Unpaid Debt reminder notIce from CST Law almost two years after the original overstay

Greenwood2020

Hello, i am after some advice please. Almost 2 years ago now we overstayed in a car park owned by Euro Car Parks. We paid for half an hour parking but exceeded this by around 15 minutes if memory serves me correctly. We received a parking charge from Euro Car Parks shortly after this, which we contested through Popla but the appeal was rejected. We then received 2-3 (can’t remember exactly) letters from their debt collection agency DRP demanding payment of the charge in the months which followed, with the charge eventually being increased to £160. We ignored these letters and eventually they stopped.  

Now, almost 2 years later we have received a letter entitled “unpaid debt - reminder notice” from a company called CST Law who are demanding payment of £160 within the next week to avoid court action being taken and any increase in the amount claimed

Any advice on what to do here? 

Thanks

Redx

Same as in all the others on here , plenty posted recently

Email a SAR to the DPO at ECP to obtain all your data attaching copies of 2 recent redacted utility bills as proof of I D under the GDPR law 2018

Reply to this cst letter telling them to place it on hold pending the SAR reply and that you are seeking debt management advice as well

Read the Newbies FAQ sticky thread near the top of the forum , first 5 posts (ignore the subsequent spam posts there)

Also read and follow plan A , which should have been done 2 years ago , a landowner or retailer complaint for a cancellation

Umkomaas

Debt collector letter, same as the DRP ones. Ignore. Doesn't mean a court claim won't follow - times are tough for PPCs during the pandemic, and many are issuing claims in the hope that there'll be plenty of hitherto non-payers swiftly opening their wallets at the first hint of litigation. 

Greenwood2020

Thanks for your advice, however what is a DPO and an ECP please? And in terms of plan A, the car park is a town square one so I would not be sure who the landowner is? 

As this is not an official letter before court, is it worth taking any further action at this stage? 

Thanks

Greenwood2020

Umkomaas, thanks for your advice. Am I right in thinking they have to send us an official letter before court document, giving us 30 days to pay before any court action is taken? Is it also right that it a CCJ would not be applied at that stage, only of you ignore the letter before court doc? 

Thanks

Redx

ECP is the claimant , surely in all of this you saw. Their name and signs etc ? You mentioned them

Dpo is in post 5 of the newbies FAQ sticky thread you have failed to read

Find out who the landowner is , it should have been in the ECP evidence pack you received at 
Popla

Check who pays the non domestic business rates on the land

Google the location

Pay the Land Registry a small fee to find out

You need to be like Poirot on this , not Clouseau

ECP have 6 years to issue a court claim via MCOL

Greenwood2020

Redx wow, what you are advising definitely seems like far too much hassle and effort, think i will take umkomaas advice here

Redx

What I am advising will need to be done , even if not now

Your choice , your funeral

A CCJ happens if you lose in county court , as soon as the judge finishes speaking , that is what the letters mean , it only happens if you lose at that point

Greenwood2020

Redx, this is the first i’ve heard from them for two years so i’d imagine it’s just a generic mail sent out to anyone with outstanding cases open. Not going to spend hours of my time taking action if not necessary, think you need to get a hobby pal

Redx

No need to get personal , I didn't slag you off !!

My hobby has been completely nullified due to the pandemic which has stopped the entertainment industry dead in its tracks and left us at home in isolation

When the official legal papers arrive , you will read this thread again and realise the error of your ways

Why ask questions and then shoot the messenger ?

Greenwood2020

IF the legal papers arrive, i will refer back and take further action. Until then, not going to waste any further time on this. Thanks for your help, but you may find that the tone in which you speak to people may rub them up the wrong way