Brighton OPS Defence - would anyone check it for me pls?

nosferatu1001

They invited the parasites on, they better get involved...

brianposter

I dont think anyone can give you sensible advice without knowing a lot more about the relationship between you, your employer and the parking permit issuer.

Why did the temporary permit not function ?

Who is the parking permit issuer ? 

BellaEm

brianposter said:

So why was a permit not available, and why has your employer or the permit issuer not got the ticket cancelled ?

It was just an admin error - I didn’t ask them to cancel the ticket because I didn’t know I could 

KeithP

BellaEm said:

brianposter said:

So why was a permit not available, and why has your employer or the permit issuer not got the ticket cancelled ?

It was just an admin error ...

What was 'just an admin error'?
Who made this admin error? You? Your employer? The parking company?
What does 'it was just an admin error' even mean?
Someone needs to accept responsibility for this 'admin error'.

brianposter

BellaEm said:

It was just an admin error - I didn’t ask them to cancel the ticket because I didn’t know I could 

Sounds like it should be first to your employer, and then - in writing - to the permit issuer.

You need it in writing so that it can be used as evidence in court - which means that the letter must make clear that the whole business is their fault.

"Following your failure.................I have received ....."

 

BellaEm

The case has been heard. Judge XXX decided that because I'd offered to pay £140 at LOC stage (simply to get the bailiffs off my back) it was a legal admission of debt.I disputed that it was an admission because OPS lied about the reasons for the Claim and lied about the ticket. The Judge said I would have to pay money to the court to legally withdraw the 'admission' of £140, and I simply can't afford it. The Judge then asked us to agree an amount of full and final settlement. I said I would only pay £40 maximum because they denied me a POPLA appeal. They accepted it and seemed scared to test out the case and backed down. The person from OPS wasn't a solicitor just an admin person and didn't seem to know anything about the case.They're still out of pocket because they've paid to go to court, which is more than £40.

Result - I pay £40. Not happy but at least it's over. The lesson here is never offer to settle early just to make it go away - stick to your guns and make your case. I regret trying to pay my way out of it early on. I was moving house and it was just too stressful to think about. I wish I had told them to **** off.

Fruitcake

I would call that a win on your part. Well done.

BellaEm

Thanks, I couldn't quite belive they accepted so low a figure. They seemed reluctant to test out the case legally and it was a weak case on both sides.

It was a lose-lose situation because I had mistakenly 'admitted' the debt at LOC to get them off my back, but they didn't have a leg to stand on as their case was built on sand. 

If withdrawing the 'admission' were free I would have done it. But it costs £250 to legally withdraw an admission. Tell your fellow MSE members! Stick to your guns!

As a disabled single Mum I can't afford to buy justice.

Umkomaas

Decent result for you, given the circumstances. 

OPS will have expended quite a sum in terms of court filing and hearing fees (£50), DCB Legal fees (£ unknown, but it won't have been for free), as well as them losing out on the £140 you offered in the first place.  All they've recovered is £40. 

Quite an expensive day out for them as 'reward' for their greed!

Coupon-mad

I see this one as a win.   

Once you had admitted the debt you had stitched yourself up (as I noticed in their WS when we reviewed it, they'd picked up on the admission) but you just 'unstitched' yourself as best you could!