UK Car Park Management Ticket

TomITW

Hi, I've read through a fair few of the posts on here in regards to tickets from these companies and all seems pretty clear about it but there's also a strong recommendation to post about individual cases so hopefully I can see clarification.

A couple of months ago my partner got a ticket on her which was parked in our designated space in the underground car park for our block of flats, and a key fob is required access this car park. We had a newborn baby at this point and my partner had not checked that her parking permit was in her windscreen when she left the car. She is unsure whether the permit fell down as she shut the door or if she forgot to put it up. I've since been ignoring all letters since the original ticket as I feel it is ridiculous that we've received a ticket for parking in our own space. We recently recorded a typically threatening letter from a debt recovery company which is scared my partner a little, however I remain firm we should not be paying the ticket. The most recent letter came from Debt Recovery Plus which immediately sounds like a load of rubbish anyway. Any advice?

Thanks

The_Deep

Are you tenants or owners? What does your lease/AST say about parking?. You have rights under the Housing Acts, are the PPC trying to compromise them? Where did this take place? Have you contacted your landlord/Managing Agents?

Unless your lease/AST specifically mentions a parking permit the PPC can swivel, despite what the MA may say.


Ignore debt collectors but if you receive court papers let us know.

TomITW

Tenants but to a private owner, so not to like an umbrella company who own all the flats in our block, so there's nothing in the lease about the parking space as the owner just gave us the permit and control of the space with the flat. I have contacted him and his advice was just to ignore the letters as he's received such tickets and threats before.

Umkomaas

Welcome to the forum and sorry to hear of your problem with your parking charge; it's the last thing you need with a newborn needing plenty of your attention.

UKCPM are members of the IPC AOS (see newbies sticky for acronyms) and their appeal window is 21 days after issue of the ticket. You might be kicking yourself that you ignored this at the outset, but in all reality the chances of a successful appeal to any PPC are probably less than 5% - and your case is not unusual, so I'd rate your chance at zero.

Rejection of an (in time) initial appeal opens your access to the second stage appeal with the IAS. This is deemed by experienced commentators to be nothing much more than a kangaroo court. Chances of success there are lower than 20%. So by not responding to UKCPM in the first place, you've lost virtually nothing.

You're at debt collector stage - don't be intimidated by them, they are powerless in the context of PCNs. They can do nothing other than badger you with meaningless letters threatening all sorts, but they can't carry out those threats. They have no status to conduct anything of a litigation nature against you. This can only be instigated by UKCPM

Read here about UKCPM and their court 'record'.

http://www.bmpa.eu/companydata/UK_Car_Park_Management.html

Read the newbies sticky post #4 about dealing with debt collectors.

Have you complained to your management committee/agent about the harassment of a resident in whose interest they are supposed to be working.

What does you lease agreement/deeds say about your rights to park in your space?

HTH

beamerguy

TomITW wrote: »

Hi, I've read through a fair few of the posts on here in regards to tickets from these companies and all seems pretty clear about it but there's also a strong recommendation to post about individual cases so hopefully I can see clarification.

A couple of months ago my partner got a ticket on her which was parked in our designated space in the underground car park for our block of flats, and a key fob is required access this car park. We had a newborn baby at this point and my partner had not checked that her parking permit was in her windscreen when she left the car. She is unsure whether the permit fell down as she shut the door or if she forgot to put it up. I've since been ignoring all letters since the original ticket as I feel it is ridiculous that we've received a ticket for parking in our own space. We recently recorded a typically threatening letter from a debt recovery company which is scared my partner a little, however I remain firm we should not be paying the ticket. The most recent letter came from Debt Recovery Plus which immediately sounds like a load of rubbish anyway. Any advice?

Thanks

Hi, if you have a key fob to enter the car park, it rather proves you have the right to park there. One assumes to have a key, in return you would have given your reg number ?

Forget the debt collector letters they are all involved in these money making scams.
Where you would react is if they threatened you with bailiffs or door collection. Debt collectors have no more legal right than a rat being run over by a car.
The only time you could legally expect a baliff call is if it went to court, YOU lost and then did not pay.
BUT, if you do get threats then you can write to them, enclose a charge of £25 for writing the letter and any further letters you write. Advise them it is harassment and to stop all letters failing which you will invoice them for harassment with a min of £100
They need to know you are serious, they only succeed when people cave in to their bully boy tactics.

