Incomplete vrn entered

pjr1525_2

Hi, this is my first post, I would appreciate some advice. I recently received a PCN through the post from a company called HX car park management stating that I had parked without a valid ticket. It supplied photos of my car entering and leaving the car park. I still had the ticket in my car confirming that I ,as an occupant of the car, had paid and not overstayed so I sent a photo of the ticket to their appeals department. They sent me an email the next day refusing my appeal saying that I had not completed the vrn and this was a breach of contract and I must pay £60 or£100. I ,as an occupant of the car, had entered the first four digits of the vrn as some car parks that I have used previously required. This information positively identified the ticket related to the car on which it was displayed. In my opinion I am being charged this excessive amount for what amounts to no more than a typing error. Both myself and my wife are oaps and this represent a significant part of our pensions. I would appreciate any advice. Many thanks

Redx

as this is an IPC member you need to read up on those details in the NEWBIES faq sticky thread near the top of this forum

HX have 6 years to try a court claim, in civil court near you, so keep all paperwork for the next 6 years, in case they do

as they rejected your appeal, you are now in IGNORE mode, so come back if you receive an LBC or an MCOL in the post

ignore the debt collector letters

in future, study the payment machine requirements more closely, as these companies like to trip people up with their small print and attention to detail

this is a common mistake , so try to avoid it in future

The_Deep

As you say, this is a trifle, and the Law does not concern itself with trifles.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/De_minimis

This is an entirely unregulated industry which is scamming the public with inflated claims for minor breaches of contracts for alleged parking offences, aided and abetted by a handful of low-rent solicitors.

Parking Eye, CPM, Smart, and another company have already been named and shamed, as has Gladstones Solicitors, and BW Legal, (these two law firms take hundreds of these cases to court each year). They lose most of them, and have been reported to the regulatory authority by an M.P. for unprofessional conduct

Hospital car parks and residential complex tickets have been especially mentioned.

The problem has become so rampant that MPs have agreed to enact a Bill to regulate these scammers. Watch the video of the Second Reading in the HofC recently.

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

and complain in the most robust terms to your MP. With a fair wind they will be out of business by Christmas.

pjr1525_2

Many thanks for those replies.

Coupon-mad

Same as all other IPC firm threads.

No appeal will work, it is considered a broken system/biased (even Parliament knows that).

Complain to your MP. Make sure they hear your wrath about this industry of 'rogues and bloodsuckers' (Hansard 2.2.18).

Come back if they try a small claim using Gladstones. You can read lots of threads like that by searching HX Gladstones claim and see how they are won!

pjr1525_2

I have not said that I was the driver at the time I am only the registered keeper. In their PCN they don't identify the vehicle only a vrn, They only sent photos of the car when it entered the car park and when it left and do not claim that the car was parked for the period in between which they stated in minutes, they also did not say that no money was paid in. I believe that if only one of the requirements in the POFA is missed ( not identifying the car ) then they cannot pursue me as the keeper, only the driver if known. I would appreciate any advice. Many thanks

Quentin

Save all this until such time as they take court action.

As advised in #2, wait and see if they do attempt a court claim.

They have 6 years to start legal action against you

If you want to do something now complain to your mp as advised in #5

KeithP

pjr1525 wrote: »

In their PCN they don't identify the vehicle only a vrn.

I think you'll find that quoting a VRN does, quite uniquely, identify the vehicle.

pjr1525_2

I have already sent a letter to my MP. Being retired I have a lot of time on my hands and am prepared to take this all the way to court. There is such a lot of good knowledge and advice out there which decent people give freely.
Would there be any point in sending a letter to the appeals dept of the company involved, informing them that I intend to defend this charge, implying it would be a waste of their money, because there is a miriad of free advice and help available on how to win any court case involving unfair parking charges? And should I enclose a copy of the letter that I sent to my MP. !!!! Turpin at lease had the decency to wear a mask!

nosferatu1001

They wont even read it. If it doesnt contain a cheque, they could care less.

Coupon-mad

Do watch Watchdog tomorrow night:

http://parking-prankster.blogspot.co.uk/2018/04/parking-prankster-on-watchdog.html

Alex the Parking Prankster is on it, in an expose about parking firms dodgy practices.