Contradicting advice on an NCP parking charge...

CR_90

Hi guys,

Just looking for some clarification on how to deal with an NCP parking charge. When the incident occurred back in August, I did my research to find the general consensus was "ignore, they'll give up". Once I received my first warning letter I came back online to make sure ignoring was the right decision, and found that "ignoring hasn't been the correct thing to do with NCP since 2012". I've today received my second letter which states that as registered keeper I am now liable for the outstanding parking charge as I failed to give details of the driver (which was me anyway).

From what I've read, my options are 1. Continue to ignore, 2. Pay £16 on Parking Ticket Appeals (is that guaranteed?), 3. Appeal to POPLA or 4. Write to NCP with a very well-worded legal sounding letter stating that the amount they're asking for is ridiculous and can't be held up in court.

Can someone please give me the final word on this?! I want to enjoy my festive period without this over my head haha!

Any help is much appreciated, thanks guys.

bod1467

You must have been looking at old threads - we've not said Ignore (in England and Wales) for 2 years now.

As you've been in ignore mode then you stay there - until and unless you receive a Letter Before Action/Letter Before County Court Claim (from NCP or appointed solicitors) or actual court papers. Anything saying "May/Recommend/Suggest court action" can also be ignored.

Coupon-mad

''Contradicting advice on an NCP parking charge... ''

You think? Show us a thread from 2014 which tells you to ignore the PCN and first Notice? You only had to read the current threads from page one, starting with the 'NEWBIES READ THIS FIRST' sticky!

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/forumdisplay.php?f=163

I did my research to find the general consensus was "ignore, they'll give up".

That's not research; that's Googling and reading old news.
Oh dear, oh dear, that's like reading old sports reports from 2011 and thinking Man Utd are still the top team. Why do so many people read OLD threads and not click one click off it, to page one? One click was needed, one 'FORUM JUMP' which appears on the right twice on every thread page...

Oh well at least it's only NCP, count yourself lucky you didn't 'research' old stuff about ParkingEye who now sue people!

Pay £16 on Parking Ticket Appeals (is that guaranteed?)

No it's NOT. The firm has changed hands and as for the 'guarantee' ...hmmm ...{gagged} but look:

http://parking-prankster.blogspot.co.uk/2014/11/parkingticketappeals-changes-hands.html

Appeal to POPLA

No you can't. You missed that boat. Never mind, you will now have junk mail for months, so what?! You don't need to pay someone to ignore letters.

BenefitMaster

Coupon-mad wrote: »

No it's NOT. The firm has changed hands and as for the 'guarantee' ...hmmm ...{gagged}

That's interesting? Who has gagged you?

I'm aware that the firm has changed hands, and I've heard rumours about the guarantee, but nothing more.

Coupon-mad

I have gagged myself...re the guarantee...hmmm...was it ever supported/possible?

CR_90

Coupon-mad wrote: »

''Contradicting advice on an NCP parking charge... ''

You think? Show us a thread from 2014 which tells you to ignore the PCN and first Notice? You only had to read the current threads from page one, starting with the 'NEWBIES READ THIS FIRST' sticky!


That's not research; that's Googling and reading old news.
Oh dear, oh dear, that's like reading old sports reports from 2011 and thinking Man Utd are still the top team. Why do so many people read OLD threads and not click one click off it, to page one? One click was needed, one 'FORUM JUMP' which appears on the right twice on every thread page...

Oh well at least it's only NCP, count yourself lucky you didn't 'research' old stuff about ParkingEye who now sue people!


No it's NOT. The firm has changed hands and as for the 'guarantee' ...hmmm ...{gagged} but look:



No you can't. You missed that boat. Never mind, you will now have junk mail for months, so what?! You don't need to pay someone to ignore letters.

So after all that...you're saying I should just ignore?

I did read the sticky thread...it said to appeal after 21 days but only to firms that send debt collector letters straight away. NCP was listed in that...but they didn't send me debt collector letters right away? So maybe the sticky needs updating?

I'm more than happy to ignore if advised to do so but seeing as template letters were made I thought maybe a could send one now?

Coupon-mad

I did read the sticky thread...it said to appeal after 21 days but only to firms that send debt collector letters straight away. NCP was listed in that...but they didn't send me debt collector letters right away? So maybe the sticky needs updating?

Nope, you have misunderstood that bit somehow - no-one has ever posted that they read it like that. I say 'appeal after 21 or 22 days to NCP' so that's what you should have done.

And after all that, because you didn't, you are left with no options but to ignore all the letters and hope NCP never break the habit of a lifetime (almost) and sue you within the next 6 years. We would rather you had appealed and won at POPLA but at least it's only NCP! They have only tried court once and got their fingers very badly burnt with unusually massive costs!

CR_90

Coupon-mad wrote: »

Nope, you have misunderstood that bit somehow - no-one has ever posted that they read it like that. I say 'appeal after 21 or 22 days to NCP' so that's what you should have done.

And after all that, because you didn't, you are left with no options but to ignore all the letters and hope NCP never break the habit of a lifetime (almost) and sue you within the next 6 years. We would rather you had appealed and won at POPLA but at least it's only NCP! They have only tried court once and got their fingers very badly burnt with unusually massive costs!

Ok, thank you. I guess my last question is...if NCP have only tried court once and seem to give up, why is your advice to appeal after 21 days? Doesn't that mark you out as a target to harass?

bod1467

By responding as keeper just before the 28 days appeals limit for a driver, it means they cannot/probably won't contact the DVLA for keeper details. Thus they cannot impose keeper liability as this can ONLY be imposed using POFA ... and a POFA condition is that keeper details are obtained from DVLA.

Coupon-mad

CR_90 wrote: »

Ok, thank you. I guess my last question is...if NCP have only tried court once and seem to give up, why is your advice to appeal after 21 days? Doesn't that mark you out as a target to harass?

Nope it would have meant you could have won at POPLA and stopped the scam in its tracks. We beat NCP every time, it's dead easy and a registered keeper cannot lose if they point out that the land is not relevant land and NCP have never gone to the DVLA nor served a NTK = therefore there can be no 'keeper liability'.

And POPLA would have cost NCP £32.40 inc VAT, only for them to lose. You missed a trick covered here fully - so next time come & check the NEWBIES thread first!

CR_90

Coupon-mad wrote: »

Nope it would have meant you could have won at POPLA and stopped the scam in its tracks. We beat NCP every time, it's dead easy and a registered keeper cannot lose if they point out that the land is not relevant land and NCP have never gone to the DVLA nor served a NTK = therefore there can be no 'keeper liability'.

And POPLA would have cost NCP £32.40 inc VAT, only for them to lose. You missed a trick covered here fully - so next time come & check the NEWBIES thread first!

They've now said that as I haven't given details of the driver I'm now liable though? Could I not send them the same template letter now with a couple of tweaks?