Gordon &Noble Collections Letter

GordonNoble2020

Umkomaas said:

G&N have cropped up here occasionally over the past few years. Forum advice has been consistent - ignore them - and, to our knowledge, no one has come to any harm in following that advice. A bit more important in terms of knowing exactly who you're dealing with, please tell us the name of the parking firm involved. 

Hi, its Horizon parking.

It was the first debt collectors letter I have received, and because it stated "legal proceedings will now commence" I wondered if I had missed something. Its literally the only letter I have had from a debt collector and I was concerned it may be a letter before action because I believe them to be a bit more serious than just a scaremongering letter.

GordonNoble2020

DoaM said:

Try substituting the word Gordon with Barnes when searching here.  

That had never even crossed my mind! of course they would be linked. I have read this forum so many times when checking the advice for other people to see if it had changed (many moons ago) and I had seen them pop up.

Umkomaas

GordonNoble2020 said:

Umkomaas said:

G&N have cropped up here occasionally over the past few years. Forum advice has been consistent - ignore them - and, to our knowledge, no one has come to any harm in following that advice. A bit more important in terms of knowing exactly who you're dealing with, please tell us the name of the parking firm involved. 

Hi, its Horizon parking.

It was the first debt collectors letter I have received, and because it stated "legal proceedings will now commence" I wondered if I had missed something. Its literally the only letter I have had from a debt collector and I was concerned it may be a letter before action because I believe them to be a bit more serious than just a scaremongering letter.

Have you changed your address just before or since the dates of the parking incidents?  Send Horizon a SAR to ascertain what communications they purport to have sent you. A link to a SAR template is shown in the NEWBIES FAQ sticky, second post. 

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 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 later this year,

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

GordonNoble2020

Umkomaas said:

GordonNoble2020 said:

Umkomaas said:

G&N have cropped up here occasionally over the past few years. Forum advice has been consistent - ignore them - and, to our knowledge, no one has come to any harm in following that advice. A bit more important in terms of knowing exactly who you're dealing with, please tell us the name of the parking firm involved. 

Hi, its Horizon parking.

It was the first debt collectors letter I have received, and because it stated "legal proceedings will now commence" I wondered if I had missed something. Its literally the only letter I have had from a debt collector and I was concerned it may be a letter before action because I believe them to be a bit more serious than just a scaremongering letter.

Have you changed your address just before or since the dates of the parking incidents?  Send Horizon a SAR to ascertain what communications they purport to have sent you. A link to a SAR template is shown in the NEWBIES FAQ sticky, second post. 

Sorry, I did get the NTK's from them and ignored. This is just the first ever letter from someone else, and because it said "commence legal proceedings" I had no idea if it was a genuine letter before action type thing (as I have never had one) or if it was just a generic letter to try and scare me in to calling them and giving them the money (which I don't intend to do, I don't know who was driving on any given day last year between 3 of us at the best of times).

As I have since lost the NTK's I will do the SAR anyway just so I have the evidence again -  or should I just leave it really? I don't want to engage them more than I have to -  I have read bad things about these debt collectors trying to track your phone number down and giving harassing calls, so if I engage the company I don't want them to think they have a bite if that makes sense.

Le_Kirk

Have you checked that it is a "proper" letter of/before claim?   Does it give you 30 days to pay or take action?  Did it include financial forms or links to them (do not fill in the forms if they did) and did they include all the evidence they intend to rely on in a court claim?  If not, it is a debt collector letter.

GordonNoble2020

Le_Kirk said:

Have you checked that it is a "proper" letter of/before claim?   Does it give you 30 days to pay or take action?  Did it include financial forms or links to them (do not fill in the forms if they did) and did they include all the evidence they intend to rely on in a court claim?  If not, it is a debt collector letter.

That was one of my queries. I have never had one before so don't know exactly how it should be worded or look.
I am now thinking its a debt collectors threat only currently. It does say "this letter is your notice that legal proceedings will now commence in your local Sheriff Court" but doesnt state letter before action or anything like that. Just says should you wish to pay or discuss contact them (which I am not doing) and if you don't we encourage you to seek immediate legal advice.

Thank you for clarifying roughly what an official letter should at least appear to be like, now I know what to look out for.

Le_Kirk

GordonNoble2020 said:

Le_Kirk said:

Have you checked that it is a "proper" letter of/before claim?   Does it give you 30 days to pay or take action?  Did it include financial forms or links to them (do not fill in the forms if they did) and did they include all the evidence they intend to rely on in a court claim?  If not, it is a debt collector letter.

That was one of my queries. I have never had one before so don't know exactly how it should be worded or look.
I am now thinking its a debt collectors threat only currently. It does say "this letter is your notice that legal proceedings will now commence in your local Sheriff Court" but doesnt state letter before action or anything like that. Just says should you wish to pay or discuss contact them (which I am not doing) and if you don't we encourage you to seek immediate legal advice.
Thank you for clarifying roughly what an official letter should at least appear to be like, now I know what to look out for.

Sheriff Court - Scotland then.  I don't know how the Scottish system works with LBC/LOC.  Maybe you need to do some research outside of the parking forum - legal beagles perhaps.

Coupon-mad

Horizon don't use the POFA, and you are in Scotland, and you weren't driving.  So ignoring it was right (Scotland) until they enact the Transport Act fully (they've decided to copy the terrible law we have here, the POFA, North of the border).  

But it won't be retrospective.  You are not liable, so I'd be telling them that.

More importantly, why don't you simply complain to the retail park as the NEWBIES thread tells everyone to do (sooner is better than later, but always before court)?  Please don't ask for a template complaint. 

If this was a retail park they can cancel it easily. In Scotland, always do that.

Garfield_123

I have also received this letter too stating for £1500. I have no disclosed driver. Did you get any luck contacting the landowner?