Gladstone solicitors letter

IainR2

Hi to all you wonderful people who help fight these rip off merchants.
Hope I am doing the right thing by creating this new thread, let me know if not!


Long story short my wife received a parking fine/charge from UK Car Park management in May 2017. She had driven into a taxi only lane at the train station and pulled into the space to turn the car around and back out, whilst performing the manoeuvre what she thought was a "homeless guy" jumped behind the car. Turns out sometime later that the homeless guy was from UKCP and had taken a picture of the car and had charged her for parking.


We followed the instructions on the threads and denied and responded to all the threating letters we received, until they finally dried up at the end of last year.


This morning we received a letter from Gladstone solicitors headed LETTER BEFORE CLAIM. Asking for payment of £160 within 30 days or to fill out a Pre-action protocol for claim.


I have seen the instructions on how to fill this out so I believe that this is my next step? Can someone let me know that this is the right thing to do please.


I can't believe in this day and age that this bullying and threating behaviour is still acceptable. My wife is convinced she is going to end up in prison! If she had done something wrong and parked incorrectly I would pay it, but this was totally unacceptable, so I won't be.

Redx

doe the gladrags letter have a reference starting with a 1 ?

does it tell you contact details for gladrags at their knutsford gold club address ?

and does it mention gslcollections ? or DRPL ?

DOES IT GIVE 30 DAYS NOTICE ? (you mentioned this in your post)

DOES IT HAVE THE FINANCIAL FORMS TO FILL IN ? (do not fill them in)

if its a £160 demand from DRPL, ignore it

if its from gladrags, read recent LBC rebuttals, copy and paste one and send it, possibly by royal mail with a free cetificate of posting (not signed for)

this is a CIVIL matter, so absolutely NO CHANCE of going to prison, that is reserved for CRIMINAL matters

tesll you wife to do some prtoper research and not assume that the apocalypse is nigh (it isnt)

IainR2

[

Yes it does have a reference beginning with a 1 and includes contact details for gladrags at their knutsford gold club address.



and does it mention gslcollections ? or DRPL ?
No mention of GLS collections or DRPL? Just a number of options to pay within 30 days Gladstone's solicitors and an option to request a paper version of the information sheet and reply form..


It does ask me to fill out an information sheet and reply form on there website which requires me to create a login. Are you saying I shouldn't do this at this stage?


It is definitely a LBC letter I will compile a response based upon the rebuttals, am I correct in thinking that they will ignore it an move me into the next legal stage at this point?


Thanks for you help I shall inform my wife she isn't off to the nick just yet.


[/QUOTE]

Redx

yes you should issue your own LBC rebuttal (plenty of examples on this forum in other gladrags threads) and not fill in their forms at all

send it by post with a free cert of posting (not signed for) so it will cost you a stamp only, from the P O Counter

you could also email it (their email addresses have been posted on here many times) if you so wish

they are unlikely to read it or do anything other than proceed to an MCOL

ISSUE THE PP WITH A FREE SAR and get all their DOCS & PICS & CONTRACT & SIGNAGE etc, so you ahve it all ready for the MCOL stage

System

I shall inform my wife she isn't off to the nick just yet.

She might be off to court but you should encourage her to try it once. The whole process is not scary at all and can be like a bungee jump - all fear then a great relief at the fun of the day and the look on the faces of the other side. Priceless like this one yesterday

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/74864673#Comment_74864673

The_Deep

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 House of Commons recently

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

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

IainR2

Thanks everyone, think I am slowly getting up to speed on what is going on and how to deal with it all.


My understanding is that all I need to do is send a registered letter of rebuttal to Gladstones. I have had a good look around on the site to find a template to create my rebuttal and to ensure I cover all the points I need. Could someone point me in the right direction for this please?

harrys_dad

IainR2 wrote: »

Thanks everyone, think I am slowly getting up to speed on what is going on and how to deal with it all.


My understanding is that all I need to do is send a registered letter of rebuttal to Gladstones. I have had a good look around on the site to find a template to create my rebuttal and to ensure I cover all the points I need. Could someone point me in the right direction for this please?

Do not send a registered letter, or recorded delivery, as they can just refuse to accept it. A simple letter, with a free proof of posting slip, will suffice. If you want to be really "belt and braces" send two copies from different post offices.

beamerguy

I had to smile that your wife thinks she will go
to prison ..... OF COURSE NOT, CAN NEVER HAPPEN.

It is indeed the Gladstones boys who should be sent
to prison for the huge scam they set up with the IPC/IAS

All info of the LBA should be sent to you by post
and must include proof of what they claim for which
should include pictures etc etc.

It's the £60 that you must query because it's a fake add-on
and despite what rubbish they give you, it will be a charge
by a debt collector and is not allowed.

See how they explain that one ?????

IainR2

OK thanks for all the advice so far.
I am trying to keep this simple but want to make sure we don't miss any key facts. After discussing with my wife we are going to try and fight this all the way. She is very nervous about the whole thing as you can imagine. Neither of us can understand how anything like this can ever end up in the court, but hey ho..

We have responded to the Letter of claim saying we have repeatedly asked for all the information relating to the claim. So far we have had 1 grainy photo sent through, of the car backing out of the parking space.

I have not filled in the online reply form from Gladstones solicitors. But have said in my letter that I want all information/documentation in detail from them.

My understanding is that I will next enter the Managed Care on Line stage?
My defence was going to be since there is no way anyone could have been aware in the time the car was in the space that a contract was not entered into. I have not seen any proof except for one photo that the car was in the space for any period of time, and there won't be because it wasn’t. I have pictures of the bay which clearly says bar parking in big letters along with two additional conflicting notices giving information about what needs to be done if parking in the bay. These are smaller signs which would at a minimum would require leaving the vehicle to read.

Can someone confirm that this is the best form of defence? My understanding is that the car moving and someone being in it at the time the photo was taken doesn’t count?

Thanks, everyone, think we are looking for some reassurance that we are on the right path.

The_Deep

If you think that Gladstones have not behaved as they should, i.e., failed to answer legitimate question, behaved unprofessionally, attempted to obtain from you monies to which they have no lawful entitlement, breached the solicitors Code of Conduct, ignored CPRs and PAPs, , etc., complain to their regulatory body.

http://www.sra.org.uk/home/home.page