Please advice - Random letter from Gladstone solicitors about unknown parking ticket from a year ago

WelshCreative

Hi.

I hope someone can offer me some advice as I'm a bit confused and stressed about this unexpected situation.

Last week I got a letter out of the blue from Gladstone Solicitors acting on behalf of District Enforcement Limited who are claiming I owe £130.00. The letter doesn't mention what the charge is for but does say the location was Staffs Uni Campus - so I'm assuming it was a parking ticket (due to the 'Clients' name).

The date this was supposedly from is October 2018. I don't recall getting a ticket about that time. And I would only ever park on Staffs campus' on weekends or when the parking restrictions were suspended. I think it's ridiculous to contact me almost a year later!

The letter also states that the 'client' has written to me previously about this. Before this letter, I have never had any other letters about this. And that the client's apparently have evidence.

Can anyone advise what I should do please? I have 30 days to pay or reply otherwise legal proceedings will commence. I am planning on replying to dispute this but how do I find out what 'evidence' they supposedly have? Do I reply or would I need to contact the university instead?

Any advice welcome.
Thanks.

Redx

email a SAR to the DPO at DE and get all the data , docs and pics etc about you and your vehicle , attach a copy of the V5C as proof of I D under GDPR

DE have 6 years to take this to county court , so 1 year is nothing

check your V5C and driving licence have the correct name and address on them

it would be good for you if the university would cancel any pcn, against you , so try it, in writing

WelshCreative

Thanks for replying.

I no longer have the car that the letter is referring to so no longer have the V5C form for ID. I do have the little slip from when I first purchased the car, would that do as proof of ID?

If I submit a SAR request, should I reply to the letter from Gladstone? As I understand it can take up to 40 days for a SAR request to be fulfilled. At which point, I would have missed the 30 days stated on the Gladstone letter.

I was only a guest at the university at the time, who would you suggest emailing or writing to at the university to see if they would cancel any pcn?

Thanks again.

Coupon-mad

District Enforcement Ltd do infest Staffs Uni; a well known scam site for years:

https://parking-prankster.blogspot.com/2014/12/district-enforcement-lose-to-lecturer.html

What makes you think that scam PPC firms do not rip people off at weekends?

Can be defended but please no posts till you've read the NEWBIES thread.

Redx

its 30 days for a SAR reply, so read that NEWBIES thread

use a redacted utility bill and scan it or take a pic as proof of I D , add a copy of that slip to the email as well

I have no idea who you would write to at uni, you suggested it so you should know who it is , whereas I have never been to any uni, never mind staffs uni

the newbies thread tells you what to do with an LoC reply to gladrags

Coupon-mad

There was talk of a conflict of interests and possible family connection (a rumour...) with the Uni reportedly supporting the con. However, complaints are ALWAYS GOOD.

WelshCreative

The weekend point was due to the fact that the university does not enforce parking restrictions on a weekend according to their signs at least.

I have read the thread, but posted as I couldn't find DE on either of the BPA & IPC members lists but did find Gladstone on one of the lists so wasn't sure what to do next. Especially as the letter came out of the blue so I wasn't even aware of the parking ticket. And I haven't had any previous letters although this letter states that they had previously sent letters (which is definitely a lie!). It just all gets a little confusing after reading so many different situations/advice etc.

Would my next step be to use that template and send it to DE or would I send it to Gladstone Solicitors?
Also, for the template do I include the bullet points or am I meant to emit the bullet points that don't apply in this situation?

Thanks.

Redx

check the BPA AOS list

Defence Systems Limited t/a Park Watch is there

the SAR template is emailed to the DPO at DE with proof of I D

the rebuttal to Gladrags is one that states that you are seeking debt management counselling and to place it on hold (which they will refuse)

thats it for now , other than complain to the relevant department at STAFFS uni as well

Coupon-mad

No, DE are in the IPC (they are not ParkWatch).

DE are on the IPC list.

You email them a SAR. And tell DE to 'erase' the old address (if they used one?).

The NEWBIES thread says what to do at this stage so no need for us to go over it here.

Redx

sorry , I got my DE mixed up , MY BAD

they are definitely on the IPC list under D

THE REST OF MY ADVICE REMAINS THE SAME, REGARDLESS of which AOS they are in