' to write a defence for court, than an IAS appeal will be (but we will try that).

Junior_Doctor

I sent a the letter with all 4 PCNS at the top as in the template (all have been issued in the last 40 days)

with the appeals, i uploaded the valid parking permit that I have which has clearly written numberplates for both ''offending'' cars.

4consumerrights

The IPC and PPCs do monitor this forum.


I am one of the regulars who will quite categorically state that IMHO the only thing independent within the IPC is in its' name - and have challenged the IPC to prove otherwise. Todate they have failed to do so.


If you want a service address then contact PTAS - a compnay which I helped form. I am now a trustee of the BMPA.


Indeed you would get a lot of help for a court claim either paid for wise or via forum and BMPA.

Junior_Doctor

done thanks. do i bother appealing to the IPC when the parking company rejects the appeals? is the next step for the first 'ticket' waiting for the court papers?