PCM Ticket whilst parked outside a friends house visiting, do i pay?

Coupon-mad

If you get court papers, typically they would be making up a figure of £250 - and I mean 'making it up' because that's not recoverable. If you then defend it, as we do here every week for people, you are most likely to find Gladstones sneak away. No hearing, case not proceeding further. SCAM OVER.

Worst case scenario is a hearing if you lose (NO CCJ) where you would be liable for LESS Than they are asking for now! The PCN is really only £100 - plus £50 in court fees if you lost - so you can see why not to pay £160 now or £250 IF they try to scare you with a claim!

This really is the truth of the matter. There is NO POINT folding and you will learn something, it's good research practice for you. We've helped several students defend.

Have a laugh and read the Parking Pranksters blogs on Gladstones bungled cases.

I have three student 'adult kids' right now and I would say the same to them, do not pay. Defend with our help is you need to, and make sure you write to PCM if you move house within six years, to ensure you never miss a threatogram, open them all to be sure it's only trashy demand, not court papers.

Pretty easy.

Here, no defended case has even got to a hearing so no-one here has lost v PCM. No Gladstones case defended here on this forum, has got past GO! And yes we've had some, you can search & find them. Most PCM cases never go to court papers.

To see those that do go further, and are won, read the Parking Prankster's blog (those are not cases from here). Gladstone bungle them all the time, I would not be concerned.

Bottom line - if you pay £60 you are joining the scam. Don't do that. Not a good start in life to be mugged and know it, and actually pay the mugger even though you know he's weak.

infernouk

fair enough ill hold out as per your advice, what was the previous poster talking about then saying they were in a court case with PCM?

The_Deep

Have you seen this?

http://parking-prankster.blogspot.com.es/2016/11/link-parking-lose-in-wrexham-flat-owner_2.html

It rather pulls the rug from under their feet.

Coupon-mad

Old dinosaur can see this is worth the research to defend, as a matter of principle at the very least you do not pay scammers in life.

Click on his username - he is defending a claim at an early stage right now. Read his thread and bookmark it to see what happens in the end!

I repeat that we help with defences quite a lot but have lost no Gladstones case at all and none here went as far as a hearing, yet. Only UKPC or ParkingEye ones have gone that far, some won some not, but yours is not them!

If they did, we'd know and would expect a win like you see reported by the Parking Prankster re cases that somehow proceed to court (maybe due to a weaker more template version defence at first, or maybe just due to where the person lives being easier for the Claimant to attend - who knows).

Either way, they are very defendable, no worries. Just don't ignore or miss court papers and come back if they arrive.

Have you seen this today?

http://parking-prankster.blogspot.co.uk/2016/11/pcmuk-youve-been-gladstoned-no-evidence.html

HTH

infernouk

Hi guys, i am returning to this thread as I have received further communication. I have received a TRACE Debt Recovery letter stating i need to pay £160 and if i ignore ill be appointed to the solicitors and taken to court

Umkomaas

if i ignore ill be appointed to the solicitors and taken to court

Please type out exactly what it says about being 'taken to court', because the above doesn't make much sense.

infernouk

here is a pic of the letter minus personal details

Umkomaas

The appointed firm of solicitors may be instructed to take your case to court.

Should the case go to court, additional court fees and legal cists may be recoverable from you.

1. It is not in the gift of a debt collector to take you to court.
2. If they pass it back to the PPC (who can institute court proceedings), the debt collector is out of the loop and doesn't earn a penny, regardless of any court outcome.
3. 'May' and 'should' in their letter do not mean 'will'.
4. The '£160 debt owed' letter tends to be the same type (and amount) used by all the debt collectors.

None of this is to say that the PPC won't institute court proceedings, but this isn't the point when that might happen.

UKCPM have dabbled with small claims, but just 26 cases from around 200,000 tickets issued over the past 3 years illustrates the odds in your favour.

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

infernouk

thanks, so is your advice to further ignore it until i see a solicitor letter? I was just worried some debt collector may show up at the door ha

Umkomaas

infernouk wrote: »

thanks, so is your advice to further ignore it until i see a solicitor letter? I was just worried some debt collector may show up at the door ha

Oh dear, you're watching too many 'Can't Pay, We'll Take it Away'.

Only if it goes to court, you lose, costs are awarded against you, the judge gives you a month to pay the costs, you refuse/ignore/forget, the PPC goes back to court to seek (and pay for) an order for bailiff enforcement - it's only then you might have a knock on your door.