Advice please- DRP Parking fines

Mackdaddy1

I've read some of the threads on this and I'm really starting to worry about my own situation. Hopefully someone can help me out with advice in what to do next.

The story: So on starting a new job (where I had worked for 4 months in total as part of the initial training) I parked each day in small retail car park a few mins walk
From the site. At the same time as this I had to move house and so for a period of time, my LogBook for the car I.e registered keeper details was not updated with my new address. I first received a letter from Debt Recovery Plus outlining a fine of 160 for parking at this site. The letters kept coming, each with different dates and different reference numbers. I paid 3/4 of these. Then when I recieved further fines, each new and of £160, I rang them up only to be told the debt amounted to £1400 in total and court proceedings were imminent. I paid it. I have since received another 4 letters with different reference numbers and for different dates. I paid those. Only when I told some colleagues of this mess and the stress it has caused me did I think to look on some of these forums. I feel incredibly worried and I don't know where I stand with a) paying any more of these b) possibly getting some of my money back? C) what to do next.

I hope someone can help. Thanks

Redx

stop worrying for now and STOP RINGING THEM UP TOO!

these are not "fines" , they are INVOICES , totally different

DRP are powerless , they cannot "fine" anyone and they are merely a debt collector that threaten people like you with pieces of paper (letters , post)

IGNORE DRP completely

and please read this thread to understand why

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

and please read the debt collector section post in the NEWBIES sticky thread, about the third thread down at the top of this forum

then IGNORE debt collectors including DRP and ZENITH (same company)

NEVER ring up a debt collector , do not contact them again !!!

you should not have paid DRP, you should have come here for advice , its too late for those and you have almost NO CHANCE of getting any money back

any time you pay a sc@mmer they will ALWAYS come back for more !!

its not much different than paying the Nigerian sc@mmers when they send begging letters and emails , all they do is keep asking for more , but you must also cut off their supply and stop parking where you should not be parking , stop abusing the free parking because it leads to situations like this - it is just not worth it - PERIOD

and stop using retail parks for parking , not unless you have paid a parking fee or have permission from the landholder to park on the site

the PPC may try a court case within 6 years , so who is the actual PPC ?

Mackdaddy1

Thanks for the advice. I feel very stupid about all this and can't believe I have been out so much money. I never received any letters directly from the PPC because it was going to an old address.. the only letters I have got are from DRP which says the "creditor" is Smart Parking Ltd. Does that impact on anything?
So in 6 years I could have to attend court because of all this? again, thanks for helping feel very lost.

Redx

Smart Parking have not tried any court cases up to now, BUT that doesnt mean they wont and they have 6 years to try claims in the small claims court

the main thing here is ask for advice before paying , which I wish you had done before , because the advice here is NEVER pay the debt collectors and NEVER communicate with them at all

DRP cannot take you , me or the QUEEN herself to court , they are powerless

SMART could try it , in which case come back for help if you receive an LBC from not so SMART, or from any solicitor they employ , OR if you receive a genuine court claim from Northampton Centre, known as an MCOL

google MCOL to see what it is , but its a civil court for settling invoice disputes etc, which this is , limited to £5000 (as seen on Judge Rinder daily on ITV)

now stop worrying but keep ALL PAPERWORK, IGNORE DRP and ask for help if Smart , their solicitor , or Northampton Court contact you by post

and in future, do not assume you can park for free on any private car park, they are honeytraps for the unwary , like you

Mackdaddy1

Ok I appreciate your input wish I had of asked for help sooner. I just saw this as a situation with only one way out.. pay the fine for doing something wrong. I'm wondering if it's worth getting in touch with the Smart Parking people in case there are more charges against me?

Redx

I would send SMART PARKING a letter (with a free certificate of posting from the PO counter - not recorded , just logged) disputing any and all parking invoices and inform them of your correct address and list the VRM of your vehicle , your name and your address. yes you can ask for all outstanding paperwork, but they may not give it to you so be prepared for silence , or they may fob you off to DRP (do not contact DRP at all)

that way you should get all parking charge notices, chase up letters etc at your new and correct address and avoid a default CCJ being applied to your old address

the point being you want all the paperwork both past , present and future to come to you and nowhere else , then file it unless its an LBC or an MCOL , for 6 or more YEARS

do not tell any of them who was driving the vehicle , it is for them to prove who was driving OR to comply with POFA2012 (the law regarding keeper liability)

I already said its not a "fine" , you made that up yourself

its an invoice , or invoices , from a company to you who they deem liable for those invoices

its no different than a plumber billing you for outstanding work that isnt paid for because you are disputing the bill. This plumber could take you to the same court using the same paperwork , yet that would be nothing to do with cars or parking

Mackdaddy1

Ok thanks. What is the "certificate of posting from PO counter" referring to? So I shouldn't pay the Smart Parking company either? Is best to dispute the charges? I won't contact DRP again.

Mackdaddy1

And also. The Smart Parking people will see that I have paid all this money? Is it still worth disputing further charges?

Redx

just take your letter to the PO Counter, ask to end it first class and ask for a free CERTIFICATE OF POSTING

they will stick their "stamp" on it, scan it , add the details of where it is going and issue a receipt for it , so not much different than buying a bottle of milk from asda

anything that is paid is out of the way , what you are disputing NOW is any current outstanding bills

ie:- if I paid all my outstanding bills to NPOWER for electricity used in the past , it wont stop me disputing any CURRENT BILLS that are excessive or incorrect

some other driver could have parked there for the current outstanding invoices, its Smart Parking`s job to prove who is liable and why

what if your car was taken without your consent and parked there, would you still feel "liable" ???

I dont think so

Fruitcake

Mackdaddy1 wrote: »

Ok thanks. What is the "certificate of posting from PO counter" referring to? So I shouldn't pay the Smart Parking company either? Is best to dispute the charges? I won't contact DRP again.

When you post something from a Post Office counter you can get a free proof of posting. It looks like a till receipt. In UK law, an item posted first class is deemed to have arrived two working days later. So, if someone says they never received it, you have proof you sent it, and the law says it was deemed delivered so tough luck on the recipient.

Mackdaddy1 wrote: »

And also. The Smart Parking people will see that I have paid all this money? Is it still worth disputing further charges?

Yes they will see you have previously paid and mark you down as a mug.
Yes you appeal each and every ticket you get from any and all private parking companies. The NEWBIES thread explains how.

Coupon-mad

Mackdaddy1 wrote: »

And also. The Smart Parking people will see that I have paid all this money? Is it still worth disputing further charges?

Please, please stop giving them so much respect. Yes if any PCNs are within the past month, follow the appeal advice in the NEWBIES thread and win at POPLA as you could have done for ALL of them if only you had engaged your Googling finger instead of opening your wallet.

You have been scammed for a 4 figure sum and you paid it, that's why they keep sending you new ones because you are on a suckers' list (sorry but you are and this was like sending money to a Nigerian phishing emailer).

I an so upset to read a story from such a victim who is still worried about 'fines' and still isn't sure they should never have paid these.

The only way you would get your money back would be if you issued a claim, if the parking firm was wrong to get your data, look how weak they are:

http://parking-prankster.blogspot.co.uk/2016/11/smart-parking-settle-out-of-court-for.html

But it doesn't sound as though the parking charges were wrongly issued and sadly, you don't sound like the fighting back type. You are still sounding like a victim right now. And please stop using retail parks for all day parking, if that's what was happening...not good.