ES Parking Enforcement/Gladstone’s

Daddymaki

Hi,

Wondering what my rights are and what these jokers have to actually do properly?
I received a letter from Gladstone’s solicitors on the
1st November 2018 regarding a
PCN which had been issued on the 14/08/2018.
Hand on heart this was the first time we’d heard off anyone in regards to a parking fine.
I rang the solicitor on the 12th November stating that I’d not received any communication and asking for the evidence.
The agent on the other end on the line then told me that he’d contact the client and arrange for the evidence to be sent.
On the 10th January two whole months after my first contact with the solicitor I received the evidence and a letter explaining that I was liable for £160.
Has anyone got any advice on what I should do obvs they have the evidence and we made a genuine mistake! but we have received no communication other than solicitors letters? Surely there must be some time scales they have to adhere to as well.
Any advise will be grately received.

The_Deep

You are not liable for £160, or even a penny, unless a judge finds against you Complain about Gladstones to their regulatory body the SRA

https://sra.org.uk/home/home.page

as they are trying to overcharge you and not replied to your enquiry. Also, complain to your MP as it is 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.

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.

Le_Kirk

All the advice you need is contained within the NEWBIE guidance, one click back and third post down. As to not receiving the original PCN and follow up paperwork, have you moved since the parking date (14/08/18) and not updated the DVLC with your details? Submit a Subject Access Request (details in the NEWBIE sticky) to Gladstones.