Advice sought - DPR demand for payment please (after reading newbies thread)

Elbie793

Hey all,
I'd really appreciate some advice please. I've read the newbies part but still a little unsure what to do / if I can do anything due to a couple of issues I'll outline below.
After working abroad for a couple of weeks I've got home to a letter from DRP dated 4.4.17. It is regarding a parking charge from 25.1.17 which I didn't know I had. I think that's my fault as I haven't changed my drivers licence address after moving house a yr ago (I know that's terrible but 1st things first!) but I do pay car tax using this address so unsure why an old address was used (if it was.)
So, no notice on windscreen in a car park in Birmingham but a letter some time later, now they have 'utilised a trace service' to send a letter to my home.
The demand is for £150 for failure to pay for duration of stay and the creditor is Premier Park in Birmingham.
Should I just pay it? I'm quite careful with things like parking so, although I can't remember it seems really unlikely that, if I did overstay, it would've been for more than 5mins. But maybe that's irrelevant. £150 seems totally unfair though.
The letter goes on to say that 'Full payment needs to be received by 18.4.17 or further recovery action will take place' and then a lovely section about the Supreme Court decision and why this is now a test case for them.
It's a bit unsettling, although I could just about get the money together it seems really unfair and extremely aggressive. But as I can't prove myself (I didn't know that I had a fine so didn't take pics/make notes of time etc) maybe i just have to pay- what do you guys think?
Thanks for any advice!

The_Slithy_Tove

You say you read the NEWBIES thread, yet you ask if you should pay £150 to DRP?!? I think you'd better read it again. It does take a couple of goes through to fully understand, as there's a lot there.

One thing it does say, though, is to ignore DRP.

Fruitcake

First, update your details with the DVLA. V5 and driving licence need to be done separately as the two departments don't talk to each other.

Send a (late) appeal to the parking scammers saying the keeper was out the country when the original PCN was sent, and also that the PCN was not sent to a service address (as defined by the POA 2012) where you could be contacted. Tell them this is your current address service for all correspondence from now on.

Ignore debt collectors just like it tells you to do in the NEWBIES.

yotmon

If you are receiving notice to renew your VEL at your new address, then that is the address that Dvla hold. Your Driving licence has nothing to do with a vehicle that you own. Did u renew you car tax prior to or after the 25/01/17 ?

Elbie793

Fair point, might be a bit jet lag but I found it really hard to understand & apply to my situation tbh. I wondered if the time delay/lack of proof for times (although they never actually said what time this occurred at) and the fact that I'm supposed to pay within 4days now might mean I've past the point of being able to dispute. Thanks though, I will have another go as well as taking in the other comments

yotmon

Fruitcake wrote: »

First, update your details with the DVLA. V5 and driving licence need to be done separately as the two departments don't talk to each other.

Hi Fruitcake, my driving licence and vehicle was registered at my previous address (which I still owned). I then changed my vehicle to my current address but left the DL as it was due for renewal that year. I was surprised to find that the renewal form was posted to this address and not my other property, so somebody must be using joined up writing at the Dvla.

Elbie793

Yotmon thanks for the reply. Nope car tax was done before that date- should've been correct since Aug last yr

Elbie793

Fruitcake wrote: »

First, update your details with the DVLA. V5 and driving licence need to be done separately as the two departments don't talk to each other.

Send a (late) appeal to the parking scammers saying the keeper was out the country when the original PCN was sent, and also that the PCN was not sent to a service address (as defined by the POA 2012) where you could be contacted. Tell them this is your current address service for all correspondence from now on.

Ignore debt collectors just like it tells you to do in the NEWBIES.

Fruitcake - should I reply to Debt recovery to appeal and that the PCN was not sent to a service address? Or should I find contact details for the car park company (Premier Park) and tell them? Sorry if this is stupid Q but I'm just trying to work out if completely ignore them, or tell them this bit first. This is the only letter I have so never heard from Premier Park (although maybe that one when to another address)

Fruitcake

Elbie793 wrote: »

Fruitcake - should I reply to Debt recovery to appeal and that the PCN was not sent to a service address? Or should I find contact details for the car park company (Premier Park) and tell them? Sorry if this is stupid Q but I'm just trying to work out if completely ignore them, or tell them this bit first. This is the only letter I have so never heard from Premier Park (although maybe that one when to another address)

You appeal to the PPC. You ignore debt crawlers, unless you want to tell them you deny the debt and they should refer the matter back to their clients, then ignore everything after that from the debt crawlers.
Your only contact should be with the PPC.

DoaM

I'd suggest sending the following (separately) to both of them:

Dear Premier park / DRP (change as appropriate)
With respect to PCN reference XXX, the alleged debt is denied in its entirety. No appeal will be made or further correspondence entertained unless or until the principal (Premier Park) instigate court action in pursuit of this alleged debt.

The purpose of this communication is to advise you that correspondence has been arriving at an old, non-serviceable address for myself, the registered keeper of the vehicle. Please be advised that the current address for service for the registered keeper is:

Name
Address
Postcode etc.

As you have now been notified of the correct address for service, any further correspondence sent to the old address will be deemed an abuse of process and will be raised as such in my defence should any court claim be forthcoming.

Yours faithfully,

[squiggle signature}

Print your name here

Maybe wait for others to fine-tune this before sending though.

But then ignore anything else from a debt collector.

Coupon-mad

Elbie793 wrote: »

Fair point, might be a bit jet lag but I found it really hard to understand & apply to my situation tbh.

Were you reading post #1 instead of post #4 of the NEWBIES FAQS? Your stage is IGNORE THE DEBT COLLECTORS, not 'appeal'. Post #4 covers it and any search of the forum for any keywords about this would bore you as senseless as we feel.

There is no need for threads about debt collectors. Please read what is already here very day, repeated ad infinitum...