Change of address on lease car

Irishbernie

Hi everyone,

I have looked through the various threads but cannot find an answer to this particular problem, hence the new thread. I have a lease car which I get through my job.
Basically on Saturday I received a letter in the post from a debt collection agency saying I owed £130 on an unpaid parking fine from Oct 2017 when I overstayed allowed time in a shopping centre car park. This was the first I had heard about it however and it turned out the private car park company initially sent the fine to my old address and the letter from the debt collection agency states they 'traced' me to my new address. I moved from the old address in June 2017, I contacted every appropriate agency etc I could think of, had my licence address changed with DVLA shortly after and set up the Royal Mail redirect for 3 months. I was never trying to hide from anyone, I have never received a fine and I have no penalty points! I'm an honest tax paying citizen!
I have no idea where the private car park got my old address so I rang the number on the letter from the debt collection agency and they said they probably got it from the lease company where I get my car from. I told the debt agency in my naivety that i I am happy to pay the original fine but I'm not paying the late penalty as I wasn't aware of the fine. You can imagine the response I got to that, in fact I got threatened with court action.
In the mean time I called the lease company and they said they don't hold our home addresses, only the address of our head office so it wasn't them that supplied the old address.

So now I don't know what to do. Do I try contact the private car park who issued the initial fine and sort it with them? I'm happy to pay the original fine as I think I remember the day in question and was possibly late to the car. I don't think I should have to pay the penalty though, it's a lot of money for someone working part time and with a toddler. I'm worried if I don't pay it however it might affect my credit rating.
Would appreciate any advice on this.

Thank you in advance,
Irishbernie

twhitehousescat

you have obviously failed to see

**NEWBIES!! PRIVATE PARKING TICKET? OLD OR NEW? **READ THESE FAQS FIRST!**

which is cleaver y hidden about 3 posts above yours http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.php?t=4816822

due to making phone calls and offering to pay money , you may have damaged your chance of beating the scum

please read it and return with any questions

Umkomaas

I have never received a fine

You still haven't. No private company can fine you!

I'm an honest tax paying citizen!

Good! But why do you think that makes the slightest bit of difference to a scammer (Hansard 02/02/18)?

I'm worried if I don't pay it however it might affect my credit rating.

You need to do a bit more research before getting sucked in by urban myth. You've not even been to court yet!

Looking at your username - are you based in Northern Ireland by any chance?

Which parking company is involved please?

Coupon-mad

I'm worried if I don't pay it however it might affect my credit rating.

We're not worried. That can't happen unless you ignored a court claim/court papers, or lost a small claim hearing (almost unheard of here!) and then still refused to pay the sum within 30 days.

Not going to happen, is it?

I'm happy to pay the original fine

It's not a fine and we aren't happy for you to fall for this 'outrageous scam' (Hansard 2.2.18).

You should read these links and watch the MPs debate in Parliament, to fire you up:

http://parliamentlive.tv/event/index/2f0384f2-eba5-4fff-ab07-cf24b6a22918?in=12:49:41

https://www.theyworkforyou.com/debates/?id=2018-02-02b.1149.0

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.php?t=5787731

This month, the private parking industry's little game and 'outrageous scam' (Hansard), has been finally been condemned unanimously by MPs in Parliament in the private parking Code of Practice Bill debate.

Watch it, read it, get it, and tell us which PPC is demanding money with menaces for no service whatsoever?

And tell us what happens when you & your little family take the letters to the Store Manager at the shop(s) and complain & shame them for allowing this, until they pick up the phone & cancel it, as many Store Managers do every single week. It's the bane of some of their lives, and they lose customers because of this con.

Most retail park ones are EASY to cancel. If the Store Managers can't cancel, ask them who can (landowner of the retail park/managing agent, easy to Google to find out if they won't tell you).

Irishbernie

Thanks for replying to me. I did in fact see the other 'Newbies' post that you funnily said was hidden! I just didn't see an answer to a fine on a leased car AND a change of address situation however, hence I was brazen enough to put my own post up;)

Irishbernie

Hi Umkomaas,

Thank you for replying and your help. I'm actually from the Republic of Ireland but live in Coventry. The car park in question is Central Six Retail Park and the private parking company is G24 Limited. They are using Debt Recovery Plus Ltd.

twhitehousescat

family , friends still back home?

you could forward a address where mail could be received?

Irishbernie

My old address was a rental property in Coventry, my partner and I rented it privately.

Umkomaas

You're at the debt collector stage with DRP and as G24 are also involved this is now totally ignorable.

Always the 'health warning' of don't ignore a Letter Before Claim from G24 (DRP can't issue those) or real court papers, but as G24 have never issued either - ever - I don't expect they'll be starting with you.

http://www.bmpa.eu/companydata/G24.html