Castle car park, River st, Windsor

dtch1

First post here. I’ve just done a google to see if anyone else has had issues with parking fines issued at Castle Car park, River St, Windsor and have seen that there are complaints here already- but the threads have been closed, so I’m asking for help. 

At the end of July I parked here, legally. I bought a paper ticket and displayed it in the left corner of my windscreen on the dashboard. 

On returning to my car I had a parking fine stuck to my windscreen. It said there was no parking ticket displayed. This was incorrect as the ticket was clearly displayed on my dashboard. 

I ignored the ticket as a quick google search suggested that I shouldn’t make contact with the alleged UK Parking Company or give them my details. I knew I had parked correctly as had the ticket to prove so.

a few weeks ago I had a letter from them, including pictures, asking me to inform them who the driver was on that occasion and to pay the fine. The pictures didn’t show the corner of my windscreen/dashboard where the ticket was displayed. One showed the drivers side but mine was on the passenger side and there was no photo of this. 

Again I ignored the letter as I knew, should they take me to court, that I can prove I had a ticket. 

Today I received a letter from a debt collection agency saying that the fine had been passed on to them to collect. If I don’t pay within 14 days they will instruct their client to start court proceedings. 

What should I do? I have proof of the ticket- should I sit tight and await a potential court summons/letter? 

Le_Kirk

Do not take any action concerning debt collector letters.  Debt collectors are powerless!  Do not tell them who was driving (it may help if the PCN was not POFA compliant).  Follow their appeals process (unless you are out of time for this) and if/when that fails, wait for letter before/of claim.  Meantime read the NEWBIE sticky.

dtch1

Le_Kirk said:

Do not take any action concerning debt collector letters.  Debt collectors are powerless!  Do not tell them who was driving (it may help if the PCN was not POFA compliant).  Follow their appeals process (unless you are out of time for this) and if/when that fails, wait for letter before/of claim.  Meantime read the NEWBIE sticky.

Thank you. So I just sit tight and do nothing, until such a time that I might get a court letter? Should I not even phone the debt collector agency to talk to them about it? 

I didn’t follow the original appeals process as a google search told me it would be a waste of time with this parking company and I would also be giving them further info etc 

KeithP

Definitely do not phone anyone 'to talk about it'.

Before you know it you will have told them who was driving on that day and their task becomes so much easier.

D_P_Dance

Have you complained to your MP?

Coupon-mad

Today I received a letter from a debt collection agency saying that the fine had been passed on to them to collect. If I don’t pay within 14 days they will instruct their client to start court proceedings.

Well they are lying because that's not possible.  Trace Debt Recovery, I guess, or maybe Debt Recovery Plus, LOL?

Read the 4th post of the NEWBIES thread and no more talk about these letters please, they are all over the forum and the NEWBIES thread begs for no posts about them.  You don't need our help unless you get a LBC from a solicitor.

Keep your pay and display ticket as evidence for six years or until LBC arrives then send a copy and start engaging.  You do not engage with waste of space DCAs.  The NEWBIES thread already explains all that.

Fruitcake

The advice to ignore a PCN has not been given here since the law changed in 2012. I'm not sure where you got the advice to ignore, but it is seriously out of date.

If you have made no contact with the litigious UKPC to date, there is nothing stopping you from making a late appeal by sending the template in blue text from the NEWBIES. Add a one liner that a ticket was displayed by The Driver, but their attendant deliberately ignored it and took photos of different parts of the car. This is a breach of the BPA CoP that states parking operators much check the whole of the windscreen for permits or tickets. (Look up the relevant part of the CoP and quote it.)
Expect the appeal to be rejected, but it will look better to a judge if you have tried to engage with them beforehand.

What happened when you complained to the landowner?

Do complain to your MP about this unregulated industry. UKPC has form for doctoring time stamps on their 'photo "evidence" and all parties should be reminded of this.

patient_dream

"a few weeks ago I had a letter from them, including pictures, asking me to inform them who the driver was"

The is the normal rubbish a few parking companies wheeze on about..... they don't know and you will not tell them.


AND, the debt collector is talking a load rubbish

THIS APPLIES TO ALL DEBT COLLECTORS IN THE SCAM PARKING INDUSTRY
DRP (DEBT RECOVERY PLUS)
Group Thread to ensure DRP are ignored ?
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6275792/drp-debt-recovery-plus-group-thread-to-ensure-drp-are-ignored#latest

dtch1

D_P_Dance said:

Have you complained to your MP?

My MP is Priti Patel- so that’d be a waste of time!