Met Parking is trying to rob me.

Coupon-mad

Yes we mean the lease.

Read the Jopson case transcript of her winning court hearing, provided by the BMPA in a link here:

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/5553131

Groundbreaking because it is an Appeal case, persuasive on lower courts.

The_Naked_Ape

I called Met Parking today asking why they haven't sent out an answer to my appeal. that I sent on the 30th of September
They said the did only an hour or so after I posted the appeal! and this was just after they sent confirmation of reciept, for my appeal. Again on the 30th September.
So I checked through my account looking for the two emails, I looked and looked and only when I went through everything for that week I found them (two) but they were not emails just two icons that only tonight when I really looked at them realized they were a PDF variant
IT really didnt look like an email. (just a shell) I wanted to send you an attachment to see the "Email" they sent, but MSE wont allow it me being a new user and so.
To make matters worse my email 'hotmail' flagged it as potentially fraudelant and that I should take caution.

I get so many emails a day, I had around 5 or 6 from Met on the 30th ...I feel as though I have been stung! How was I supposed to know that icon was my appeal being rejected...

Today I asked my housing association 'Peabody' for a copy of the lease and was told that I will get a phone call tomorrow...
Is there ANYTHING I can do?

These people are very sneaky, I cant believe how they get away with it.


Any advice greatfully recieved.

Thanks

TKA (Hugh) (Hope this all make sense,,,I think I'm starting to losie it.)


(God knows what I can do now, MET PARKING they really are the pits.

The_Naked_Ape

they said they would contact me within 35 day's not minutes? this is almost mind-bending how they are warping this.

Coupon-mad

Is there ANYTHING I can do?

Of course, ignore them from now on, just as everyone did before POPLA existed. Why do people think lack of POPLA is such a disaster?!

Having said that, complain to the BPA by forwarding that email to the BPA and say you wish to complain about MET and 'the attached email'.

DO NOT tip the BPA off as to what the complaint is about, don't mention lack of POPLA code, just forward the email and say you want to complain about MET because of that email. And attach a copy of the PCN as well.

The idea being to fish for a reply 'what email, that is just an icon...' !!

Then you can strike with the facts. Obviously your first complaint is going to have to give the BPA the PCN and VRN number and your name and address as keeper of the car, but no hints, just vague. Think it through...you want the BPA to have the same trouble you did.

The_Deep

Is your HA a registered charity? If so, complain to the Charity Commissioners that they are allowing predatory scammers to rip off tenants, copy it to HA and your MP. Also post of the notice boards asking if others are having similar problems.

The_Naked_Ape

Thank you 'The Deep'

In regards to your question yes, the housing association is also a registered charity. Now I am at my wits end worrying about this, Like I said if I wasnt paying direct debit for my parking space or if I had parked in another bay I would hold my hands up but to be fined for a piece of paper saying that it expired (I didnt know!) that I was sure they were supposed to have reissued me a new one on expiry as were my previous parking control 4 years ago (MET Parking is the new one)
So no I am told that Met says that I should have contacted them first and the expiry was my fault and it doesent matter if I pay in advance direct debit because if my permit expired then I owe them!
The fact that they issued me with not one but 2 ticketcs both for £60 £120) (The car hadnt moved they just but one ontop of the other?) and now demanding £200 ootherwise they will take me to court and eventually will send balifs round and probably take my car or other property.
This close to christmas is no joke I don't have that kind of money to give to PCN !!!!!.
If I refuse to pay this will they take my car? will I lose my flat?
what is the worse case scenario?

Any ideas......


Thanks .

PS I am still awaiting the lease document once I have this I will come back.

Coupon-mad

If I refuse to pay this will they take my car? will I lose my flat?

Oh my God don't be daft! No. And more no. They can't take anything. This isn't a 'Can't Pay, We'll Take it Away' high court writ!

what is the worse case scenario?

Being taken to a small claims court, losing and paying £150 per PCN (approx, no huge costs). No CCJ, no big deal, nothing - that's ALL.

And MET don't even do court!

Redx

as long as you pay the judgment promptly IF you lost , then no bailiffs would attend

you have been watching scary programmes on tv and assumed they apply to you , yet those same programmes only show what happens when a judge issues a court order and it is ignored (not paid)

the PPC should place your VRM on a "whitelist" seeing as you are paying for parking, to ensure it is exempt

paper parking permits are all old hat in this electronic age and it is their job to ensure that it is sent out if they are receiving money

a judge would likely look at this as exploitation by the PPC who whould not be ticketing a residents car and who should have cancelled when the issue was raised

it is paramount that you get a copy of the lease/contract/tenancy agreement call it what you like (I dont care what you call it) and check what it says you must do as your part of this contract for parking

a tenant normally has the right to "peaceful enjoyment" so it is important that you know what you signed up to as any judge will require those details which you should have a copy of anyway , when you signed up

The_Deep

This really is no big deal. Before the PPC can get a penny out of you, they have to win in court. A county Court, no wigs, gowns, prisoner in the dock, just a room with a table where the parties sit and put their side of the argument to a judge, usually a solicitor.

The judge has a pretty good idea of the m.o. of the PPC, he rwill realise that you have done nothing wrong, not overstayed, not tried to avoid payment, just parked in your own rented parking space.

For that reason the PPC is very unlikely to take you to court. It may huff and puff, engage solicitors to make lots of threats, get DCAs to send you letters with lots of red ink and tell you lies, but in the end it knows it does not have much of a case against you. Nobody has lost a cent, and if the judge finds for you, the PPC is going to have to pay out a lot of money.

Read this

http://www.miltonkeynes.co.uk/news/milton-keynes-woman-secures-landmark-victory-for-flat-tenants-in-parking-dispute-1-7459066

The PPC bit off more than they could chew when they targeted Ms Jopson, you could do the same with this lot, but you need to man up and stop be silly.

The_Naked_Ape

I contacted my estate manager for a copy of the parking lease agreement twice asking him to contact me urgently regarding the parking issue and need for the lease he has not got back to me, I also called and then contacted his superiors again twice and still waiting to hear back and a copy of the lease (I have kept all emails)
I have also asked my estate manager for a copy of my direct debit payments that will prove beyond doubt that I have always been in credit and that my car has always been parked in the designated bay (Taxed, insured and MOT'd) so I can show this to a judge if needed.

My original tennancy agreement is 20 years old I cannot seem to find it or even if it holds any legality I don't know if they have ever sent me another? (I hope I find it but I cant hold breath.)
The parking enforcers are the new permit providers they know that if they fail to contact residents to remind them that they can then set out in fining them it is so wrong.
if a resident forgets it is not as if they are not paying for thier space they should not be fined it just seems crazy.

Thank you for your help

TNA