Private parking ticket 5 years later

miketimturner

OK today my mum received a letter in my name from "specialists in legal recoveries" regarding an outstanding amount of £154 for parking in a disabled bay.

This so called event happened nearly 5 years ago and I am confident that I have never parked in a disabled bay in my life far as I'm aware.

I have spent most of the night researching this and everyone seems to be saying ignore the letter as it is a huge con.

The location in question is somewhere I do go so I'm left doubting myself.

What should I do?

I can afford to pay it but I feel I shouldn't.

As the letter mentions CCJ and that it could have a detrimental effect on my future credit worthiness, I am worried that not paying this will literally ruin my life as I am currently saving for a deposit for my own house.

I will include this one and only letter I have received.

I had to get my mum to send it me as I have not lived there in over 5 years.

I cannot post an image as I am new dropbox.com/s/024l5znqpf6ptvw/20160809_211546.jpg

Giant_Hogweed

BW legal by any chance?

Umkomaas

Your case is no different to the umpteen dozens that have appeared here and on PePiPoo over the past 4/5 weeks. It's a blizzard approach from Excel, their sister organisation VCS and BW Legal.

Just do a search on 'BW Legal £54' on both sites and everything you need to do is detailed there. The one thing not to do is to ignore a letter purporting to come from a solicitor (but it's nothing to be afraid of). A robust response will indicate that you're not going to roll over quietly and this may persuade them to move on to less feisty prey.

It's very early days in the context of this approach from Excel and Co, so no outcomes on which to give further advice at this stage, other than to say if court papers are received these are definitely not to be ignored - come back if you receive any.

http://forums.pepipoo.com/index.php?act=SF&s=&f=60

miketimturner

Yes BW Legal and there client Excel parking services Ltd

Redx

same advice as the hundreds of others

the recipient replies using a GAN letter

miketimturner

Where is this letter redx

The_Slithy_Tove

miketimturner wrote: »

Where is this letter redx

Gan posts on Pepipoo.com, so head over there and peruse the Private Parking Tickets forum where, again, there are dozens of BW Legal threads. Since the parking event predates the Protection of Freedoms Act, make sure your response includes the fact that the keeper cannot be held liable, there can be no presumption that the keeper was the driver, and it's impossible to say who was driving on a date 5 years ago.

The_Deep

As the letter mentions CCJ and that it could have a detrimental effect on my future credit worthiness,


This may well amount to unprofessional conduct. Write a letter of complaint to the SRA


https://www.sra.org.uk/contact-us/

dazster

I would be very cautious about contacting them over this. Firstly it's pre-PoFA, so you don't want to run the risk of suggesting that anyone in particular was driving. Secondly, any claim is statute-barred after 6 years, but only if the "debt" has never been acknowledged. So that's another pitfall to be avoided.

As it stands this is just a begging letter (note the weasel words "we will seek our client's instructions"). In other words, they currently have no instructions to proceed against you.

Perhaps it's best ignored!

miketimturner

Thanks for the advice. I have seen the letters from Gan on Pepipoo and I think I am going to merge them into one and send it to BW Legal and Excel parking services Ltd and hopefully It gets dropped.

As I am not at the address I don't want the letter to be misplaced.

Should I tell them to update the address to my current address or leave it as it is.

If they chose to drop this case but not inform me, I would hate not knowing was is going on.

Do they need to respond to my letters and if not could I call them for acknowledgment of the letter and the outcome they have chosen?

bod1467

dazster wrote: »

Secondly, any claim is statute-barred after 6 years, but only if the "debt" has never been acknowledged.

Sending a denial of debt is NOT acknowledging the debt, so the 6 years from PCN still stands.