Should I ignore my UKPC charge in Scotland due to recent court cases?

jwad

Hi

Please help! I am not sure whether to iginore my parking charge issued by UKPC for £100 on 29/09/14. Recently UKPC have taken drivers to court in Tayside for payment, here is the article (10/10/14):

Drivers warned of parking fines blitz
By Graeme Ogston, 10 October 2014 7.35am.

UKPC have started small claims cases against drivers who it says failed to display tickets at a Dundee retail park.
DC Thomson & Co. Ltd



A leading private parking company has launched a shock legal crackdown against Courier Country motorists in a string of new court cases.


In a move that will cause concern for thousands of motorists across Tayside and Fife, UK Parking Control (UKPC) this week began small claims cases against drivers who it says failed to display tickets at a Dundee retail park.

Private parking companies have traditionally avoided pursuing motorists who incur one-off parking charges in Scotland, which many consumer groups and legal figures have branded “unenforceable”.

But, on Thursday, a sheriff warned members of the public to “proceed with care” and take independent legal advice if facing similar proceedings.

Two Dundee motorists appeared in court at the start of their bids to fight the £160 charges UKPC is trying to claim back from them.

Three drivers appeared in Forfar’s small claims court on Wednesday and a further Dundee motorist’s case is to call at the city’s sheriff court next month.

All of the Dundee cases and at least one of the Forfar cases involve private parking charges incurred at the Gallagher Retail Park in Dundee.

A recent Courier investigation revealed that only a tiny percentage of the tens of thousands of private parking charges issued every year ended up in court.

A senior Dundee legal source said he believed UKPC was using the Tayside small claims as “test cases”.

I have also recently moved address and have not changed it through DVLA, so all correspondence will go to my sister's house.

Please help! Also please give advice on how to change my address

Thanks

Primeau

Hi
I received a ticket from UKPC for not displaying a ticket (broken ticket machine) at Gallagher retail park a couple of weeks ago. I made the mistake of appealing on the UKPC website, a mistake because in doing so I gave UKPC my details.
However, I will not be paying the charge, and I have sent a letter of Cancellation of Contract based on the template in the newbie thread. You can see my letter in the thread "UKPC ticket in Scotland - driver id admitted"
If you have not contacted UKPC and they can't prove who the driver was, you have little to worry about.
best regards,
Primeau


PS there should be a follow up in tomorrows courier, 2 cases were due in court in Forfar today.

jwad

I have contacted them but did not say I was the driver, I phoned them today and said I would not be paying it as its unenforceable in Scotland, I got a very rude woman from UKPC who actually hung up on me!!!! She also said I would have to notify them in writing of a change of address, i am worried as I do not want anything going to my sister's house, what do I do?

Umkomaas

You just need to see how things play out with the court cases; no one on here can forecast and give you cast iron advice on what to do until results filter through. The previous advice to ignore has not failed previously, but things evolve.

One thing's for sure - PPCs can't take everyone to court, should they get a very unlikely win. Trading Standards are weighing in against them. So sit tight for the time being.

I have also recently moved address and have not changed it through DVLA, so all correspondence will go to my sister's house.

Please help! Also please give advice on how to change my address

Thanks

I take it that Google is not available in Scotland? There's me thinking it was worldwide! So here you go:

https://www.gov.uk/change-address-driving-licence

jwad

I was talking about my address for UKPC not my V5 form.

Primeau

One thing I have learned is that in each of the cases currently being pursued, the motorists admitted they were driving.

Umkomaas

jwad wrote: »

I was talking about my address for UKPC not my V5 form.

It might have helped if you'd asked that. Mind reading is not my forte!

Maybe send them a letter? But you need to be very careful in how that is phrased so as you don't identify (or even suggest) who the driver was.

Iceweasel

For God's sake STOP communicating with UKPC in any way at all.

Just tell your sister to forward all your mail to your new address.

The golden rule in Scotland is to ignore them completely.

Is your sister's address in Scotland? Not that it matters really as the 'parking incident' was in Scotland.

pogofish

Yup - Contacting UKPC in any way will only increase the chance of them or their debt collectors harassing you further.

Non-engagement is truly the best way forward in Scotland.

Why not simply warn your sister about an attempted scam, then point her at the Newbies Sticky so she sees just how meaningless the threats are?

jwad

pogofish wrote: »

Yup - Contacting UKPC in any way will only increase the chance of them or their debt collectors harassing you further.

Non-engagement is truly the best way forward in Scotland.

Why not simply warn your sister about an attempted scam, then point her at the Newbies Sticky so she sees just how meaningless the threats are?

I just dont want my sister to have the hassle or stress of anything against her address or anyone trying to contact her. Her husband is a complete stresshead. I am not bothered about further harrassment from UKPC, they are getting no money from me. I just want any further letters to be directed to my address.

Umkomaas

If you are insisting on contact with them - letter (with free proof of posting from your Post Office - NOT 'signed for') or email.

Do not telephone - you're likely to get pressure to pay (and/or abuse) and you have no proof of the phone call (unless you record it).