Old UKPC parking charge for leaving site now at solicitor stage

rosiedawnie123

About 9 months ago we received a charge because the owner /driver left the site. The retail park is adjacent to a supermarket so it was confusing where the site ended and the next one started. We popped "off site" to the supermarket for 10 mins after we had already made purchases from the retail stores whom were located on the UKPC car park site. I have the receipt. We ignored the letters that followed. It has been passed to a debt collector, and now we have received a letter from a solicitor threatening court action unless it's paid in 14 days. The charge was originally £60 but has now increased to £160. We have moved house since this happened and have notified dvla and our car insurer. The letters are still going to the old address but tenants are passing them on. We've made no contact so far with them. I'm pregnant and struggling with this stress as I really don't know what to do and can't afford £160!!! Please help.

bod1467

What happened is irrelevant. ALL you need to know is explained in the NEWBIES thread.

And I bet it isn't a real solicitor acting as a solicitor; it'll be another debt collector letter.

And complain to the landowner/store manager that a genuine customer is being harassed by their agent (UKPC).

Half_way

Read the newbies sticky section, if you cant afford £160 can you afford £0?

Dont worry , if you can find out who the land owner is then you can aim a complaint in their direction.
if the parking employee didnt warn you that by leaving site you may be charged then theres not much chance of court - read/google Ibotson vs VCS

rosiedawnie123

Thanks, I think it is a fake letter as it says that I should contact the debt collector and not them (the solicitor). If we read the newbie thread but am confused. Its not happened recently. I didn't appeal, am unsure how to move forward. Should I just continue to ignore? I did email Pets at Home and also posted on their Facebook site. I got two different responses, one very supportive saying they would contact landowner and the other saying sorry you left the site so tough.

rosiedawnie123

The parking attendant watched us walk off site and said nothing!

bod1467

You either continue to ignore, or you write to them to provide the name and address of the driver (who I'm sure must have been someone different to the registered keeper who is receiving these current letters).

UNLESS there was a windscreen ticket at the time?

Half_way

They will be claiming that they suffered a loss and as such you owe them £whatever.
Yet the parking grunt failed to mitigate the losses by warning you.

Read this from point /line 16 onwards http://forums.pepipoo.com/index.php?act=attach&type=post&id=16231%29
its the ibotson vs VCS case transcript, courtesy of https://www.pepipoo.com

If you can find the landowner then get in touch and generate a complaint referencing some of the above

rosiedawnie123

bod1467 wrote: »

You either continue to ignore, or you write to them to provide the name and address of the driver (who I'm sure must have been someone different to the registered keeper who is receiving these current letters).

UNLESS there was a windscreen ticket at the time?

Yes there was a windscreen ticket. It's my partners car. I was driving he was in the car too. We both left the site.

bod1467

In that case just ignore everything except actual court papers or a real Letter Before Action / Letter Before County Court Claim. (Which will come from UKPC themselves, or a solicitor acting as a solicitor on UKPC's behalf. Small Claims Solicitors or Miah Solicitors don't count).

PS - UKPC have not done court in England/Wales (except when they were taken there - and lost). They tried in Scotland but swiftly withdrew the claims when they realised they were going to get malkied in court.

rosiedawnie123

bod1467 wrote: »

In that case just ignore everything except actual court papers or a real Letter Before Action / Letter Before County Court Claim. (Which will come from UKPC themselves, or a solicitor acting as a solicitor on UKPC's behalf. Small Claims Solicitors or Miah Solicitors don't count).

PS - UKPC have not done court in England/Wales (except when they were taken there - and lost). They tried in Scotland but swiftly withdrew the claims when they realised they were going to get malkied in court.

The latest letter is from "SCS"/ Small Claims Solicitors. I assume this is fake! It looks like it is!

rosiedawnie123

Is it worth me contacting the landowner or retailers at this stage or not? I was afterall a genuine paying customer and would think it not in their interest to penalise me.