Solicitors Letter - Now What?

jj1990

I have been chased since January for 3 PCNs on 3 consecutive days where I live. I have received letters from the parking company and debt collectors and until now have simply ignored them. It may be worth noting that I probably have 8 outstanding PCNs from this company in the same area.

This morning I received 3 identical letters regarding each of the 3 consecutive PCNs in question from the parking companies solicitors. The letter can be seen here: imgur.com/qmBdMpy

(I can't post it properly since I'm a new user)

I have been reading through all of the advice on these forums but am struggling to see what applies most directly to me. I'm hoping that you can all inform me as to the best thing for me to do. I'm in the process of obtaining a mortgage so I can't have any credit issues (though I understand this isn't as impending as these companies would have you believe?)

Many thanks in advance.

bazster

http://imgur.com/qmBdMpy

Rubbish, that's not a solicitor's letter, that's a debt collector (Ultimate Customer Solutions) pretending to be a solicitor and paying the solicitors £2.50 or whatever for the use of their letterhead.

It's not remotely a Letter Before Claim. Note the weasel words "our client may now instruct us". So no solicitor has even been instructed!

Just keep ignoring unless you receive a real Letter Before Claim or real court papers.

jj1990

Thanks!

I suppose I just panicked because all of the previous letters have clearly come from UCS.

So is keep ignoring definitely the best thing to do then? I read somewhere that it's a good idea now to send an appeal to the PPC even if the appeal date is way passed?

HO87

Homeguard Services Ltd t/a 14 Services - the PPC - are members of the IPC so a Gladstones letter is what we might expect. I have only known 14 Services to issue proceedings once and they withdrew it after a robust defence was submitted and their signage was a complete mess. IPC they might be but they are not going to earn Genius Hurley a lot of money.

UCS is of course a trading style of SolutionLabs Ltd one of the companies spawned from the demise of the late but utterly unlamented Roxburghe UK Ltd a renowned DCA as far as PPC World is concerned who were refused renewal of the debt collection licence by the OFT. In confirmation that this is a DCA's letter the format is almost an exact lift from old Roxburghe letters with one obvious exception. The total additional costs has been reduced from the well known £207.25 to a snip at £202.25 (by the simple expedient of reducing the claim issue fee to £25 instead of £30).

If you would like some reassurance have a look at this old Graham White & Co, Solicitors letter dating back to 2011. Graham White and Roxburghe were one in the same and GW letters were issued by Roxburghe staff. Over the years the same letter format was also sent out on the letterheads of GPB Solicitors too before they were closed down by the SRA.

Looks as though SolutionLabs, being peopled by at least one former Roxburghe director, simply can't save themselves from old habits - by regurgitating old letter formats and dressing them up on solicitor's letterheads.

Best be careful there then Gladstones.

jj1990

Sounds like I really haven't got anything to worry about then! I guess I'll keep filing these letters away unless a "letter before claim" arrives.

The only think I wondered is whether there was more chance of them taking me to court since I have so many PCNs from them - so essentially 1 court win would be 10.

The_Deep

Our Client may instruct us ... Note the use of the word "may", it May snow in August, but it is very unlikely. Anyway, they are part of the Red Cow Mob. Write to them asking them for a v.a.t. compliant invoice letter, and you may consider paying it. Tell them that, if their client refuses you will raise the matter with the Vatman.

HO87

Given the number of outstanding tickets that you have you should realise that you may well become a target for proceedings. Without disclosing too much is there a particular reason why you are incurring these tickets? It might be wise to try and lower your profile.

Also Wolverton Park is a considerable distance from HSL's normal area of operation which has been more usually in the Gloucestershire/S. Midlands area. However, they have operated a self-ticketing system and it might be that that is what is being used in MK.

jj1990

We're a two car family with only one space. When we moved in, we were assured that there was plenty of visitor parking which there simply isn't. The property managers want £800 up front for a second space for a year which is just absurd.

I will try to lower my profile but sometimes there is just nowhere to park other than somewhere unauthorised!

Until recently, the property manager/glorified (and not very good) caretaker was the person doing the ticketing on behalf of 14S. Since he got promoted, the task doesn't seem to have been passed on to his replacement. Instead, 14S reps are coming out every now and then to issue tickets (though they don't seem to be physical tickets anymore) and I believe the power has also been given to the residents to photograph cars parking "wrongly" and pass on to 14S.

The_Deep

So it is an "own space" thing. If there is nowhere to park a second car either get rid of it, or move to a property with sufficient parking.

Permanently occupying a visitors' space when you are not a visitor is not only antisocial, but probably in breach of your AST, (I assume you are a tenant).

As a landlord I sometimes have to park in a visitors' space when visiting a property. Where do I park if oiks like you are using the space for you second car?

I believe the power has also been given to the residents to photograph cars parking "wrongly" and pass on to 14S.

And quite right too

System

Where do I park if oiks like you are using the space for you second car?

Probably the same place if there was a visitor in that place.

jj1990

I do see where you are coming from but my wording was probably wrong.

The visitors spaces as I called them are actually "unallocated parking" on the site map - for the use of residents with second vehicles as well as visitors.

There was also another massive row of "unallocated" parking which has now been sold off to a local business. There is no longer sufficient parking for visitors let alone second vehicles (which I appreciate should be the priority of these spaces.)

There is also the problem of other residents parking in our allocated space, meaning two cars without a home. A problem that the building managers are far less proactive about dealing with.

To your point about "don't like it, move elsewhere" - I fully intend to. Not only has the parking situation become ridiculous, the "secure parking" is never secure, the locked doors on the buildings are continually broken resulting in multiple instances of rough sleepers in stairwells and two intentionally started fires!

I realise my rant goes a little off topic, but this is not acceptable for a £700p/m 1 bed flat!