'Debt Recovery' demand, with no previous notice of a parking fine

b3nb123

I have received a letter from a Debt Recovery company, informing me that I have an unpaid parking fine from 2019, and now need to pay £170. The letter is the first I've heard of the fine. I had no letter about a parking ticket back in 2019, and certainly haven't missed 5 demands for payment, as their letter states.

The letter informs me on one side that I've missed five payment deadlines, and then on the other side says 3 collection attempts have been ignored (which doesn't match!)

The date of the parking charge does make sense, it's a date when I was in the area, and if it can be shown I did owe the original parking fine then I will certainly pay it. However it seems to me that making no attempt to make contact with somebody for two years, and then telling them they have missed deadlines, is extremely unfair and illegal, and seems to me like it may be a completely fraudulent business model set up to extort money. How can I check the legality of the company that sent me this letter?

The letter was from Debt Recovery Plus, for a creditor Initial Parking Ltd, who I can see are the company running the car park in question, but who's website doesn't return any results for this parking fine (Presumably because they sold the debt to a collection company) and they don't accept phonecalls.

Herzlos

Have you moved address since then?

Does your V5 have an up to date address?

Not that it matters, unless they send you official court stuff like a "Letter Before Action" or something coming from the small claims court, just ignore it.

Debt Recovery Plus will send you a few scary letters about recommending their client will take action, but they only get paid if you pay them so there's no incentive to do so. Eventually they'll realise they are wasting their money and give up.

Do not get in touch with either Debt Recovery Plus or Initial Parking Ltd at this stage.

b3nb123

Thanks Herzlos. I emailed both earlier! And tried to phone also, but the name on the account is my wife's so they wouldn't discuss it.

b3nb123

All the addresses are up to date, and we haven't moved address during this time.
The wording is just weird though, it's like they are more interested in me taking up a payment plan with them!

Le_Kirk

NEVER phone debt recovery firms, they are invariably rude and are only interested in your money.  Check your V5C to make sure it is up-to-date.  If the account is in your wife's name, why are you getting debt letters?  Whose name is on the V5C?  Send a SAR to the DPO of the PPC.  All acronyms can be found in the NEWBIE sticky on the parking sub-forum, which is where this discussion should be moved to - ask a board guide to move it for you.

b3nb123

The letter is in her name, as is the V5 but I always deal with the paperwork in the household for both of us.

Herzlos

b3nb123 said:

The wording is just weird though, it's like they are more interested in me taking up a payment plan with them!

They are. It's literally all they'll get paid for. They've no interest in resolving anything, it's just fishing for money.

Like I said, ignore them a bit longer (you'll get harassed longer now you've emailed them) and they'll eventually stop. Only respond to official court stuff.

b3nb123

Thanks They know what they are doing, scaring people into responding quickly

Manxman_in_exile

Have you asked a Board Guide to move this thread to the correct forum yet, as suggested by Le_Kirk?  (I recommend you read their post again).

While it's true that there's not really anything a Debt Recovery firm can do by sending you threatening letters, you do need to make sure that you take appropriate action if you receive a Letter Before Claim from them, or from the original parking company or from any legal firm representing them.  If you receive one and you ignore it, you risk being on the wrong side of a court judgment and being chased by bailiffs.

Are you absolutely sure that the name and address on your wife's V5C is correct and has been correct since the alleged infringement?  And that it has been updated - if necessary - in the interim, and in a timely fashion?  (ie there wasn't a period of a few weeks or so around the time of the alleged infringement when the V5 address would have been wrong?).

GrumpyDil

Yes, ask for this to be moved to the parking sub forum and note that the advice has not been to ignore these letters for some time.