Mass PCN's from VCS in Sheffield

ManxRed

So your management company think their agent's signs trump your tenancy agreement?

Yet another reason why you should be looking to sling these incompetents out.

thermalboyz

saw op notes at the door entrance and jump in to share my experiences. I do not drive now but before (3 year ago) when i first moved in the flat (Use to be the previous management company) and i got 2 tickets in 1 week. Reason was the underground car pack key fobs wasn't working so management company asked me to park at staff's parking spot. I displayed my parking permit but not the one allocated to me as i cannot access the car park underground. Long story short, at the end i told the management company about this and they told me not to pay but give them the tickets so they will cancel out from their end. Now the new management company in-charge therefore I cannot comment on this but i suggest to contact them first, or leave the parking ticket on the screen when parked to tell them you already had one.

ampersand

From bazster's #21:
'They can't just make stuff up and impose it unilaterally.'

....nor retrospectively. 'Ooh, wish we'd thought of that beforehand.'

Any £considerations involved for trawling licence, I ask myself?
#
Whatever comms you send, obey grimble #20 - obtain free CoP from any PO or a printable screen shot.

McLaren_3

Hi JBAK (and anyone else interested):


Fellow ticketed resident here. Are you still pursuing this? Myself and someone else I've contacted have emailed the address you set up but not had a response. It would be good to coordinate things more. At the moment myself and another resident are keeping each other informed. The area manager is apparently conducting an internal investigation (after many emails and phone calls). Still have no confidence that they are going to do the right thing though.


Not sure which block you're in but we have proof the Block C renewal letters were sent to the wrong address so no one in that block got them.


Myself and two other residents I've spoken to are not paying. I got 3 tickets in 4 days. I've heard of someone with 4 but not had that confirmed. For info for other readers of this thread they are £100 each so you get an idea of the amounts they are asking for.


I'll be sending an appeal to VCS when the 21 day deadline approaches using the template.


As a general response to some of the points raised in this thread, I own my flat rather than rent. The actual parking space is in the deeds to my flat (leasehold). There is no mention of parking permits in the lease as they didn't exist at first (I've been here since the place was built). I've told VCS and the MA that I believe the agents are trespassing. MA hasn't addressed this point. I put a note on my car after the second ticket (I really didn't expect to get multiple tickets) saying they were trespassing but this was ignored.


One thing that does concern me is the "contract" situation with VCS. We do sign a form each year to get the new permit (by post/email - it was done face to face a couple of times by the old MA but not anymore). But if the permit has expired surely the contract has also expired so we are under no obligation to display a permit and VCS are definitely trespassing? In my opinion the expiry date is just to give VCS chance to make some money. They should just be permanent and cancelled when residents move out. The MA is aware of when this happens so it shouldn't be an issue.


The offices of the landowner are on-site so I will be posting them a letter as well.


Unfortunately there is no residents association so organising a coordinated approach is difficult. There must be about 200 apartments here across 4 blocks and only a certain segment were affected. I have thought about asking for a meeting with the MA. Really need a natural leader/organiser here and sorry to say that's not me but I am trying! I've knocked on a few doors and emailed a few people from the notes on their cars and am not letting up on the area manager as I am disgusted what's gone on here.


By the way I got a ticket 3 years ago. My car was stolen (obviously with the permit. I had a hire car and they ticketed it despite knowing the circumstances. The hire company were also then chasing me for expenses. I paid neither. Told hire company they'd breached DPA by passing my details to VCS and ignored VCS. The letters have now stopped. This was just before the new legislation came in so this time I will be appealing as per the advice.

McLaren_3

Oh and also, the MA didn't bother adding me to this "exemption list" that I knew nothing about even after the first ticket when I contacted them and emailed them the completed renewal form! That's why I got 2 more tickets. It was only after phoning again that they decided to tell me about it and ASKED if I wanted to go on it! WELL WHAT DO YOU THINK???


