Missed PCN - Debt Collector Letter Received

Coupon-mad

I would not wait because it's mere weeks before Xmas, and a strange old year, so you need to give him time to reply.  

SillyBilly2020

Update:

I've sent my appeal letter to Initial Parking and also a longer letter to the owner of the Fistral Beach car park asking for his help in cancelling this PCN.  I couldn't appeal to IP online as their system did not recognise the PCN number or the car registration.  I assumed this was because I missed their appeal deadline and they've gone to their next stages.

Then today, I received the following letter from CST LAW . . .

This looks a bit more 'legal' though I suppose it's meant to be.  Two questions:

Is this what is known as a 'letter before action'?  (I've never seen one before!)

If not, do I treat this the same way as the DRP letters and just ignore?

Many thanks.

Coupon-mad

Join the CST Law Group thread and read it from start to finish as you are to late to appeal. 

Everything is answered in the group thread and we are loath to repeat it and the reis no need, for us or for you.  The Group thread if going to be of more help to you than this thread so no questions here please unless you eventually get a court claim.

CST letters' forum group thread

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6166004/cst-letters-forum-group-thread/p1

Le_Kirk

SillyBilly2020 said:

This looks a bit more 'legal' though I suppose it's meant to be.  Two questions:

Is this what is known as a 'letter before action'?  (I've never seen one before!)

If not, do I treat this the same way as the DRP letters and just ignore?

Coupon-mad said:

Join the CST Law Group thread and read it from start to finish as you are to late to appeal. 
Everything is answered in the group thread and we are loath to repeat it and the reis no need, for us or for you.  The Group thread if going to be of more help to you than this thread so no questions here please unless you eventually get a court claim.

CST letters' forum group thread

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6166004/cst-letters-forum-group-thread/p1

As well as doing as advised by @Coupon-mad, read the NEWBIE sticky which tells you all about debt collector letters and what makes a letter into a letter before claim.

SillyBilly2020

Thanks for the pointer to the CST thread.  I knew about ignording the 'debt' collector letters but maybe missed the CST Law advice and it seemed different.  I have read the newbie sticky, but there's a lot to remember.  Guess I need to read it a quite a few times before being as familiar with what to do as you all are - and for which I'm very grateful!

In other news, I've just had confirmation of my French job and apparently I need to be out there just before the end of the month (Brexit-related issues apparently) so am just awaiting confirmation of where I'll be staying before I can inform Initial Parking.

Should I also inform DRP and CST Law of my change of address?

Umkomaas

In other news, I've just had confirmation of my French job and apparently I need to be out there just before the end of the month (Brexit-related issues apparently) so am just awaiting confirmation of where I'll be staying before I can inform Initial Parking.

How long do you anticipate remaining in France?

nosferatu1001

Drp ignore
just instruct the ppc to inform their agents if your adddress. Point out that your older address is no longer valid for service, and you are outside the jurisdiction of the e and w court. 

SillyBilly2020

Umkomaas said:

In other news, I've just had confirmation of my French job and apparently I need to be out there just before the end of the month (Brexit-related issues apparently) so am just awaiting confirmation of where I'll be staying before I can inform Initial Parking.

How long do you anticipate remaining in France?

At least 4 months, until the end of the ski season.  Thereafter it depends if I can find another job.  I'm a bit itinerant at present!  I have a flat in the UK but I've rented it out for the last few years while moving around to work.  If it wasn't for covid, I'd have been in France since last month.

SillyBilly2020

Further update:

Even though I missed the Initial Parking appeal deadline (for the previously mentioned reasons) I wrote to them anyway, not really expecting a reply, but they replied with the following:

"Thank you blah, blah, the content is noted.  T&C signage on site states that if you choose to park/remain on site and stay over 10 minutes you must pay full tariff.  We confirm the charge is not cancelled . . . etc etc"

Not really unexpected.

Meanwhile, I've now got confirmation of my new address in France, so I could now write to IP to inform them of this.

But I have one question arising out of my somewhat unusual circumstances.  Because of a combination of Brexit uncertainty and the latest Covid travel bans to France, I'm not totally sure I'll be able to travel to France after Christmas as currently planned (28th Dec), but in the likely absence of a Brexit deal if I'm not in France before 1st January then I'll have no right to work there, even though I've already got a signed employment contract.  I'm looking at changing my travel plans to before Christmas if possible and because my work contract is dated 2020 it may be possible to fudge the rule changes even if I can't get to France until after 1st January.  So everything is uncertain and I won't really know where I'll be for the next few weeks.

All that I can cope with, but I don't know what best to do about this pending PCN.  Should I:

1. Notify IP of my move to French address immediately, but then risk missing important letters if I'm not there?

2. Leave my address as it is, with letters forwarded to my parents, but then I won't see them while away in France?

3. Can I somehow 'officially' appoint a parent to legally deal with this matter in my absence?

Any advice gratefully received.

Coupon-mad

Did they send a POPLA code?

Surely you can wait ten days to make a decision, so you know which address makes sense.