First ParkingLLP & DRP

m_1803

Hi there,
I'm currently a student at Lancaster University. Outside my accommodation for last year there are parking permit spaces (permits are a nightmare to get hold of so didn't manage to get one, even when I had a very specific family crisis problem I was not given one!!) . Tickets were handed out VERY rarely. On the last week of term however, myself and various other students I'm aware of brought cars up in order to move stuff out. We were all caught out one day. Tickets were handed out by "First Parking LLP". I spoke with other students and students in year above that were given tickets and advised not to pay due to the fact that it's from a private company and not the police nor council. However, after leaving it, got another letter and now one from DRP asking for £160?! Or threatening me with court action. Is this for real or a scam? I know a lot of people that won't pay. Will these companies really take us all to court? I think it's pathetic really considering the amount of free spaces and there are no real signs around about permits anyway?! Advice would be much appreciated. Many thanks!!!

Redx

DRP definitely cannot take you to court , only the PPC or the landowner or their solicitors

read this https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/5035663

given that you are all university students your research is terrible

google BARRY BEAVIS

and google POFA2012

m_1803

Ok well, I have researched and wanted to ask about my specific case, Barry Beavis got charged with a different company in a different situation. I was hoping more to see if anyone had had a similar experience with First Parking LLP. I also wanted to know how serious they are about taking people to court because I think it's all ridiculous.

Redx

plenty of parking companies are taking people to court at the moment , especially since the BEAVIS case last year , so it has been become VERY SERIOUS indeed

check the BMPA zendesk for info on FIRST LLP, but past history does not mean it wont happen in the next 6 years , some of those suing people now did nothing a few years ago

also bear in mind that they ALL cite the Beavis case since he lost in 3 courts and the S.C. ruling is binding for the reasons it gave on lower courts

so you have to have a good non-Beavis case to win

pappa_golf

m_1803 wrote: »

Ok well, I have researched and wanted to ask about my specific case, Barry Beavis got charged with a different company in a different situation. I was hoping more to see if anyone had had a similar experience with First Parking LLP. I also wanted to know how serious they are about taking people to court because I think it's all ridiculous.

research is good


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




https://beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/company/OC364466/officers

m_1803

Papa golf after checking your link, they got DVLA access after my ticket was issued yet they still managed to get my details?! Plus that handy link says I have less than 1 in 1000 of going to court...So what do you make of that Redx??????

pappa_golf

first parking are a paid up member of the BPA , see http://www.britishparking.co.uk/BPA-Approved-Operators


as a ticket was placed on your car , how long (days) did it take for them to write to you? , was it first , or a company like PCS that first wrote to you?


edit: I did spot "Date access granted to DVLA database: 03-08-2016" and its worth checking this out further

Redx

I make of that that in the past they have not issued court cases , but as I clearly stated nobody can tell you if they will suddenly start to issue court cases from now on

it is my experience that it is escalating into a tsunami of court cases by various PPC,s at the moment , a biblical deluge

Coupon-mad

I'd say the 3.8.16 is likely to be merely the date they started to get electronic access to the DVLA data, rather than the paper access small firms like this used to get. I expect they used DRP to get the data before 3.8.16, which is OK for a debt collector AOS member to get, for other small firm AOS members.

I've appealed a F1rst Parking PCN at a University, for my DD's friend; it was easy enough and they gave up when they saw the registered keeper was never going to name the driver.

What happened when you all got together and wrote a formal complaint to the University (and/or Student Union) about this harassment of students loading belongings in the final week? As you would! As you all SHOULD!

The Registered Keeper of the car could send a response (NOT an APPEAL, NOT saying who was driving). Send it not to the debt collectors (presumably a call centre of teenagers rather like in that TV show 'The Call Centre'). Send your dispute only to F1rst, then ignore them unless a solicitor's letter arrives (not daft 'DRPlus' and 'Zenith' stupid drivel that everyone here knows is safe to laugh at):



Dear Sir,

Formal Dispute - Parking Charge Notice [0123456789]: Vehicle Registration [AA11ABC]

I refer to the above-detailed Parking Charge Notice (“PCN”) issued to this vehicle by F1rst Parking.

I confirm that I am the keeper of this vehicle for the purpose of the corresponding definition under Schedule 4 of the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012 (“POFA”) and I write to dispute this 'PCN' and to advise you that a formal complaint is being made to the Dean of Lancaster University, signed by a number of students similarly targeted without justification.

No driver information can be lawfully assumed by such complaints from students. You are certainly not contracted to penalise, intimidate and unfairly demand three figure sums (in the form of fake 'fines') from students whose families & friends were assisting them to unload their belongings from accommodation, into cars, in the final week of term. It is perfectly reasonable during such weeks at the start or end of term, to expect to be able to load of unload the possessions of incoming or outgoing students. Loading and unloading is not covered by any signs you appear to have on site, so no contract exists nor was breached. Nor was there any agreement on paying a 'parking charge' under these circumstances.

You will no doubt be familiar with the strict requirements of Schedule 4 of POFA to be followed in order for a parking operator to be able to claim unpaid parking charges from a vehicle’s keeper. However, there are a number of reasons why your Notice to Keeper did not comply with the POFA. In order that you may understand why, I suggest that you carefully study the details of Schedule 4, Paragraph 8 in particular.

F1rst Parking has forfeited any possible right to claim keeper liability. Therefore please confirm that you will now cancel this charge, and call off the baseless debt collector letters, which will not be replied to, of course. No other reply will be sent.

Yours faithfully,


(add the name and address of the registered keeper of the car - they already have that. No implying who was driving nor adding weak, pointless stuff about not getting a permit because that implies who was driving)