RMG - PDC, Debt Collection Agency

darchas

Wenpat said:

Hi 
just wanted to add to this post. I’m in exactly the same situation with the poster. Can I ask how it was finalised.   I sent a cheque direct to RMG that has been cashed but still being chased by the debt company for £400 which I’m trying to dispute.   

Thankyou

Hey. It was a while ago now so I can't quite remember all the ins and outs. I did end up paying in the end. I had a court date set but a couple of days before they got in touch me and said they would take the original charge (ie not all the add-on charges). I was pretty stressed at the time and had some big life events going on so agreed. I was anxious about going to court and so decided to take the offer. I would've liked to have challenged the whole thing, but I took the reduction as a partial win, plus I'd took up a lot of their time in preparing documents for the court. The thing they prepared must've been about 100 pages! I also challenged it as all the photos were from the services on the opposite side of the motorway, so they had to hastily send a response to the court about that as well..

I don't know your full story but good luck with it!!

EDIT: sorry, just to be clear the above relates to Parking Eye, not RMG. I'll update on the RMG case below....

darchas

Hang on, sorry I've answered the wrong thing! i thought you were asking about my Parking Eye case!

Give me a few minutes and I'll read back through this one and see what I can remember....

darchas

Wenpat said:

Hi 
just wanted to add to this post. I’m in exactly the same situation with the poster. Can I ask how it was finalised.   I sent a cheque direct to RMG that has been cashed but still being chased by the debt company for £400 which I’m trying to dispute.   

Thankyou

Ok, I think I'm answering the right question this time! What happened was I followed the advice below and wrote to David Cowans. Thank you to that poster, I should've added a thanks way back when which I've done now, better late than never!

bucksbloke said:

Unfortunately, you do not have the legal right to say you won't pay the charges. Your contract for sale and the covenants in your transfer require you to pay on demand. I know that RMG will say that there is a portal (www.rmgliving.co.uk) that all residents can sign up to and it will send them the invoices via email. 

RMG is part of the housing association Places for People. I would re-write the letter to the CEO (David Cowans) of the Places for People and send it to him at Places for People, 80 Cheapside, London, England, EC2V 6EE and see if it is willing to do anything. https://www.placesforpeople.co.uk/about-us/about-the-group/meet-the-board/

David passed it on to one of his Directors who was very understanding and they agreed to remove the additional fees and cancelled the debt collection agency. I remember speaking to someone on his team who was actual really helpful, I was able to make the payment with them and they removed all the debit markers from my account.

Good luck with your case!

eddddy

Wenpat said:

Hi 
just wanted to add to this post. I’m in exactly the same situation with the poster. Can I ask how it was finalised.   I sent a cheque direct to RMG that has been cashed but still being chased by the debt company for £400 which I’m trying to dispute.   

Thankyou

The key question is...

• Is the £400 a Leasehold Administration Charge (as described in 'Commonhold and leasehold reform act 2002' )
• See: https://www.lease-advice.org/lease-glossary/administration-charge/ 

Or is it some kind of other fee that the Debt Collection Company are charging you? Does the bill mention Service Charges or Administration Charges?

Is it because you paid your service charge late? Did you get a Service Charge bill? Did you get reminder letters?


If it's a 'genuine' Leasehold Administration Charge - it's often best to pay it under protest, and then challenge it at a tribunal. But if it's some other kind of fee charged by the Debt Collection Company, you probably don't have to pay it.


(It might be better to start a new thread, if you want advice on your specific situation.)