Help please. No PCN ever received but bailiff has been instructed 4 years on

Sarah78999

Hello, to my surprise I received a bailiff letter in the post this week. Apparently I was given a PCN back in 2016 and never paid up. They have advised a debt collection agency to contact me to now get from me £170. I never received a parking ticket, I don't ignore anything serious. I would have paid up at the time if it was recent, can't even remember that day now! This alleged offence was for using a private car park for longer than stated. I cannot appeal it as there is no PCN number in the 1st place. I am very angry and upset that no one contacted me but from what I learn online is that the company pretends to have sent it to you, can't access your details because they are only a private company and then wait it out until they can get a bailiff to track me down. The letter states it is not subject to bailiff law but the company can take me to court. I am upset as I don't want to come home to more scary letters even though my friends are telling me to ignore it. I have no proof of where I was at that time because I do not know anymore. I also am adamant nothing was sent as I have had that car and the same address for the four years since this alleged incident. Do I contact the company and ask for proof or do I contact the bailiff and say I'm not paying? I don't like ignoring these things as they could take me to court, at the same time although this is immoral, it is even legal? 

Ralph-y

Hi and welcome to the forum ...

sadly like most people who are sucked into the underworld of private parking you have a lot to learn .....

have a read of the newbies thread/discussion

the newbies thread / discussion

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/4816822/newbies-private-parking-ticket-old-or-new-read-these-faqs-first-thankyou/p1
make sure you start at the first page not last

especially the bit about debt collectors.

"I don't want to come home to more scary letters even though my friends are telling me to ignore it."

you will get more letters .. I am even going to instruct my hamster to write to you .... funnily he has the same powers as a debt collectors

your friends are sort of right .... but would you believe mrs Miggings at the pie shop?  yes you ignore debt crawlers but be careful not to ignore court or LBC papers.

" Do I contact the company and ask for proof or do I contact the bailiff and say I'm not paying? I don't like ignoring these things as they could take me to court, at the same time although this is immoral, it is even legal? "

you will read in the link I gave that you never ever phone .. you never ever contact debt collectors. You will read about sending a SAR to the original PPC ..... to find out what they have on you and yes its sadly immoral, and legal

Ralph

beamerguy

Sarah, you have received a letter from the stupid DCBL .... YES??

The letter states it is not subject to bailiff   <<<< and it's not ..... it's just DCBL puffing up their feathers with a scary letter ......  typical rogue trader tactics.  It's a debt collector letter faking you owe them £170 ..... NO YOU DON'T ..... DCBL ARE SCAMMING YOU

Please show us a copy of the letter, scan it and post it here

Don't worry, the fools can be easily beaten

Umkomaas

Which parking firm?  Which 'bailiff'?

Give us something useful to go on!

BrownTrout

No bailiff has been instructed 

MistyZ

Thank heavens you came here.  Your fears must be echoed up & down the country countless times.

As above, no bailiffs will arrive.  And your post brings home just what an evil, although empty, threat that is.  How dare the scumbag debt collectors scare you like this.  

Provide more details as requested above so that you can receive advice appropriate to your case.  And to reiterate, as it is so important, do not respond to the debt collectors, just ignore them, block their number from your phone, keep the letters but stash them out of your sight .... but keep an eye out for a Letter Before Claim which is the time to act.

pogofish

Didn't Post Four of the Newbies Sticky help you fully? - Its there because the last thing we need is yet another debt vulture thread!

Coupon-mad

You have not got a bailiff letter.  That said, DCBL Collections include their group's 'can't pay, we'll take it away' logo and that is misleading - and you can object to that of course.  But please wise up to what you have and haven't actually got there. 

You simply have a laughable debt collector letter to ignore.

Read post #4 of the NEWBIES thread and come back when you do get a court claim (but read post #2 of the NEWBIES thread as well, for details of the SAR you should email to the parking firm now, to get all the old letters & photos in readiness to defend and win).  

No asking for a link to the NEWBIES thread...please.  That's what my signature below is for.

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 in some cases, cancellation. 

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,

Just as the clampers were finally closed down, so hopefully will many DVLA's date base more rigorously policed, persistent offenders denied access to the DVLA database and unable to operate.

Hopefully life will become impossible for the worst of these scammers, 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/of these Private Parking Companies.

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

peter_the_piper

One thing to consider, have you changed address since the alleged date and not updated the change with the dvla? (not just driving licence)

nosferatu1001

OP - get out your V5c, now, and check it. Make sure the address is complete;ly correct
Then check the DOCREF date, as that shows the date the DVLA updated that address on thier system - if it is from before this PCN, thats all good.