letter before claim from Gladstone solicitors

IAK

Please can you help? In Oct 2017 I received a parking ticket from National Parking Enforcement Ltd. I think it was for parking outside of a bay which i wasn't aware of. They wanted something like £100 for this. At the time I wrote to them and said I wouldn't pay such a ludicrous amount but would be prepared to pay the usual fee charged in this area by the council which was £25 if you pay within 14 days. I sent them a cheque for this amount which they immediately returned saying it was unacceptable. I didn't receive anything else and didn't reply. Subsequently I moved and have now received a letter before claim from Gladstone Solicitors asking for £160 or they will take me to court. You have kindly advised others on this sort of thing and even written a template in response, which would be totally amazing. I don't know what to do next. Thank you

Umkomaas

have now received a letter before claim from Gladstone Solicitors asking for £160 or they will take me to court.

To whom does the Gladstones letter tell you to pay?

I don't know what to do next.

Please read the NEWBIES FAQ sticky, post #2 which describes the whole court process should your case get that far. Depending on your answer to my above question, you could already be on that road.

This isn't a simple case of find a template and it's 'game over' for the PPC, you will need to do lots of research and work. You offering £25 to NPE won't have helped you as it could well be argued that you have indicated culpability. Did you also divulge who the driver was in your correspondence with NPE?

The_Deep

The whole industry is a scam, relying on threats of court, and the public's ignorance of the Law, A bill is currently before parliament which will regulate the scammers, many of whom are ex-clampers.

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 Second Reading in the Lords this month, and, with a fair wind, will l become Law later this year..

All five readings are available to watch on the internet, (some 7-8 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.

IAK

If It helps i offered the £25 as an act of good will. I did not admit to anything. I also didnt divulge who the driver was either. What would be the next step?

nosferatu1001

Well, answering the questions would help!
Have you read the newbies thread, post 2, dealing with LBCs? If not, thats your next step
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