Company trying to chase an unpaid parking ticket from 2016 without proof

bartn19

Hi all,

I'm looking for a bit of advice.

I received a letter from DCB ltd a month ago from the post saying they were collecting debt from 2016, for an unpaid parking charge. I asked them for a SAR and to also provide me with proof of the alleged charge as I have never seen a ticket.

They say "We write further to your request for evidence, Parking Eye Limited have confirmed they no longer hold the evidence for this Charge due to The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). DCBL are instructed by ParkingEye Limited to recover the outstanding balance in relation to the unpaid Parking Charge Notice (PCN), reference 432287/428879. Please see the details of the Charge below:"

Location: Millennium Gloucester

Date: 7th November 2016

Vehicle registration: BN04 TTZ

Time in: 06:57am

Time out: 18:37pm

Allowed duration: none

Contravention: Nothing paid for parking"

If there is no proof, and I have never seen any ticket, do I have to pay? Where do I stand legally?

Thanks all!

Supersonos

If they have no proof, they can't make you pay.  I'd write back and say you have no recollection of being in that location and without any evidence, you're not paying and you consider the matter closed.

Let them take you to court if necessary.

Car_54

AFAIK there is nothing in GDPR which would require them to destroy the evidence. Data must not be kept longer than they need it, but it seems they do need it!

Jenni_D

Hi - you need to send a SAR to Parking Eye (if you haven't already); that should fish out the full details of the original charge and what was sent where. You might also want to ask to get this moved to the parking board - they seem to have the most up-to-date information about these things.

Jenni x

Car_54

Jenni_D said:

Hi - you need to send a SAR to Parking Eye (if you haven't already); that should fish out the full details of the original charge and what was sent where. You might also want to ask to get this moved to the parking board - they seem to have the most up-to-date information about these things.

Jenni x

But the debt collectors have said "Parking Eye Limited have confirmed they no longer hold the evidence".

If the OP sends an SAR they will have to look for it, and they may find it!

Best not to poke that hornet's nest..

Herzlos

These scammers send a flurry of invoices out right at the end of the statute of limitations as a last ditch attempt to trick people into paying up. Since you've already engaged them you'd probably be best not completely ignoring it, and send something like:

"Dear DCBL,

Given that you've admitted to having no evidence of this alleged claim, and that I deny any liability, I suggest you drop said claim before wasting any further expense."

Jenni_D

Car_54 said:

Jenni_D said:

Hi - you need to send a SAR to Parking Eye (if you haven't already); that should fish out the full details of the original charge and what was sent where. You might also want to ask to get this moved to the parking board - they seem to have the most up-to-date information about these things.

Jenni x

But the debt collectors have said "Parking Eye Limited have confirmed they no longer hold the evidence".

If the OP sends an SAR they will have to look for it, and they may find it!

Best not to poke that hornet's nest..

That's a fair point.
In which case the above response by Herzlos would seem the best course of action - if there's no evidence, Parking Eye have no lawful right to engage a debt collector to chase a debt that they cannot prove.

However it is also possible that DCBL haven't even asked Parking Eye.

Jenni x

silverwhistle

I don't suppose any judge would be too pleased if they subsequently managed to find some "evidence" after making that statement, not that this would ever get to court -  they can't be that incompetent. Isn't it about time some of these scammers were given punitive damages in court..?

greyteam1959

OP

If that really is your car reg number I would remove it ASAP.

Jenni_D

greyteam1959 said:

OP

If that really is your car reg number I would remove it ASAP.

Good point ... the OP won't be able to edit their post so they should report it so a mod/board guide can edit the post. If it's an old car that they no longer own then it may not matter.

Jenni x

bartn19

It's not my reg, I changed it. thank you all for your help!