My permit still hasn't turned up over a week after posting. Others have been waiting longer. Like I said, they definitely have the incorrect postal address for my block - wrong road, wrong postcode.

bazster

McLaren wrote: »

As a general response to some of the points raised in this thread, I own my flat rather than rent. The actual parking space is in the deeds to my flat (leasehold). There is no mention of parking permits in the lease as they didn't exist at first (I've been here since the place was built). I've told VCS and the MA that I believe the agents are trespassing. MA hasn't addressed this point. I put a note on my car after the second ticket (I really didn't expect to get multiple tickets) saying they were trespassing but this was ignored.

Don't tell them that you believe they are trespassing, tell them that they are trespassing, that you hold both MA and VCS jointly and severally liable for damages, and that you require them to cease and desist trespassing. Do this by first-class snail mail to their registered offices, keep copies and get a free proof of posting from the post office

McLaren wrote: »

One thing that does concern me is the "contract" situation with VCS. We do sign a form each year to get the new permit (by post/email - it was done face to face a couple of times by the old MA but not anymore). But if the permit has expired surely the contract has also expired so we are under no obligation to display a permit and VCS are definitely trespassing? In my opinion the expiry date is just to give VCS chance to make some money. They should just be permanent and cancelled when residents move out. The MA is aware of when this happens so it shouldn't be an issue.

Whatever you signed cannot possibly be a contract. Under English law for a contract to be valid consideration (i.e. something of value) has to pass in both directions. So what did they give you? Permission to park? Nope, doesn't count, that's of no value to you because you already had permission to park, it's your bloody parking space!

bazster

McLaren wrote: »

Oh and also, the MA didn't bother adding me to this "exemption list" that I knew nothing about even after the first ticket when I contacted them and emailed them the completed renewal form! That's why I got 2 more tickets. It was only after phoning again that they decided to tell me about it and ASKED if I wanted to go on it! WELL WHAT DO YOU THINK???

So VCS and the managing agent claim that you entered into a contract with VCS requiring you to display a permit, but they failed to tell you about the exemption list. Seems to me that this is a misleading omission under the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008. Request Trading Standards to investigate.

TheFish1

I'm also a resident who has had a couple of tickets.

I received one a day for about 10 days when I moved in last year (on July 31, coincidentally the day the permit expired). I sent them an email telling me I wouldn't be paying and if they wished to take it further I'd be happy to see them in court. They replied asking for lots of personal information to make an official appeal. I ignored this request and I never heard from them again.

Cue 12 months later and I get more tickets. I suspect I would have had more than 2 but I've been away for some days. I never received a reminder letter asking me to re-apply for a permit and I submitted my new request on July 31 after getting the new ticket. I spoke to Trinity today who said they are aware that permits haven't been delivered and that currently there will be no tickets handed out until permits have been sent and delivered.

I won't be paying for any of the tickets again this year, not sure if I'll do an official appeal yet as suggested or send them a similar email to last year.

McLaren_3

Hi TheFish1 I've sent you PM.


Yes I had that info as well that they've said they've suspended inspections. They're still refusing to really address the existing tickets at the mo. All they were trying to do is deflect blame onto Royal Mail and say they are chasing Royal Mail. Not the issue and anyway we have proof Royal Mail aren't at fault.


And thanks for the input bazster very useful and much appreciated.

JBak

Nice to see a few other residents have made it to this thread.

I've been away and annoyingly didn't realise that the temporary email I set up cleared the inbox every hour. Doh!

A bit nervy now seeing as tomorrow will be the 14th day which means an increase in the charge from £60 to £100, unless of course you successfully appeal it, which I haven't done yet.

Not sure what the best course of action to take as a group is at the moment. I really want to get the tickets cancelled without having to deal with VCS, but the MA seem to refuse to acknowledge the whole situation.

The fact there's an exemption list that you can be added to without a permit but isn't actually advertised is a complete joke. Surely that can be used as an argument against paying the charges too?