Hilton Stansted, Parking Eye fine issued in August!

Char27

I had a hire car, which I drove into the car park at the Hilton Stansted airport to drop off some items for a colleague. I left the car details with reception dropped off items and left. I was parked for no more than 10 minutes. 

I left the UK on a 3 month contract and have returned home to several letters, last one from debt collection saying I now owe £170 I can no longer appeal etc. 

I called the Hilton, they are next to useless so I’m left with the option to do nothing or fork out £170 

I know ParkingEye do take people to court so I’m wondering if there is something I can do or do I just pay up? 

Redx

Difficult to say , but as Parking Eye don't know who was driving and only have hirer details then they will have failed to comply with POFA ( it's a fact that they all fail POFA on hire vehicles )

So do not reveal who was driving , not to anyone

Plan A is your best option , it ALWAYS is , so keep complaining as a hirer keeper to the Hilton , get it cancelled , that is your best option here , it ALWAYS was , is , and will be !!

Parking Eye have 6 years to issue a court claim pack from the CCBC in Northampton , but my not because of the POFA and hirer issues , but may do if they knew who was driving !! So don't reveal that information to anyone at all ( even if it's obvious  , obvious is not proof )

Umkomaas

PE are more than capable of doing their own debt collecting and serving court papers themselves, which they are rarely shy in doing. But, where we see third party debt collectors involved, we believe that PE has all but given up on collecting themselves, have a weak case to pursue, do not have the permission of the landowner to sue in the courts - any permutation. 

We have yet to see any PE case returned from third party debt collectors then pursued through the courts. I don't see you case being any different. 

Don't get over-involved, wait to see how this progresses. Unfortunately, unless you can achieve a landowner cancellation, it's a 6 year wait for any prospect of court to evaporate. But, in your shoes, I wouldn't be losing any sleep. 

D_P_Dance

 I now owe £170  

They have added what appears to be an extra unlawful amount for debt collection. Judges have dismissed an entire claim because of this. 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''.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/16qovzulab1szem/G4QZ465V%20Excel%20v%20Wilkinson.pdf?dl=0

Also read this

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6279348/witness-statements-2-transcripts-re-parking-firms-false-costs-recorder-cohen-qc-judgment-2021/p1

Char27

Thanks all so much, great information. The debt collection agency is dcbl so I’m assuming this is a third party. 

The original fine was £35, £170 is disproportionate. 

It feels as though it’s demanding money with menace. I shall be writing to my MP. 

Again thank you 

Coupon-mad

Ignore DCB Ltd entirely, they will not do anything.   Get the Hotel Head office to cancel it. Insist, get angry, this is their fault.

ParkingEye will consider a later appeal once they get the case back when DCB give up.  Newbies thread section on LBC stage tells you this.  ParkingEye are unusual in that regard, LBCCC = appeal and POPLA is open.

D_P_Dance

Write bad stuff on Trivago, TripAdvisor, hotels.co, booking.com, etc. 

Redx

Char27 said:

Thanks all so much, great information. The debt collection agency is dcbl so I’m assuming this is a third party. 

The original fine was £35, £170 is disproportionate. 

It feels as though it’s demanding money with menace. I shall be writing to my MP. 

Again thank you 

I doubt that it was £35 , it's typically £100 or £85 , discounted by 40% for early payment !!

Check the NTK PCN and show us a redacted picture , and check the signs and show us a picture

Debt collectors typically add-on £60 or £70 as commission for chasing it up , which is regularly struck out in court cases