LBC from VCS, guidance please 31 May 2020 at 5:55PM in Parking Tickets, Fines & Parking 19 replies 153 views

Ljk900

Evening everyone,
I have received a Letter before Claim from Vehicle Control Services Limited and I have sent emails to the litigation department instructing them to put the process on hold for 30 days pending receipt of further information I have also emailed their Data Protection Officer requesting all of the data held about me and about the PCN as the letter contained minimal information.
Is there another letter/email I need to send in the meantime? The sticky thread suggests the actions that I have taken and then mentions complaining to them about the PCN. However, I can't complain until I know the details of the debt and the basis of their potential claim. Do I wait until they have responded with the SAR and go from there? Any guidance would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks in advance.

D_P_Dance

Nine times out of ten these tickets are scams, so consider complaining to your MP, it can cause the scammer extra costs and work, and has been known to get the charge cancelled.

Parliament is well aware of the MO of these private parking companies, many of whom are former clampers, and on 15th March 2019 a Bill was enacted to curb the excesses of these shysters. Codes of Practice are being drawn up, an independent appeals service will be set up, and access to the DVLA's date base more rigorously policed, persistent offenders denied access to the DVLA database and unable to operate.

Hopefully, when life gets back to normal, it will become impossible for those scammers who are left to continue their vile trade, but until this is done you should still complain to your MP, citing the new legislation.

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2019/8/contents/enacted

Just as the clampers were finally closed down, so hopefully will many of these Private Parking Companies.

Coupon-mad

Is there another letter/email I need to send in the meantime? 

No, except to complain to the landowner and look for newspaper articles and other forum posts about the site, to see how common this was at that place, and what defence arguments have been working.  Which car park?

Le_Kirk

The NEWBIE sticky mentions complaining to the landowner (to try to get it cancelled) or appealing to the PPC but you have gone beyond that stage now, although you could still try a complaint to landowner if you know who it is.  Did you receive any other paperwork such as the original PCN in the form of NTK or NTD?

Ljk900

Coupon-mad said:

Is there another letter/email I need to send in the meantime? 

 Which car park?

It was a car park where I used to work, there were a few spaces for the companies within the building but you were required to show a permit, which the driver may not have done on this occasion.

Ljk900

Did you receive any other paperwork such as the original PCN in the form of NTK or NTD?

No, just vague details of the location and the allegation that there was no valid permit/ticket displayed. 

If I were to contact the landowner, I don’t think they’d be interested in cancelling the PCN as it’s not retail so it would be pointless going down the lines of threatening not to use their premises again. 

Coupon-mad

OK so it's exactly the same as other court cases v VCS about places where people worked and where a permit was not displayed and yet they were authorised to park there anyway, by their employer company who lease the property. 

We've seen a few like that I can recall, this year; defences and witness statements already written to copy from. 

And no, I can't link them because I can't find them any quicker than you can by guessing a couple of keywords.

Ljk900

Thanks Coupon-mad, I’ll look into that. 

I guess it’s a case of waiting for the Northampton Court letter and submitting my defence. 

nosferatu1001

Nope, you need to, before that, have done the research. You're not under prsssure yet. By the time you get court papers you could have a defence ready. 

beamerguy

You have an LBC but no details of the debt ???
Surely it says how much and surely VCS have added their usual fake amount of £60

Ljk900

Sorry beamerguy, yes it does state £100 plus £60 costs and potentially another £25 court costs.