Complaining to Landlords

TheDirector

Looking at the information about complaining to landlords it seems most of the time they are shops, retail parks etc. Is it therefore less likely to be successful if the location is simply a residential area like a privately owned complex of houses and flats? Arguably there might be less incentive for the landlord to cancel the charge.

Also, I imagine it would be difficult to find out who to write to, as googling a street name just brings up the street, not who runs the complex.

Coupon-mad

Yep, it's rare to see such a case in this sticky, featuring almost all Retailers, Hospitals, Hotels and other places with a 'customer service' ethos:

Successful complaints about private parking tickets - how to get them cancelled!

In residential car park cases, where the person is still in the appeal period, I don't usually suggest people complain to the managing agent or landlord unless they own the parking space and want to opt out of the stupid 'parking scheme'. Or if they are being bombarded with debt collector drivel! In which case a strongly worded rant or Letter Before Claim warning them off, is in order, sent to all parties but maybe not the debt collectors, as they aren't worth the time of day or even a stamp.

TheDirector

Thanks for your reply. So am I right in saying that if the landlord was a housing association it is probably best to skip the complaining and just appeal the PCC's N2K with email / letter?

Coupon-mad

Actually a HA is a little different as they have a 'duty of care' I suspect (more than a commercial business does)! AND you can ask them for information under FOI even though technically they are not Local Authorities they do have to be transparent, as covered here recently:

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/66847021#Comment_66847021

So you could send some pertinent questions and even ask for the contract with PCM & user manual/site agreement (whatever they call it) and information about the HA's right to cancel PCNs and under what circumstances and whether the opt out option for owners, is defined somewhere. You could do a lot of digging that other residents who are not under a HA, cannot. And if they don't tell you things, remind them of their obligation to be transparent.

TheDirector

That's interesting. Would it make a difference that a keeper may not be a resident and a driver may not be either i.e. the car may have been there due to a driver visiting someone else.

It sounds like in these situations it may be worth phoning the HA to enquire about their policies and in which circumstances they would agree for the PCN to be cancelled. Out of interest, when a complaint or request for PCN to be cancelled is sent to a landlord (whether commercial or residential, including HAs) would the sender of the letter be the keeper as opposed to driver i.e. is their a conflict between an appeal letter as a keeper that avoids getting into the story and a complaint letter to a HA that wants to put across reasons why a car may have been there and why a PCN is unfair.

The_Deep

Housing Associations often have charitable status. IMO, engaging PPCs to prey on their tenants is most uncharitable, and, were they to persist, the matter should be brought to the attention of the Local Authority Housing Department and The Charity Commissioners.

Complaining to a private landloed can often work. Complain to me and I will raise hell with the Managing Agent, but complain to a property company, an absentee landlord, or a letting agency and you might have less success. Often Head-lease Holders are content to leave things to the Managing Agents, but if many tenants were to complain, they might take action.

TheDirector

OK thanks.

When a complaint / request for a PCN to be cancelled is sent to a landlord (whether commercial or residential, including HAs) would the sender of the letter be the keeper as opposed to driver? Is there a conflict between sending an appeal letter as a keeper to a PCC that avoids getting into the story and a complaint letter to a HA that explains reasons why a car may have been there and why a PCN is unfair.

Coupon-mad

Any complaint should be written in the same vein as the appeal - as keeper.