PCN from First parking 05/09/18

Welchmanrobb

Received PCN from First parking, starting car was illegally parked without Blue Badge on hospital grounds in Disabled Bay. This was incorrect as the badge was displayed clearly. Sent template letter saying the ticket was unfairly issued and that I will not be giving you the name of the driver and will not be paying the demand as the alleged contravention did not occur. First Parking replied acknowledging receipt of the letter and asked for a name and address of the driver. I did not reply. In October First parking issued me a notice to registered keeper of the car with a demand for payment of £80. Again, I did not reply. I have done nothing wrong and the company have gone straight to National debt collections and now I have a letter from DCBL. The letter from DCBL asks for a different amount from NDCL. The figures are different
This is getting silly now. Can someone help please?

Fruitcake

Can you confirm the full name of First Parking please?
If it is First Parking LLP, did you get a PoPLA code?

You can safely ignore debt collectors.

Was your template letter to them an actual appeal?

Have you complained to PALS?

Have you complained to your MP?

Welchmanrobb

First parking LLP
The letter was a template from this site, stating that the ticket was unfairly issued, a blue badge was displayed in the vehicle, and in a disabled bay.
The letter I received from FP only asked for me to provide a name and address of the driver.
I have not complained to PALS or my MP yet.
Thanks

Welchmanrobb

Sorry, I don’t know what a POPLA code is.

Fruitcake

The rejection letter from the PPC should have a PoPLA code to allow you to make a second stage appeal.

You say you got the appeal template from this site. Do you mean from the NEWBIES thread or from the dreadful "official" MSE articles about parking.

If you used the template from the NEWBIES then you will have seen how this explains the whole process including how to make a second stage appeal to PoPLA.

Common acronyms are explained in post 5 of the NEWBIES.

KeithP

Welchmanrobb wrote: »

The letter I received from FP only asked for me to provide a name and address of the driver.

Any letter asking for the driver's details can be ignored.

Wait patiently for your appeal rejection and PoPLA code.

Coupon-mad

But he/she has already waited months, I think.

First Parking replied acknowledging receipt of the letter and asked for a name and address of the driver. I did not reply. In October First parking issued me a notice to registered keeper of the car with a demand for payment of £80. Again, I did not reply. I have done nothing wrong and the company have gone straight to National debt collections

Email a complaint about that to Steve Clark at the BPA (search the forum for his email). Obviously you will need to attach evidence of your appeal and the acknowledgement, and the subsequent letters, none of which gave you a POPLA code (are you sure none was a rejection of appeal?).

Welchmanrobb

The latest letter is from Direct Collection Bailiffs Limited - a notice of debt recovery.
The letter from First Parking does not acknowledge my complaint, only the fact that it had received my letter. It was sent within the first 28 days of the initial correspondence. I then received two further letter from National Debt Collections. So still not received a PopLA code.
Should I just pay the fine to The Direct Collection Bailiffs? The amounts don’t tally up though. First one asks for £150, second asks for £100, plus an overdue amount of £50 + vat making it £160.

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.

nosferatu1001

Where did you get the idea you should PAY?!

Welchmanrobb

Thanks Nosferatu1001, not thinking straight I guess!