NTC Parking FIne

Brian_WK

Hi, I am currently being perused by a law firm on behalf of Norwich Traffic Control. When the ticket was issued the land where I was parked which is a private road had recently changed hands. When I asked the landowner if he had given NTC permission to operate on his land he said no (he had in fact paid a ticket himself even though it is his land). I appealed the ticket stating that I believed that didn't have permission to operate on the land and wanted to see proof that they did and the reply was "No chance". I have been ignoring the letters but they are now threatening legal action, I am prepared to go to court but would welcome any advice. Also I have not disclosed the owner or driver of the car (neither of which is me).

ppc_guy

What is the road? I worked at NTC (as most on here already know) and might have a bit more of an insight into it.

Also people should be aware I do not work at NTC any more as some on here already know and it is fairly acrimonious so this is not a fishing trip. I just want the site and no other details no dates vehicles or anything identifiable.

Fruitcake

Who exactly has threatened you with court, and who does the letter tell you to pay? Some rogue solicitors sell out their letter heads to debt crawlers, and some act in their own capacity as debt crawlers as well, both to con people into thinking they have a real solicitors' letter (which you may actually have, but we need to be sure.)

For a small fee you can get proof of landownership from the Land Registry. Getting something in writing from the current owner will also help.

I cannot understand why a landowner would tell you they had paid a scammer for parking on their own land. That sounds really dodgy, so the best way to be sure is to get proof from the LR. The new owner might simply be stupid, or they may have taken on the scammers themselves and is trying to fob you off.

Post a redacted image of your letters by uploading them to a web hosting site such as postimages or tinypic, or similar. Paste the URL here but change http to hxxp as you cannot post live links. Someone here will change it back to a live link.

I can't see any harm in telling us where this occurred, as long as all other personal info is redacted, including VRN, PCN number as well as the obvious.

You should also complain to your MP about this unregulated scam. This is the only way it will ever get stopped. This is what our MPs have to say on the subject.


''Rip-offs from car park Cowboys must stop''; unfair treatment; signage deliberately confusing to ensure a PCN is issued; ''years of abuse by rogue parking companies''; bloodsuckers; ''the current system of regulation is hopeless, like putting Dracula in charge of the blood-bank''; extortionate fines; rogue operators; ''sense of injustice''; unfair charges and notices; wilfully misleading; signage is a deliberate act to deceive or mislead; ''confusing signs are often deliberate, to trap innocent drivers''; unreasonable; a curse; harassing; operating in a disgusting way; appeals service is no guarantee of a fair hearing; loathed; outrageous scam; dodgy practice; outrageous abuse; unscrupulous practices; ''the British Parking Association is as much use as a multi-storey car park in the Gobi desert''; and finally, by way of unanimous conclusion: ''we need to crack down on these rogue companies. They are an absolute disgrace to this country. Ordinary motorists and ordinary residents should not have to put up with this''.

These are the exact words used, so you should quote them to your MP in a complaint and ask him/her to contact Sir Greg Knight MP if he wants further information about this scam.

The_Deep

I appealed the ticket stating that I believed that didn't have permission to operate on the land and wanted to see proof that they did and the reply was "No chance".

They are hardly trying to come to an out of court settlement with this attitude. Can you not hit them with a quote from their Code of Practice?

http://www.sra.org.uk/solicitors/handbook/code/content.page

It is the will of Parliament that these scammers be put out of business. Hopefully that will take place in the near future. The Bill has passed through the HOC without hitch, and goes to the Lords soon. In the meantime involve your MP, the poor dears are buckling under the weight of complaints about these scammers. Read this one which I wrote earlier

This is an entirely unregulated industry which is scamming the public with inflated claims for minor breaches of alleged contracts for alleged parking offences, aided and abetted by a handful of low-rent solicitors. Is has been suggested by an MP that some of these companies may have connections to organised crime.

Parking Eye, CPM, Smart, (especially Smart}, and others have already been named and shamed in the House of Commons as have Gladstones Solicitors, and BW Legal, (these two law firms take hundreds of these cases to court each week), hospital car parks and residential complex tickets have been especially mentioned. They lose most of them, and have been reported to the regulatory authority by an M.P. for unprofessional conduct

The problem has become so widespread that MPs have agreed to enact a Bill to regulate these scammers.

Sir Greg Knight's Private Members Bill to curb the excesses, and perhaps close down, some of these companies passed its Third Reading in late November, and, with a fair wind, will become Law next year.

All three readings are available to watch on the internet, (some 6-7 hours), and published in Hansard. MPs have an extremely low opinion of the industry. Many are complaining that they are becoming overwhelmed by complaints from members of the public. Add to their burden, complain in the most robust terms about the scammers.

ppc_guy

The_Deep wrote: »

Is has been suggested by an MP that some of these companies may have connections to organised crime.

Would be interested in seeing a source for this claim ?

Also the Parking Bill doesn't change much.
It puts it back to only one 2nd level appeal provider - yet to be detailed on who or how
It details thats the charge must be no more than £100 which is already the case.

It really just formalises what is already in place but again with no way to monitor it.

Le_Kirk

I am currently being perused by a law firm..........

Do you mean pursued? Unless of course the law firm is giving you the once over. It is important to get things correct right at the start then it becomes a habit when you compile appeals/defence/witness statement.

The_Deep

Would be interested in seeing a source for this claim ?

Hansard, Sir Greg Knight's private members bill, I cannot remember which reading.