The whole Private Parking Industry is a money making scam so please sign the petition to help everyone and to get a REAL REGULATOR https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/111925lator to oversee them

Tell your wife not to worrry, these debt collectors are huff and puff and we blow them away

beamerguy

Thanks Umkomaas what a joke, had me in stitches, laughing so much

Read here about UKCPM and their court 'record'.

http://www.bmpa.eu/companydata/UK_Car_Park_Management.html

DEFAULT WINS = THE DEFENDANT DID NOT TURN UP

Sort of joke we would hear on "Live at the Apollo"

AND the page shows ......
They Switched to IPC on 01/10/2015. ANPR and Paper ticket. Lots of self-employed commission "wardens"

If they are paid commision, this is unfair trading with one aim in mind, to extort money from the public. MUST BE STOPPED DAVID CAMERON

Umkomaas

DEFAULT WINS = THE PLAINTIFF DID NOT TURN UP

I'm not sure where you got that definition from, but in the context of the stuff we deal with 'Default Wins' we usually read as the defendant (the motorist) either ignored the court papers, or didn't submit a defence, or didn't turn up - with the case being awarded to the PPC, with possibly costs to them and a CCJ (and probably credit rating endorsement) to the motorist.

beamerguy

Umkomaas wrote: »

I'm not sure where you got that definition from, but in the context of the stuff we deal with 'Default Wins' we usually read as the defendant (the motorist) either ignored the court papers, or didn't submit a defence, or didn't turn up - with the case being awarded to the PPC, with possibly costs to them and a CCJ (and probably credit rating endorsement) to the motorist.

All the same thing, could be any one of those three, regardless, the PPC won as a default which is nothing to brag about.
I have changed that to defendant not plaintiff, sorry a mind blank, too much coffee

TomITW

Umkomaas wrote: »

Welcome to the forum and sorry to hear of your problem with your parking charge; it's the last thing you need with a newborn needing plenty of your attention.

UKCPM are members of the IPC AOS (see newbies sticky for acronyms) and their appeal window is 21 days after issue of the ticket. You might be kicking yourself that you ignored this at the outset, but in all reality the chances of a successful appeal to any PPC are probably less than 5% - and your case is not unusual, so I'd rate your chance at zero.

Rejection of an (in time) initial appeal opens your access to the second stage appeal with the IAS. This is deemed by experienced commentators to be nothing much more than a kangaroo court. Chances of success there are lower than 20%. So by not responding to UKCPM in the first place, you've lost virtually nothing.

You're at debt collector stage - don't be intimidated by them, they are powerless in the context of PCNs. They can do nothing other than badger you with meaningless letters threatening all sorts, but they can't carry out those threats. They have no status to conduct anything of a litigation nature against you. This can only be instigated by UKCPM

Read here about UKCPM and their court 'record'.



Read the newbies sticky post #4 about dealing with debt collectors.

Have you complained to your management committee/agent about the harassment of a resident in whose interest they are supposed to be working.

What does you lease agreement/deeds say about your rights to park in your space?

HTH

I would need to ask the owner of the property who we rent from in regards to that. I asked his advice on what to do about the ticket and he said to simply ignore at he's had hundreds of them and the follow-up letters and nothing has ever come from them. This is largely what has led to my confusion over what to do as there has been conflicting advice. I'm more concerned for fianc! as the car is registered in her name and the correspondence has all been to her and she is just very concerned about the effects it could have on her credit rating etc.

Umkomaas

she is just very concerned about the effects it could have on her credit rating etc.

Urban myth. It can only ever affect a credit rating if this goes to court, she lost, she refused/failed/forgot to pay the judgment award against her within the timescale set by the Judge. So all of this is totally in her control.

The only thing you need to watch out for is if she moves address, as the current address is the only one the PPC will use from here on. Notifying a change to the DVLA will not update the PPC's records. If the PPC issues court papers to a former address and your gf is oblivious to their issue, this could result in a default judgment against her - then credit rating can be affected.

The PPC has 6 years in which to pursue this. And there's no way around that other than getting the charge cancelled.

beamerguy

TomITW wrote: »

I would need to ask the owner of the property who we rent from in regards to that. I asked his advice on what to do about the ticket and he said to simply ignore at he's had hundreds of them and the follow-up letters and nothing has ever come from them. This is largely what has led to my confusion over what to do as there has been conflicting advice. I'm more concerned for fianc! as the car is registered in her name and the correspondence has all been to her and she is just very concerned about the effects it could have on her credit rating etc.

The only time a credit rating can be effected is if you went to court, you lost and then did not pay. That is the only time
The chances that it goes to court is very slim but as a good boy scout, be prepared and arm yourself with all the evidence you need.

These cranky debt collectors just love sending out threats and warnings and as the days go by, the red letters GET BIGGER.
Waste of ink.
Mind you if you get a letter from a debt collector saying that your credit rating could be effected, you have got them by the short and curly's as it is not in their remit to make such statements.

If it was me with a key fob to enter the car park then I have the right to park there.
What I would question is the validity of the person who issued the ticket has for security purposes, if he has a key, how many others have a key (or copies) as well, I mean, if your car was damaged or broken into ????