Civil Enforcement - Letter Before Action - HELP!!!!! very upset

skyblue24

I have just received a "Letter Before Action - Claim for Debt" issued by Civil Enforcement Limited. 

This relates to an alleged parking offence in Autumn  2019 (.i.e. almost a year ago). The letter says "We have written to you on several occasions regarding the unpaid parking charge, details of which are set our above, and for which you are liable. The charge includes a reasonable sum to cover charges we have incurred, and the time and resources spent in the time and resources spent in attemtping to recover debt from you".  There is also loads of ridiculous info attached about court cases etc, which I recognise are designed to scare me. 

This is the first I have ever heard of it!! They say they have written to me on several occasions... they have not! I have been at the same address, and not received a single thing from them. If I had received the first letter along with a fine, I would have dealt with it there and then (i.e. challenged it), but I did not get that opportunity, now they are threatening me with court action. 

It relates to a Holiday Inn car park. Yes, I was there, but I was having coffee in the hotel, which meant that I got free parking as a customer. I've just phoned Holiday Inn to discuss and it seems I neglected to enter my car details in the machine in the reception, which is why the parking fine was issued. There is a camera that records reg numbers, and any that don't register in the hotel, get a fine. I asked Holiday Inn if they will contact Civil Enforvement to get the fine lifted, but they won't as they no longer have a contract with the company. They also said that when they've tried to do that in the past, Civil Enforcement do not acknowledge or reply to any communications they send, so it's essentially a waste of time. 

I have been on the Civil Enforcement website and tried to lodge an appeal, but it just keeps saying "details not recognised".

What do I do? Do I write and dispute the fine? Do I write and compalin they've not contacted me before?

Please help I am getting very stressed by all of this. I have a young baby to care for and feel very overwhelmed and unprepared to deal with soemthing like this. 

Redx

It's an invoice , not a fine

Get your V5C log book out and double check it has your correct address on it

Then email a SAR to the DPO at CEL to obtain copies of all your documents , pictures and data about you and your vehicle , attaching a copy of the V5C as proof of I D under the GDPR law for data protection

Umkomaas

Is the exclamation mark key on your keyboard stuck?  Why so many?

Coupon-mad

Read the NEWBIES thread section about LBC stage and send the SAR.  That is why we have the sticky thread.

Also get the Hotel to cancel it RIGHT NOW!