PCN for parking on a restricted bus stop/stand

blisteringblue

Hel3n76 wrote: »

There seems to be nowhere else to go now. So am I likely to end up in court? I very worried.

And this is exactly the reason you were sent that letter. They make people pay money for their "invoice". Please do not pay them, follow the excellent advice given and do nothing until you receive Official Court Papers (you won't).

I'm currently sitting out a POPLA appeal waiting for the High Court ruling, even if I lose that I'm paying them nothing until dragged kicking and screaming into court. Simply out of principal.

Hel3n76

Thanks for responses, you're very supportive. The letter is from VCS.
I also tried to get advice from a solicitor, was told they didn't deal with parking fees and they never called me back!

Herzlos

It's unlikely you'd need to deal with a solicitor; if it ever happened it'd be a small claims action which is pretty informal.

Umkomaas

If this ever got to court the legal heavyweights who frequent this and the PePiPoo forum will be fighting each other to help you prepare for and be alongside you in court.

Hel3n76

I have received another letter today (nothing since August last year) from the VCS stating my fine has increased to £154 (this is £100 PCN charge plus initial legal costs of VCS) - this apparently is detailed in the car park terms and conditions (I never parked in a car park!) and has now passed to their approved legal service provider: BW Legal (The Tannery, 91 Kirkstall Road, Leeds, LS3 1HS).

It states I have 16 days to pay from letter date. If I fail to pay or provide reasons for non payment within the timeframe, they will seek their client's instructions to commence legal proceedings against me in the form of a County Court Claim Form in the County Court.

It gives a portal address to register on - I can pay, advise of any disputes against the PCN, upload documentation to support my dispute and communicate via web chat.
Shall I still ignore or should I dispute again?

I'm worried they will get a CCJ against me. It also says that their client also reserves the right to commence enforcement proceedings against me for recovery of the balance due.

Giant_Hogweed

I've got one today as well Hel3n76, with exactly the same details regarding costs and payment timescales on it, similar circumstances, same place, last year. DO NOT PAY!
I've asked for some further advice from the brilliant people who advise on these things, but my gut feeling is that this is just yet another debt collector letter used as a scare tactic. They (debt collectors) CANNOT take you to court, get a CCJ against you, send the bailiffs to your house or anything else for that matter.
They cant even give you a Chinese burn or a dead leg!


Sit tight and watch the threads (although there is an e mail penned by HooHoo on a different thread that you could send if advised to do so, warning bw legal off. Like I said, watch the threads.)

danwms

I have the exact same letter come through the post today.

£54 fee, 16 days to pay etc.

Ralph-y

just another set of scammers .....

this thread has the advice for BW legal

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/70285270#Comment_70285270

we should run a competition for what the BW stands for ....

I have a couple

Ralph:cool:

Herzlos

It's all scare tactics.

You can only get a CCJ if it goes to court, you lose and refuse to pay up.

The parking justice community have been desperate for VCS to take someone to court over this scam for months now (there's even a fighting fund), but for some reason, VCS never do so.

Rest assured, if they try and take you to court, you will get a lot of help, but it'll never make it to court, because when VCS inevitably lose, it blows their entire airport parking scam out of the water.

So ignore anything that isn't a formal Letter Before Action where they state they *will* take you to court, or an actual court claim.

They aren't threatening to take you to court here, they are threatening to refer it back to their client to maybe possibly do something i.e. nothing. It's all bluster.

Hel3n76

Thanks for the replies. I've been reading another thread on their experience at Doncaster Airport, and alongside ignoring the letter received today, I'm also going to write to Stephen Gill Managing Director and Daniel Fell CEO of Doncaster Chamber of Commerce, plus may even cc in Doncaster Free Press. What with all the local press relating to the Sheffield link road, hopefully they won't want this bad press, and it worked for the other thread. Will let you know, but I can't just sit and wait, it's already making me anxious.
Any suggestions about what to include would be useful related to signage, - I can't bring up timescales on letters as seem to have received them all within required time frames.