Parking Control Management - charge for 3 mins while loading

Mr._Mime

3 years on, and a Letter Before Claim has arrived from Gladtones, requesting to pay £170 within 30 days, or dispute.

On the back has Estimated Claim Value:
Amount Due: £170
Estimated Interest: £0
Estimated Court Fee: £35
Estimated Fixed Solicitors' Costs: £80
Estimated Total: £285

I'm going to be away for the middle of these 30 days, is there any benefit to disputing sooner rather than later?

KeithP

Mr._Mime said:

I'm going to be away for the middle of these 30 days, is there any benefit to disputing sooner rather than later?

Think about when you are likely to have time to deal with a County Court Claim over the next few weeks.

If, for example, you do nothing, then you can expect a Claim to arrive with you in about four weeks time - say, mid-December - leaving you to file a Defence over Christmas. That may not bother you but think also about whether or not you will get the support you need over that Christmas/New Year period.

On the other hand, sending a 'delay for 30 days' letter sometime in the first half of December pushes your 'need for action' well into the middle of January.

You are in the best position to decide. 

Fruitcake

If you want to push the claim back by a month, then tell the solicitors that whilst you deny the debt you are seeking debt advice therefore you require the case to be put on hold for 30 days as per court pore-action protocol.
If you haven't previously done so, send an SAR to the DPO of the PPC. You will need to include non-photo proof of ID.

Mr._Mime

Thanks both, will wait a coupla weeks and then send delay letter and SAR.

Le_Kirk

Submit SAR straight away; they have one calendar month to respond and you don't want to be waiting for that if you receive a claim form.

Mr._Mime

Thanks - have submitted the SAR to PCM but haven't even got an acknowledgement (checked my junk mail too, nothing).
Is that usual, should I request one?

KeithP

Mr._Mime said:

Thanks - have submitted the SAR to PCM but haven't even got an acknowledgement (checked my junk mail too, nothing).
Is that usual, should I request one?

No, not unusual. Not worth bothering about.
People often report a lack of courtesy, or even rudeness, from these companies.

Le_Kirk

........... to add to what @KeithP wrote, they have one calendar month to respond, if they miss that, a complaint to the ICO is in order.

Mr._Mime

So I've got the SAR reply back.

It's my correspondence, and all their documents I've seen before, plus one new item that is an electronic note made (I assume) by the person that took the photos which says 'Driver left before to handle pcn' (??).
Nobody approached us or made themselves known as we loaded the boxes in to the car, there would have been time to do so if they had wanted.

The timestamps across all 3 of their photos is 2 minutes (eg 15:25-15:26), not enough time to read and consider any of the signs. Would this be worth additionally arguing?

Fruitcake

Include anything and everything that helps your case.