DRP letter - Notice of intended court action

adamzt

Hello All,

My ordeal so far

On the 24/11/2014 I parked in a private car park which belongs to a Gala bingo this car park is controlled by UKPC LTD.

I returned to my car that day to find a Parking Charge Notice on my screen and the reason for this was "Parked in a permit area without displaying a valid permit". The notice also states I am required to pay a charge of £100 - reduced to £60 if paid within 14days. The VRN was incorrect and looked on here for advise. The advice I read on the NEWBIES forum was to wait for the NTK to come through the post. So I waited and recived a NTK letter with a Final reminder of an earlier time I parked in the car park on the 08/10/2014 as well as a NTK regarding the charge I knew about. 31st December I recieved a final reminder for this. I believed this to be the same parking charge until I noticed different dates and references on the letters as I forgeot the original date I parked their.
I have sent 3 letters now to UKPC appeals

1st letter was the standard template to UKPC appeals for the incident occured on 28/11

2nd letter was same template (worded differently) regarding 08/11 which I had to post as it stated I was too late to appeal online and that it had been passed on to DRP (since then I recieved a letter from DRP asking for payment) This letter asked for POPLA code

and final letter stating to UKPC stating that I will not reply to any letters I recieve from DRP and this letter also asked for POPLA.

Today 3/1/15 I recieved a letter from DRP about notice of intended court action - unpaid parking charge 160.00 stating I have 14 days to make payment otherwise they will pass my file to creditors solicitors.

I am a member of Gala bingo and use this car park many times except on these days and they do not provide customers with permits. The sign states for 'GALA CUSTOMERS AND PERMIT HOLDERS ONLY' (ITS A FREE CAR PARK) I use it all the time and take my nan to bingo yet it makes me feel sick thinking about going to court.

I need some advice and help what to do.

I have not yet contacted DRP because I do not know what to say Should I write to DRP stating debt is denied and you must return this to your client - any further communication will be treated as harassment and may be pursued accordingly through the courts.

I am just getting fed up of these letters now and I read all this on here yet I am just getting confused .

Please someone help what I should do. What is the next step. Please do not ask me to read anymore I just need some sort of direction...

Crabman

Welcome to MSE :hello:

I've moved your thread over to the Parking sub-board. Please take a look at the newbie thread if you haven't already:

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/4816822

adamzt

Default DRP letter - Notice of intended court action
Hello All,

My ordeal so far

On the 24/11/2014 I parked in a private car park which belongs to a Gala bingo this car park is controlled by UKPC LTD.

I returned to my car that day to find a Parking Charge Notice on my screen and the reason for this was "Parked in a permit area without displaying a valid permit". The notice also states I am required to pay a charge of £100 - reduced to £60 if paid within 14days. The VRN was incorrect and looked on here for advise. The advice I read on the NEWBIES forum was to wait for the NTK to come through the post. So I waited and recived a NTK letter with a Final reminder of an earlier time I parked in the car park on the 08/10/2014 as well as a NTK regarding the charge I knew about. 31st December I recieved a final reminder for this. I believed this to be the same parking charge until I noticed different dates and references on the letters as I forgeot the original date I parked their.
I have sent 3 letters now to UKPC appeals

1st letter was the standard template to UKPC appeals for the incident occured on 28/11

2nd letter was same template (worded differently) regarding 08/11 which I had to post as it stated I was too late to appeal online and that it had been passed on to DRP (since then I recieved a letter from DRP asking for payment) This letter asked for POPLA code

and final letter stating to UKPC stating that I will not reply to any letters I recieve from DRP and this letter also asked for POPLA.

Today 3/1/15 I recieved a letter from DRP about notice of intended court action - unpaid parking charge 160.00 stating I have 14 days to make payment otherwise they will pass my file to creditors solicitors.

I am a member of Gala bingo and use this car park many times except on these days and they do not provide customers with permits. The sign states for 'GALA CUSTOMERS AND PERMIT HOLDERS ONLY' (ITS A FREE CAR PARK) I use it all the time and take my nan to bingo yet it makes me feel sick thinking about going to court.

I need some advice and help what to do.

I have not yet contacted DRP because I do not know what to say Should I write to DRP stating debt is denied and you must return this to your client - any further communication will be treated as harassment and may be pursued accordingly through the courts.

I am just getting fed up of these letters now and I read all this on here yet I am just getting confused .

Please someone help what I should do. What is the next step. Please do not ask me to read anymore I just need some sort of direction...

