DCBL Parking Fine Recovery Notice - Please Help

DJBucko2009

Hi there,

I would really appreciate any advice on a long running parking ticket issue I've been having, the most recent development of which is the receipt of a debt recovery notice from DCBL debt collectors.

The facts are as follows:

On the 14th April 2016 (yes, that long ago!) I parked in the same private car park I used to park in every day for work, purchasing a valid ticket for £2.50 as always.

I returned to my car after work to find that, remarkably, I had received a parking fine for £100 issued by the owners (Elite Management Ltd).

I followed the instructions for contacting the car park owners on the notice. I told them that there must have been a mistake, and that I had purchased a valid ticket.

They replied with photographic evidence, saying that the ticket wasn't clearly displayed, pointing to the ticket in the middle of the dashboard which had flipped over.

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The photographic evidence conveniently fails to encompass the entire dashboard, specifically the driver's side, where I assert that the ticket was clearly displayed.

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They rejected my appeal to them, and I, perhaps naively, just ignored this rejection thinking "good luck trying to win that case against me".

They then called in debt collectors ZZPS Ltd, who in turn called in the debt recovery arm of Wright Hassall Ltd. The first correspondence I received from Wright Hassall was July 2016.

After several emails back and forth, where I laid out the evidence and concluded "based on the evidence, you can't win this case against me, I would suggest you go back to your client and suggest they drop the claim."

They asked why I hadn't appealed to POPLA, and in hindsight it was stupid of me not to, but by this time the opportunity to appeal to POPLA had expired.

The last I heard from Wrght Hassall, ZZPS or Elite Management was early in September 2016, where they reiterated their threat to refer me to their litigations department if I didn't pay £208.

This week, at the end of July 2017, nearly 11 months later, I have received a letter from DCBL demanding £100 + £60 admin fee.

I can only assume that Wright Hassall/ZZPS have informed Elite Management that my case is not worth pursuing, but they have simply switched to another debt collection agency.

So I guess my questions are:

> Based on the attached photographic evidence above, do you agree that their evidence is insufficient, or will their subsequent claim that "the number of old tickets left on the dashboard meant the valid one was not displayed clearly" hold any weight?

> Will the fact that I didn't appeal to POPLA within the allotted time frame count against me in any legal proceedings?

> Given the time that has elapsed between correspondences, have I got any grounds for complaint to a governing body? Surely they can't just indefinitely threaten me, or leave such a length of time between correspondences?

> Should I reply to DCBL, perhaps including previous correspondence with Wright Hassall etc., or should I ignore them?

As I say, thoughts on the above would be hugely appreciated.

Redx

only a judge can decide on the "legal grounds" so doesnt matter what anybody "thinks"

a judge might decide it should have been appealed , including POPLA, because court is the last resort

there is no governing body , so nobody to complain to , apart from your MP

in any case, it doesnt matter which DCA is chasing it , without a court order they are powerless

read post #4 of the NEWBIES sticky thread , and IGNORE them

come back if you get an actual LBC or an MCOL from Northampton CCBC

until then , its stalemate

ps:- its not a "fine" , despite what you wish to call it

its a PCN , Parking Charge Notice , in simple terms its an INVOICE , nothing more , so not a "finer" , and not a "penalty" either , just an INVOICE

pps:- the PPC has 6 years , so 72 months . to issue a court claim , so 16 months is neither here nor there

Coupon-mad

debt recovery notice from DCBL debt collectors.

Ignore, stop taking the bait. If you move house, tell the parking firm but ignore debt collector drivel along the way.

Come back if you get a claim in the end, we will help. This is not a stage that needs any action.

DJBucko2009

Thanks very much for your help.

The biggest temptation is for me to respond immediately and fire logical arguments at them, but I will heed your advice and ignore them for now.

Redx

they do this for a living and have heard it all before

you cannot talk logic to morons who put their fingers in their ears and sing WE WANT YOUR MONEY , WHEN DO WE WANT IT ? , NOW !!!

not worth the hassle , just get on with your life and only get help at LBC or MCOL stage