TNC : Debt Collection : John Lennon Airport Driving In A BusLane

OwenAWhite

Hi there


I have read much on here re:parking tickets, but we have a slightly different issue...


Current Situation
Received a debt collector letter from TNC Parking Services (member of BPA) on behalf of Vehicle Control Svcs Ltd. Dated 9 Jan, posted slow class.


Contained notice to pay £135 else go to court, payment required by 16 Jan (yes - the day the letter arrived!).


My wife called them as we had had no previous correspondence whatsoever either from the original parking/traffic company, nor TNC.


Turns out the original ticket was for driving through/in a bus lane at John Lennon Airport in 2013 sometime. (16-18 months ago).


They were abrupt, rude, aggressive, but did ask if anyone else ever drove the car. Under duress she said no (which isn't correct - I drive it all the time) - then went and had a lie down after being ill the past week or two.


I followed up - with similar results - but no lie down.


So : I would like to check the best response given the above : ie
- no prior correspondence whatsoever
- it is a driving issue not a parking issue, albeit on private land at JLAirport
- the calls from my wife and I as mentioned above


We are currently awaiting court summons (!) but anticipate that we'll get a good response here to help us confirm what the best response is if not to pay. Be that to ignore or to respond in a letter to TNC.


I suspect the latter, but would appreciate guidance and the right letter, given we have apparently gone right to the endgame with no prior correspondence.


Many many thanks in advance


Owen

Redx

just read the debt collectors post (post #4) in the newbies sticky thread

never , never , ever speak to these debt collectors, otherwise you will get the treatment you already got , never correspond with them by any means

your "situation" is no different than the thousands of others being chased for parking charges by DRP and other debt collectors

the debt collector issues are all explained in that post you havent read, so please read it

Marktheshark

take the go to court option and tell them to get on with it.
There is no such thing as a bus lane on private land and certainly not a thing they can demand money for.
How far do you want to go to get back at them ?
DVLA should not have given them your details as POFA only covers parking events so the keeper has no liability

bod1467

Marktheshark wrote: »

DVLA should not have given them your details as POFA only covers parking events so the keeper has no liability

As well as also not being relevant land, which is another tenet of POFA that DVLA have ignored.

bazster

You should complain to DVLA in the strongest possible terms about them releasing your data over something that had nothing to do with parking. Be prepared to take it to the Chief Exec, then to your MP and the Ombudsman (when it comes to your MP be ready to spell out the problem in terms a child could understand, because they often don't "get it" straight off.)

pogofish

OwenAWhite wrote: »

I have read much on here re:parking tickets, but we have a slightly different issue...

Your situation is no different from anyone else here - You need to read the Newbies Sticky carefully and not make such fundamental mistakes.

The_Deep

My wife was photographed driving in a bus lane recently. She did not appeal but paid up £30, I hope the Coucil did not donate it to Hamas.

How come these chancers want so much more, do the great unwashed really fall for this scam?

The_Slithy_Tove

bazster wrote: »

You should complain to DVLA in the strongest possible terms about them releasing your data over something that had nothing to do with parking. Be prepared to take it to the Chief Exec, then to your MP and the Ombudsman (when it comes to your MP be ready to spell out the problem in terms a child could understand, because they often don't "get it" straight off.)

+1 on this. There has been a breach of Data Protection, which should be investigated. Only formal complaints of this nature will ever get anything done about this unlawful behaviour (over which the DVLA is complicit, as they have not done the due diligence over the RK request, as the law requires them to do).

Don't ever call a PPC or debt collector. Of course they're rude. Just forget that and pursue avenues that have a chance of success.

Coupon-mad

We are currently awaiting court summons (!) but anticipate that we'll get a good response here to help us confirm what the best response is if not to pay. Be that to ignore or to respond in a letter to TNC.

Stop phoning a debt collector, you will achieve nothing at all; they want money! And it's not a 'summons' this isn't a criminal matter. And VCS small claims cases are as rare as hen's teeth; you are lucky it wasn't Parking Eye!

Personally I would send one short letter to TNC telling them the contact is harassment (not saying who might have been driving all that time ago, written from the registered keeper) and stating that no Notice to Keeper was ever received and you have no knowledge as to who the parking company was or anything about the circumstances.

Say that, whatever happened, clearly a charge this high is not a genuine pre-estimate of any loss and the matter was recently exposed on Rip-off Britain (last week, see the thread and go watch it on catch up!). Further, it is worth noting that private parking charges for a few minutes were also described by Dave Smith of the BPA as 'unfair' and 'unenforceable' on Three Counties Radio (today - see the thread and go listen to it!). But as this was the first letter you have received you are treating it as a 'Notice to Keeper' and they must treat this as your appeal and send a POPLA code if they reject the appeal.

Then see if you get a POPLA code (my guess = you will not). So, then complain by email to the BPA (see post #6 of the NEWBIES thread) saying that the original parking company (VCS I think) never sent any Notice to Keeper out, this was 18 months ago and TNC have refused to provide a POPLA code even though you appealed within days of the first letter received. Say you realise that VCS have moved away from the BPA but you are aware that the BPA have committed to say that ex-members must still issue a POPLA code where applicable to a case that took place when they were BPA AOS members.

OwenAWhite

Thanks everyone. Letter going to TNC tomorrow as from the sticky thread 4 - robust response to debt collector.


Will keep in touch with any interesting developments...