Half_way

Today 3/1/15 I recieved a letter from DRP about notice of intended court action - unpaid parking charge 160.00 stating I have 14 days to make payment otherwise they will pass my file to creditors solicitors.

I am a member of Gala bingo and use this car park many times except on these days and they do not provide customers with permits. The sign states for 'GALA CUSTOMERS AND PERMIT HOLDERS ONLY' (ITS A FREE CAR PARK) I use it all the time and take my nan to bingo yet it makes me feel sick thinking about going to court.

Oh dear, your falling into the parking companys trap and beginning to to worry too much.
Have you contacted the bingo club about this?
they will try and wash their hands of this, but they - if it is their car park and they have taken the parking scum on and they as principal have the power to get rid of this ticket and all unlawful penalty charges associated with it.

Remember that the parking company are (in most cases ) the agents acting for and on behalf of the land owner.

You may also want to avoid the use of the word appeal, you wouldnt appeal a plumbers bill, or a mechanics bill would you?
so why appeal a speculative invoice from a dodgy parking company?

Umkomaas

DRP are powerless debt collectors; what you've had about 'passing your file to the creditor's solicitors' is a standard template. Almost everyone who DRP writes to gets one of these - so don't worry about it. A debt collector cannot take you to court in these circumstances.

You can write a 'cease and desist' letter to DRP (may not have any effect, and you'll just have to put up with their junk mail for the next 6-12 months) or just totally ignore them. Their letters are MEANINGLESS, but like any letter you receive from anyone alleging you owe them money, file safely away.

Whilst in theory UKPC could issue small claims papers against you, they have taken no one to court in England or Wales (they tried their hand in Scotland a few months ago, but failed miserably and ran away before getting to court when the motorists put up robust challenges).

For your reassurance, here is the latest 18 months record of all PPCs who have issued court claims.

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/322893/british-parking-association.doc

It's not a future guarantee that UKPC won't, but you can only go on past performance to inform you of likelihood at the moment.

HTH

fisherjim

UKPC and DRP are money grabbing scum in my opinion, and you should not get so upset by them that's exactly what they want with their lying bullying tactics, I know I've had all their letters!
Also getting your VRN wrong is a scam they use to get you to appeal on that "error" thus outing yourself as the driver early on, and also saving them the search fee with DVLA.

DRP can not and will not take anyone to court.

As you are a regular visitor to Gala, why haven't you gone in there and demanded to speak to the manager and politely but firmly asked why they let these bullies treat his customers in this way, and demand he gets these ridiculous demands for unwarranted payments stopped.

adamzt

Thank you for the advise. Umkomaas that link I checked and it shows that UKCPS LTD (should it not be UKPC LTD?) Or is this a different company?

I am not a regular customer but I am regularly in the car park as sometimes I take my nan and sometimes pick her up. I have to leave the car to go inside to collect her as she is not good on her feet. So help support her to the car except these 2 times I used the car park to go for some food. Yet used the car park a few times before and nothing so was in shock this time when I saw the ticket.

The reason I have not gone into see the manager is because my nan has spoke to both the assistant manager and the manager and they both said I am best just paying.

Plus I am not sure what to say to the manager. Am I best going in person, writing a letter or ringing? I could say I went in that day to play on the slot machines and didnt swipe my card to sign in.

So to confirm I should just ignore Debt Recovery Plus letters?

Any more advise?

adamzt

I am not a regular customer but I am regularly in the car park as sometimes I take my nan and sometimes pick her up. I have to leave the car to go inside to collect her as she is not good on her feet. So help support her to the car except these 2 times I used the car park to go for some food. Yet used the car park a few times before and nothing so was in shock this time when I saw the ticket.

The reason I have not gone into see the manager is because my nan has spoke to both the assistant manager and the manager and they both said I am best just paying.

Plus I am not sure what to say to the manager. Am I best going in person, writing a letter or ringing? I could say I went in that day to play on the slot machines and didnt swipe my card to sign in.

So to confirm I should just ignore Debt Recovery Plus letters?

Any more advise?

Marktheshark

Did they ever send you a POPLA code ?

Redx

different companies , but a lot have similar initials

ignore DRP as they cannot take any action whatsoever

read the NEWBIES sticky thread regarding debt collectors, then start a file for any DC and put all toilet paper into it

only deal with an LBC or an MCOL for the SCC

you now have 2 threads on the same subject, so pm crabman and ask him to close this one or merge them

Redx

if you never received an appeal refusal with popla code, complain to the BPA and attach copies of all paperwork

IGNORE DRP