UKPC - Making me very angry!

Lurcheral

Hi everyone,

I just joined this forum to ask what people thought about my parking situation as I am so angry right now.

Back in April I received a parking ticket for parking in a gym car park which I have used for many years. You used to be able to park without being required to show any kind of permit. Recently they changed the rules by saying that you do need to show a permit but they didn't actually state this anywhere or make any changes to the signage that was up to show that from now on one requires a permit. I only found this out when I saw the PCN and complained to the gym who immediately issued me with a permit.

Anyway I appealed by post that same day and took loads of photos to back up my claim that I shouldn't have to pay. Fast forward about three months and there is no reply to my appeal but I did receive a Debt Recovery letter.

I told the Debt Recovery people that I wouldn't be paying and I immediately reported UKPC to the BPA. The BPA are still dealing with it and UKPC still have time to reply to the BPA's questions.

Anyway today I called the UKPC to ask them to send me a copy of the appeal rejection letter that they supposedly sent out. For some reason they don't have a copy of this and told me to contact Debt Recovery who do. I contacted Debt Recovery and they sent me out a letter which was basically just some text. It wasn't addressed to me, it didn't mention my PCN and although mentioned appealing to POPLA, didn't give me a POPLA verification code. This is clearly a template letter that the Debt Recovery agency has come up with and not UKPC.

When I queried it with the girl at Debt Recovery she said that the UKPC didn't have to supply me with my appeal rejection letter and if it goes to court then they will show it at that point. Very bizarre!

Also in the appeal rejection letter that Debt Recovery forwarded me, it mentioned that I was a valid Blue Badge Holder and that because of that they would reduce my fine to £15. Firstly I am not a Blue Badge Holder, never have been and this shows that they didn't reply to the points that I raised in my appeal.

When I mentioned this with the Debt Recovery girl on the phone she said that it was a "typo" and when I said that these letters have to have accurate information in them, she point blank told me that they didn't have to and that if it goes to court then the proper letter will be supplied. Meaning, it will be written a couple of days beforehand.

The BPA are investigating whether their code has been breached but in the meantime I still have this stupid ticket outstanding. I would looooove them to take me to court, as I would relish it and if I could I would happily take them to court first.. I'm just not sure on what grounds I could sue them.

Anyway what I wanted to know is, how do people think I am best moving forward and also what you think about the process so far?

To me it is a complete sham and they haven't been able to do any aspect of it correctly so it should be thrown out.

Do I just ignore all this now and hope that they take me to court where I can file a proper defence or shall I write to them again and try and close the case myself?

Redx

I would insist that the GYM manager (not a lackey) sorts this out and gets the ticket cancelled asap , no ifs , no buts, even a complaint to head office about it , especially due to your long term membership

also get a letter of apology from the gym or head office, stating that they dont wish it to go to court

then UKPC dont have a leg to stand on

good to see you have complained to the BPA so see what they come back with too, about a popla code and about DRP chasing you while its under appeal

IGNORE DRP

read post #4 of the newbies thread about powerless debt collectors, so again , IGNORE DRP , completely

dont phone them , dont contact them , ignore them

good luck

bazster

Firstly stop 'phoning DRP or having anything to do with them. As you have discovered they are pointless, irrelevant and will just make up any old shoite. In the highly unlikely event of court action DRP will not be involved in it in any way whatsoever.

Have you told the BPA that UKPC can't produce a copy of their supposed appeal rejection and fobbed you off to a debt collection agency who then sent you a load of irrelevant tripe?

There is nothing you can sue UKPC for because you haven't paid them and hence you have no losses to recover. You could however report them to Trading Standards.

There isn't much else you can do re UKPC. Chances are that the BPA will lean on them to cancel the ticket (saves them having to come up with awkward explanations).

Redx is spot on that you should now train your guns on the gym. Show them in no uncertain terms what an incompetent bunch of predatory nincompoops they have let loose in their car park, and tell them that if UKPC are still there when your membership comes up for renewal you will be taking your abs and pecs elsewhere.

Ralph-y

As above .......

you have just learned a valuable lesson as to why forum advice is to not contact ppc'c & debt crawlers ...... = they all lie

Ralph:cool:

Lurcheral

Ralph-y wrote: »

As above .......

you have just learned a valuable lesson as to why forum advice is to not contact ppc'c & debt crawlers ...... = they all lie

Ralph:cool:

True, true but I have read conflicting advice about this and got totally confused with what is correct.

The way I saw it though was that there is sometimes a fine line between silence in these issues and guilt and if it does go to court (which I hope it does) then I want to be able to say that I did everything correctly which is something that the UKPC definitely can't.

bazster

Lurcheral wrote: »

True, true but I have read conflicting advice about this and got totally confused with what is correct.

The way I saw it though was that there is sometimes a fine line between silence in these issues and guilt and if it does go to court (which I hope it does) then I want to be able to say that I did everything correctly which is something that the UKPC definitely can't.

I admire your appetite for the fight but I think we can safely say that there is no chance of this ending up in a courtroom. Even UKPC ain't that stupid.

Lurcheral

Thanks for all your comments folks, I think I'm going to leave it with the BPA for now and not bother talking to these companies any more. If they want to take it to court, they can but I think I'm just going to leave it as ultimately it's own really worth arguing with the courts. I think I can do a POPLA appeal but I don't really want to have to set out my stall all over again.

If there are any interesting updates, I will let you know.

Lurcheral

Can I get your thoughts on where I am now?

BPA wrote to me today to say that they have investigated and have been forwarded my appeal reply by UKPC. They have now said that as they had sent out the letter, despite me not receiving it, there is nothing more for them to investigate.

I have read this letter and they don't make any attempt to address a single point that I made in my appeal even though my appeal was two pages long. All it does is say that "being a valid blue badge holder" they have agreed to reduce the fine to £15. I am not and never have been a blue badge holder and they still don't realise that they changed the rules of the car park one day without letting the users know by means of appropriate signage.

I do not wish to pay £15 or even £1 for something that isn't my fault and is really because UKPC haven't organised their car park properly which continues to this day.

I could still appeal to POPLA but can't work out whether they are all linked one way or another.

I have three options:

A) pay £15 which as far as I'm concerned is the same as just giving someone in the street £15 for no reason
appeal to POPLA and see where that gets me
C) just ignore it and if it goes to court, go to court and appeal to someone who can actually make a proper judgement.

What do people think?

Redx

appeal it to popla , let them decide , assuming you have a valid popla code that has not expired

also complain to the GYM head office or CEO too

send another complaint to the BPA SAYING THEY HAVE NOT ADDRESSED THE ISSUES

like DRP chasing an alleged debt when its on appeal and going to popla for a start

clearly UKPC havent addressed the correct pcn either

Umkomaas

is the right answer - if you've got a valid POPLA code.

Otherwise C).

Lurcheral

Are POPLA legit though as I thought they were laid by the parking companies.

If POPLA randomly ruled against me am I then liable to pay or can I just ignore it?