Parking charge letter arrived 5 years after alleged offence

Jingo99

Hey everyone,
This morning I received a £160 parking charge notice (PCN) in the post claiming that I had an unpaid parking charge from November 2015. The letter claims I parked in a disabled bay without a blue badge at a local retail park. The retail park is 'free' for 2 hours to park at so no tickets are required unless you are parking for longer than 2 hours.
I am a wheelchair user, I do have a blue badge and it is permanently displayed in a holder on my dashboard so if I I did indeed park at the retail park, my badge would have clearly been on display. There are no photos included with the letter to show what evidence they have.

What is the best way to deal with this? The letter is from 'dbcbl' Direct Collection Bailiffs ltd in Runcorn. They proudly declare at the bottom of the letter that they are 'featured exclusively on the popular TV show Can't Pay? We'll take it away!' 

I am absolutely sick to my stomach with worry over it, I feel like they are trying to scam me and being bullies by mentioning they are bailiffs from a TV show.

Many thanks in advance for any help. 
 

Le_Kirk

They have six years to start a court claim, unless you are in Scotland where it is five.  What you have received is a debt collector letter with the usual frighteners designed to make you .. well .. frightened.  What does the letter say?  Does it give you 14 days to take action or does it give you 30 days and include financial forms, which you do not need to complete?

Fruitcake

You have no need to worry about this.

DCBL have two separate parts to the company. DCB Legal act as solicitors and court appointed bailiffs. DCB Limited are debt collectors who have absolutely no power whatsoever. 

Nobody can come to your house to take stuff unless you have been to court, lost, not paid the judgment in time, and had a court order raised against you. At no point are you or your possessions at risk as long as you follow the advice on this forum and don't ignore a real court claim.

The letter you have is from the debt collector arm of the company and can safely be ignored. It is nothing more than poor quality bog paper, but if there is another shorter, well you will be ahead of the game.

Redx

The TV show shows them collecting on high court writs where more than £600 is owing on a CCJ that wasn't paid

None of that applies here

Name the parking company and tell us what the alleged offence was ?

Which retail park ??

Fruitcake

Did you get a PCN at the time of the alleged event, and if so, did you appeal it?

If not, then you might want to tell them that you are, and were at the material time a BB holder and a disabled person with protected characteristics as defined by the Equality Act 2010.
That then puts them on notice about your disability/BB status if they didn't already have that information. 

D_P_Dance

This morning I received a £160 parking charge notice 

The added £60 is very likely to be unlawful, read this and complain to your MP,

Excel v Wilkinson

At the Bradford County Court, District Judge Claire Jackson (now HHJ Jackson, a Specialist Civil Circuit Judge) decided to hear a 'test case' a few months ago, where £60 had been added to a parking charge despite Judges up and down the country repeatedly disallowing that sum and warning parking firms not to waste court time with such spurious claims.   That case was Excel v Wilkinson: G4QZ465V, heard in July 2020 and leave to appeal was refused and that route was not pursued.  The Judge concluded that such claims are proceedings with 'an improper collateral purpose'.   This Judge - and others who have since copied her words and struck dozens of cases out in late 2020 and into 2021 - went into significant detail and concluded that parking operators (such as this Claimant) are seeking to circumvent CPR 27.14 as well as breaching the Consumer Rights Act 2015.   DJ Hickinbottom has recently struck more cases out in that court area, stating: ''I find that striking out this claim is the only appropriate manner in which the disapproval of the court can be shown''.

I am absolutely sick to my stomach with worry over it, I feel like they are trying to scam me

They are, but there is no need to worry, judges are very familiar with the mo of these scammers.

beamerguy

The letter is from 'dbcbl' Direct Collection Bailiffs ltd in Runcorn. They proudly declare at the bottom of the letter that they are 'featured exclusively on the popular TV show Can't Pay? We'll take it away!' 

I am absolutely sick to my stomach with worry over it, I feel like they are trying to scam me and being bullies by mentioning they are bailiffs from a TV show.


HAHA ..... TURN THE LETTER OVER ... What does it say ....."this is not ....... bla bla

No need to worry, these jokers add on fake amounts .... are they acting for UKPC  ?


Join in the fun thread about DCBL ...... 
DCBL letters ... forum group thread
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6237177/dcbl-letters-forum-group-thread#latest

DCBL are blasted all over google ..... oh dear ???

Coupon-mad

Let us know when the landowner/retail cancels it when you complain to them and point out that you ARE a BB holder and entitled to use disabled bays, and how dare they allow their parking contractor to harass disabled people five yours later. 

Please name the parking firm.  

D_P_Dance

I am absolutely sick to my stomach with worry over it,

There is no need to worry, theses cases are with a very few exceptions, scams.  If this ever gets to court judges are aware of this and are very likely to to traet them as such.  

The programme they mention often features rent bilkers, often owing  £1,000s,  kebab shops which owe their suppliers, and people who have amassed huge bills to vets, and dodgy second hand car dealers.