PCM Parking Notice - is it safe to ignore?

djmsemcgrath

I've read the stickies and the newbies threads. I've read the interesting debate between ignoring the letters and responding. Also, it's worth noting that my username is not my real name, and is a mix of several friends names (I wanted a "fake" name to sign up to this forum with).

My situation is that I parked on the side of a road that had no double yellows, no parking restrictions of any kind, and loads of other cars parked there too, all belonging to the same office as me. One day, a PCM guy came along, installed a sign, then went along taking pictures of cars registrations. The sign wasn't there in the morning, and it was there when we all came out of work. All of us got parking penalty letters a few weeks later.

I accidentally ignored the letter (and missed their second reminder, which increased the fine from £60 to £100) as I had to go away for work to another city for a lengthy period of time, and forgot all about it. Today, I received a letter from Debt Recovery Limited asking for £160. I've read all the threads about ignoring those, so I am.

My question is this - when (or if) I receive a Letter Before Court, obviously, the advice is to not ignore it, but will it be obvious? Does it say Letter Before Court is big red writing? I haven't yet found any threads on here about what response to give them at that stage - can someone please point me in the right direction?

Thanks very much, and apologies if my search skills are poor!

Coupon-mad

You'd most likely get a Letter before Claim (not red writing) from Gladstones solicitors first of all (you can ignore anything from DRP and Zenith). To see examples of that letter try Googling 'Gladstones letter'.

To see the sort of robust response to then send, look at the LBCCC Fightback thread although it's a little out of date in terms of the 2015 practice direction.

djmsemcgrath

Great, thanks. I thought I was clued up, and I'd read a lot of stuff, but then I was thinking "Hmm, I'll lookout for a letter saying Letter Before Claim, as that's the important one......ah, I don't know what to do with it!".

I'll find that thread.

I'm hoping they give up in the meantime, to be honest. Does that ever happen, or do they just keep sending letters to make you act at some stage?

yotmon

Reminds me of this -

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1277460/Motorist-returns-yellow-lines-painted-car--parking-ticket.html

As you all work in the same office, have you got together to fight this, or has any of your colleagues 'folded' and paid the ppc ? Are you aware if any of them appealed to the ppc/popla/ias and had the tickets cancelled ?

United we stand - and all that :T

djmsemcgrath

I think some paid - some of the girls got a bit scared by the threatening letter and paid - but some of the execs haven't. I don't really know what they're doing - I haven't spoken to them. Don't often see them around my bit of the office. I just know all the cars belong to the office, as we're the only office around, and after 6pm and before 8am, there's no cars there at all!

djmsemcgrath

yotmon wrote: »

Reminds me of this -

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1277460/Motorist-returns-yellow-lines-painted-car--parking-ticket.html

That's beautiful. They deserve paying for their sheer cheek!

yotmon

damianjmcgrath wrote: »

I think some paid - some of the girls got a bit scared by the threatening letter and paid - but some of the execs haven't. I don't really know what they're doing - I haven't spoken to them. Don't often see them around my bit of the office. I just know all the cars belong to the office, as we're the only office around, and after 6pm and before 8am, there's no cars there at all!

That's a real shame, as if all the details in your post are correct, then PCM wouldn't have had a 'cat in hell' chance of winning this in court. Nobody can be expected to conform to a sign that isn't there in the first place. It shows how powerful a threatening letter from them can be to make people just pay up

djmsemcgrath

I don't have any proof it wasn't there, that's my problem. I don't go around taking pictures of random streets! The only proof I have is the 6/7 other people that are refusing to pay.

yotmon

damianjmcgrath wrote: »

I don't have any proof it wasn't there, that's my problem. I don't go around taking pictures of random streets! The only proof I have is the 6/7 other people that are refusing to pay.

And neither does the PPC. Any idea who owns the land ? You can also check to see if they require/have applied for planning permission to erect the signs.

djmsemcgrath

As far as I can tell, it's just a road, not on anyone's private property or corporate grounds. It's just a normal road. It's probably the council. They are building a new office next to the road so maybe the new owner has got the road outside too, but the refitting isn't finished yet. I'll read the sign properly tomorrow - it's pretty high up - I had to zoom in on my phones camera to read all of it before. I'll see if I can spot a company name - I assume PCM have been employed by someone.

pappa_golf

do you have a reference for this road ? road name and location , possible post code , lets see it on google maps